Daylight Saving Starts In Less Than One Week

Like a bad penny, Daylight Saving Time is about to rear is head once again.

The Latinos Post is reporting that Daylight Saving Time officially begins at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 8, and ends on Sunday, November 1. It is recommended that all persons affected by the change set their clocks forward one hour before going to bed on Saturday, March 7. However, there is a growing backlash to either stay on Daylight Saving full time or eliminate it altogether.

One of the biggest reasons that detractors want Daylight Saving done with is that not everyone is on Daylight Saving Time all the time. Hawaii, Arizona, and all U.S. island territories do not adhere to Daylight Saving. There were sections in Indiana and Ohio, but constituents there voted to follow Daylight Saving in 2007.

Daylight Saving essentially began in 1966 with the Uniform Time Act. It was embraced as a idea back in World War I, to help save coal. Many agencies, like the California Energy Commission, feel that “Springing Forward” and “Falling Back” help with substantial energy cost savings.

Currently, however, there are politicians who are trying to end Daylight Saving.

Rep. Elizabeth Scott (R – WA) reported to a House committee recently that the twice-a-year switch was causing sleep deprivation, which was causing accidents and other health issues. Last week, Idaho House Majority Leader Mike Moyle (R-ID) authored a bill to end Idaho’s Daylight Savings due to its “disruption to families, businesses and individuals.”

Sen. Cliff Pirtle’s (R- NM) proposal has DST in effect year-round. New Mexico’s Senate Public Affairs Committee voted 5-1 last Thursday, sending forward Pirtle’s bill.

LongIsland.com is reporting that, since Daylight Savings is here for at least a while, there are some things you can do to prepare for the “Spring Forward” portion of the procedure. There are six days left before Daylight Saving begins, so you can use this time to prepare yourself for the change. You can start getting up an hour earlier a day or two before Sunday to prepare yourself for the change. Take a walk, and get some sun in on that Saturday (weather permitting) so your body can expect the change.

Also, instead of taking long naps, set your alarm to sleep for only 20 minutes, so you don’t affect your usual sleep patterns. Avoid any caffeine or stimulants before bed to you don’t artificially keep yourself awake. And, if all else fails, and you can’t fall asleep, don’t force yourself to try. Get up, do some reading or something that will make you tired, then try to sleep again. later.

One last thing; when you wake up Sunday morning, you should also replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide filters with new batteries.

[Image courtesy of College Network]