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Features for Senior Citizens
Clocks Spring Forward Earlier This Year: Daylight
Savings Starts Sunday
Tips to help senior citizens adjust to clocks
quick jump forward
By Tucker Sutherland, editor
 March 5, 2007 – Just when
most of us senior
citizens were getting used to Daylight Savings Time and figuring out how
it works, the government is changing it again. Now, they have decided it
is such a good thing that it should last longer. Get ready to "Spring
Forward" this Sunday, March 11. That means when the clock reaches 2
a.m., it is suddenly 3 a.m. For many seniors, that means a lost hour of
sleep, as our aging bodies don't adjust that quickly.
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Features for Senior Citizens |
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This year, Daylight Saving Time is extended one
month and begins for most of the United States at 2 a.m. on the second
Sunday in March and ends at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November. The
new start and stop dates were set in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
This is the first change in the dates for DST since
President Ronald Reagan moved the start date forward to the first Sunday
in April from the last Sunday in April. But, he didn't change the ending
date, leaving it as the last Sunday in October.
Reagan said adding the entire month of April would
save the nation about 300,000 barrels of oil per year.
Saving energy is what this is all about. The
government says electricity for lighting our homes is directly connected
to when we go to bed and when we get up. When we go to bed, we turn off
the lights, computers and the TV. A study by the feds says DST trims our
electricity use by one percent each day.
And, because we have more sunlight in the evenings,
we use less electricity for lighting before we go to bed. The experts
say we also spend more time outdoors in the evening, therefore, are not
using the TV, computer and other appliances as much.
In the four darkest months of the year (November,
December, January and February), there is not much that can be done to
offset the short days, so we just live with the heavier electricity use
in the dark early mornings and early night.
|
Year |
DST Begins 2 a.m.
(Second Sunday in March)
2 a.m. becomes 3 a.m. |
DST Ends 2 a.m.
(First Sunday in November)
2 a.m. becomes 1 a.m. |
|
2007 |
March 11 |
November 4 |
|
2008 |
March 9 |
November 2 |
|
2009 |
March 8 |
November 1 |
|
2010 |
March 14 |
November 7 |
|
2011 |
March 13 |
November 6 |
|
2012 |
March 11 |
November 4 |
|
2013 |
March 10 |
November 3 |
|
2014 |
March 9 |
November 2 |
|
2015 |
March 8 |
November 1 |
Incidentally, DST is not observed in Hawaii,
American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and by most of
Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Indian Reservation in
Arizona).
According to the National Sleep Foundation, getting
too little sleep doesn't just leave you feeling a bit tired the next
morning, but it also decreases your ability to perform at your mental
and physical best. Losing sleep also can increase your risk of diabetes,
heart problems and depression.
The NSF offers these tips so that Daylight Savings
Time does not set you back.
1) Gradually go to bed earlier in the three or
four nights leading up to Daylight Savings Time. While it may be hard to
suddenly go to bed an hour earlier one night, ramping back your bedtime
in 15 minute increments in the few nights before Saturday can make the
transition easier.
2) Lower the lights in your room earlier so your
brain gets the signal that it's time to start winding down.
3) Establish a relaxing bedtime routine that
prepares your brain and body for sleep.
4) Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol close to
bedtime. Since you'll be going to bed earlier, drink water with dinner
instead of coffee or soda.
5) If it's still light outside when you put the
kids to bed, make sure to close any blinds and draperies so the room is
as dark as possible.
6) Take a nap if you feel a bit groggy come
Sunday afternoon, but make sure it's not within a few hours of your
regular bedtime, which can disrupt your sleep in the middle of the
night.
7) Use Daylight Savings Time as a reminder to
evaluate your sleep environment for a better year-round sleep
experience, including your mattress and bedding. If you wake up often
with an aching back, that could be a sign that it's time to consider
investing in a new mattress. If that's the case, look for a mattress
that is comfortable and provides correct back support.
>> For more tips on getting a great night's sleep,
visit
www.sleepsoundly.com.
>>
For more about Daylight Savings Time at the National Atlas, click here
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