Mar 7, 2020
Daylight saving begins - clipartpanda.com
When Does the Time Change When We “Spring Forward” In 2020?
In 2020, Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 8th at 2:00 a.m. in most areas of the U.S. We officially consider ourselves “saving daylight hours,” so, in your time zone, you’ll be on “Daylight Time” (EDT, CDT, MDT, or PDT).
If it seems to you like this day used to come later in the year, you’re right. Prior to 2007, when the Energy Act of 2005 took effect, we used to “spring forward” during the first week of April and “fall back” during the final weekend of October.
Now, we begin Daylight Saving Time on the second Sunday in March and it comes to an end on the first weekend in November.
In our 2007 edition, we published a campaign called How Much Daylight Are We Really Saving? In it, we questioned both the former and new DST dates and proposed a new system we thought would work better.
Do Other Countries Observe Daylight Saving Time?
Many sources reveal that at least 40 countries worldwide observe Daylight Saving Time. Most of Canada observes DST except for the majority of Saskatchewan and parts of northeastern British Columbia.
For obvious reasons, most countries near the equator don’t deviate from standard time.
Fact: It’s Daylight Saving Time (not “savings” with an s), meaning: a time for saving daylight!
When Do We “Fall Back” In 2020?
The first Sunday in November of 2020 is when Daylight Saving Time ends in most areas of the U.S., so we’ll “fall back” and return to Standard time. We’ll set our clocks back one hour before bed on Saturday night.
The return of Standard Time means the Sun will rise a little earlier (at least according to our clocks) so if you’re an early riser, you’ll enjoy the rays as you have your breakfast. And you’ll “gain” one hour of sleep. The bad news? It will be dark by the time most of us get out of work.
In 2020, you’ll have to set your clocks back one hour (“fall back”) on Sunday, November 1st at 2 a.m.
Do All U.S. States Participate In Daylight Saving Time?
According to U.S. law, states can choose whether or not to observe DST. At present, Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii, plus a few other U.S. territories, are the only places in the U.S. that do not observe DST and stay on standard time all year long.
Indiana did not vote to observe DST until April of 2006. Prior to that, some counties in the state did observe it while others didn’t, which caused a lot of confusion, particularly since Indiana is split into two time zones already.
At least 40 countries worldwide observe Daylight Saving Time, including most of Canada, though the majority of Saskatchewan and parts of northeastern British Columbia don’t participate.
DST: Love It or Hate It?
How you feel about Daylight Saving Time probably depends on whether you are an early riser or a night owl. Obviously, changing the number on a clock doesn’t actually add any time onto our days. That point was eloquently made in this old joke:
When told the reason for daylight savings time the Old Indian said,
“Only the government would believe that you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket, sew it to the bottom, and have a longer blanket.”
However, adding an hour of daylight onto the end of the day, after most of us have gotten out of work, can feel like a gift after a long winter of dark evenings. As the warmer spring weather arrives, nothing could be nicer than having more time in the evening to enjoy it.
Try these tips to prepare for the time change.
Spring Forward Without Feeling Left Behind!
If you find it difficult adjusting to the time change, you’re not alone. The “spring forward” time change in March is harder to adjust to than the “fall back” change in November, due to our circadian rhythms. According to sleep specialists, our inner circadian clock finds it easier to sleep later in the morning than it does to fall asleep earlier at night. While most people adjust to the change within a couple of days, night owls find it more difficult.
Spring forward with precaution!
One study found a 6 percent rise in workplace injuries on the Monday after the daylight-saving time change. Traffic accidents rise 11 percent, following the time change too, so drive and work with extra caution the week of the time change.
10 easy ways to help your body adjust to the new time:
Get some sun! Allow sunlight into your room soon after you wake, to help “reset” your circadian rhythm.
Coffee timing. Don’t drink caffeinated beverages after lunch.
Plan your workouts. Exercise in the morning, afternoon or early evening, but not close to bedtime.
Dim all the lights. Dim the lights indoors, an hour before bedtime. Make your bedroom as dark as possible.
Unwind. Listen to soothing, relaxing music to unwind earlier in the evening.
Take a bath! Try a warm soak in the tub before retiring. Add a few drops of a relaxing essential oil, such as lavender or mandarin to your bath water.
Herbal tea time. Sip a warm cup of herbal tea to unwind. These herbal teas are noted to have a calming, relaxing, and stress relieving effect: Chamomile, Lemon Balm, Lavender, Catnip, and Hops. As with all herbs, seek advice from your natural health professional if you have allergies, other health conditions, or take medications.
Try supplements. These natural supplements may help you relax and get to sleep: melatonin, magnesium, and valerian. Ask your health professional which is right for you.
Help to adjust? This would be a great week for you to get a Chiropractic adjustment. Chiropractic patients commonly experience a notable improvement in their quality of sleep. Chiropractic adjustments optimize nervous system function, which regulates your internal, sleep-wake cycles (circadian rhythm).
Hit the hay early. During the week leading up to the time change, go to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier than usual, to help your body gradually adjust. If this isn’t possible, then make sure you don’t miss any sleep, no burning the midnight oil, this week.
Is Benjamin Franklin To Blame For DST?
Ben Franklin is often credited for inventing the idea of Daylight Saving Time, due to his partially tongue-in-cheek letter (read Franklin’s letter here). However, Franklin seemed to understand the point of view of the Old Indian in the joke above. Rather than changing the clocks, he simply advised us to change our schedules to better align with nature.
Since Daylight Saving Time was introduced, lawmakers have, on occasion, seen fit to fiddle with it. This happened in the 70s, during the oil crisis, and again just a few years ago.
Starting in 2007, Daylight Saving Time got longer, beginning in March and ending in November, instead of April and October, respectively.
Remember, this is a good time of year to change the batteries on your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors!
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