Do These Things Now to Prepare for Daylight Savings Time
Almost everyone in the United States will switch from standard time to daylight saving time this coming weekend. Unfortunately, the proposal to keep us in the same time zone all year round hasn’t moved forward , so we’ll continue to have these “transition” and “rollback” events for the foreseeable future. Here’s how to get ready.
Know when and how clocks will change
Daylight Saving Time will officially begin at 2am on Sunday, March 12th. At this time, we will set the clock to 3 am, thereby losing an hour (because there is never an hour between 2 and 3 am). If you’re wondering “Why is it 2am?” reportedly this was because it was a dead point in railroad timetables , with railroads influencing nationwide timekeeping.
In the old days, you had to know how to set the clock before you went to bed on Saturday night (or when you woke up on Sunday morning). These days, most of our devices update automatically while we sleep. You just need to be aware that a change is taking place so that you don’t wonder why you slept an hour “late” or, conversely, why you woke up on an alarm but still feel sleep deprived. (You may still need to set a few clocks, for example, on your microwave.) Set a reminder now if you think you’ll need it.
Start cooking your kids and pets now
Pets and children may not be able to read a clock, but they know exactly when it’s time to eat or wake up. This can create difficulties: on Monday morning, the clock will show 8 am, although it still seems to be 7 am. You may find it difficult to get your kids out of bed for the school bus, and your dog may not be ready. for meals and walks at regular times.
So start adjusting their schedule (and your own!) right now. Set everyone’s alarms 15 minutes earlier, and set them a little earlier a day or two later. Do the same with your pet’s feeding schedule and anything else you need to change. By next week, the “new” times won’t be such a shock.
Double check long-distance meeting times
While most of the US changes clocks at the same time, parts of Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and most other island territories do not. Countries outside the US may have their own daylight savings time that is out of sync with ours: for example, the UK won’t change its clock until two weeks after we do.
Compounding the difficulty is that countries in the southern hemisphere that reset their clocks will do so in reverse —Chile, for example, will turn their clocks back to gain an hour on April 1st.
So if you’re planning an international call or event in the next few weeks, make sure everyone uses a digital calendar or a tool like this world time appointment planner to confirm the correct time.
Do your six month household chores
Smoke detectors should usually be checked or their batteries changed every six months, so changing the time is a good reminder of this. We have a list of other household chores that you might want to associate with the change in time, such as switching the direction of your ceiling fans (they should blow air down in winter and up in summer).
Fix your sleep pattern
If you lose an hour of sleep, you can also make sure you make the most of the sleep you have. Now is the time to get back to all the sleep hygiene tips you may not be following as well as you think you should. Schedule a bedtime and give yourself some time before bed when the lights are dimmed and you are doing relaxing activities in the dim light. Make your bedroom dark and cool and consider scheduling a morning walk outside if you can.