Daylight Savings: a survival guide

Jenna Forss | Writer

March 16, 2023

“Spring forward, fall back”. Every American has chanted this phrase to remind themselves of that special time of year when they have to cope with that nighttime darkness creeping in too fast for their liking or dragging themselves out of bed technically an hour earlier in the morning.

Daylight savings occurs at 2 AM on the second Sunday of March (when the clocks move forward an hour) and at the same time on the first Sunday of November (when the clocks move back an hour).

As the years tick on and the clocks are continuously wound back and forth, it appears that the relevance of daylight savings is beginning to dissipate. Junior Mika Kuhne states that “I didn’t even notice that the time changed until someone mentioned it to me”. While phones do the job of automatically switching the time to the correct hour, it is easy to overlook the time change with the disappearance of digital and analogue clocks. But despite the wavering fanfare surrounding this real-life time travel, if someone is not consciously aware of daylight savings occurring their body itself is definitely going to notice some difference.

This one-hour off-put in your sleep schedule may not seem like a big deal, but sleep experts have come to the conclusion that one’s circadian rhythm becomes messed up, especially with the daylight savings time switch that comes in March. 

So since we just experienced the more detrimental daylight savings change this past Sunday, it is crucial to our well-being to understand how to combat this sleep demon. The cure appears to be focusing on our sleep habits and routine.

Sleep is incessantly proven to be important. As students, it helps us stay focused at school and will allow us to excel academically. Here’s a couple of tips to help you get a more restful sleep and beat your off-put circadian rhythm.

• Leave your phone alone-The light from the electronic screens will make it harder for you to fall asleep. Instead do an unplugged activity like reading a book or taking a shower.
• Schedule dinner earlier– When your body is not digesting food you have a better chance of falling-and staying-asleep.

  

• Reconsider that afternoon iced coffee– This may seem obvious but stopping yourself from having any caffeinated tea or late night coffee four to six hours before bedtime will guarantee that sleepy feeling when it is time to nod off.
• Have a bedtime– Going to bed at a similar time each night will make your body set a personal clock getting you ready to fall asleep at that time.
• Prep for that shorter rest-In the case of daylight savings, setting your bed time a little earlier will allow your body to get more of the normal rest it is used to, but also subtly adjust to the new schedule.

Why do we even have to bother with all of this time change? The origins of America’s use of the daylight savings dates back to World War I when the government made moves to save fuel for other matters during the war. But today it allows us to maximize the amount of sunlight in a day.

In recent years, some members of the senate have introduced the Sunshine Protection Act. With the enactment of this legislation we would not “fall back” in the fall and have full years all within the same hours.

While controversy surrounds daylight savings as a whole, some of our own SCHS faculty do not even mind the daylight savings, well-known icon Mr. Smith gushes about the recent time change, saying “I think you want the most light possible for the hours you’re awake. I am happier when I get home from work because it is still light outside.”

Whether you love it or you hate it, daylight savings is sticking around for the time being. So make sure to maximize the quality of your sleep to combat the time change.