The United States 2005 Energy Policy Act set 2009 Daylight Saving Time to start March 8 and end on November 1. Clocks are moved forward one hour at 2:00 a.m. at the start and moved backward one hour at 2:00 a.m. at the conclusion of Daylight Saving Time.
Benjamin Franklin and Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time was begun to save energy in the United States. Benjamin Franklin was an early advocate for practicing the time change in the United States. After he observed that people burned candles at night but slept passed dawn, he started to push for a way to conserve energy when many people were likely sleeping.
During World War II, England set their clocks two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in the spring of the year. Clocks were adjusted backwards by one hour during winter.
According to Time and Date’s official website, as of 2009, 166 countries observed Daylight Saving Time in one or more locations. The event that was designed to save energy is observed in all locations in 74 countries. 153 countries did not observe Daylight Saving Time in 2009 including Togo, Taiwan, Ecuador, Republic of the Congo and Angola.
Does Daylight Saving Time Save Energy
Days and hours that time is changed to observe the seasonal change are different in different countries. California’s Energy Commission reports that studies are being conducted to confirm whether or not practicing Daylight Saving Time actually does help to conserve energy.
U.S. News & World Report’s March 3, 2009 article “13 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Daylight Saving Time” written by Ben Harder notes that the bi-annual time change impacts more than the amount of energy that is used by household appliances, the shift also impacts human beings. The change can disturb people’s sleeping habits.
People who stay up throughout the night might experience nervousness or the jitters at the start or end of Daylight Saving Time when sunlight shines through their bedroom windows with a one hour variance.
Adjusting to Yearly Time Shifts
To adjust to the time change, people might consider beginning to waken ten minutes early in two to three day increments one week prior to the start of Daylight Saving Time and retiring to bed ten minutes early in two to three day increments one week prior to the end of Daylight Saving Time.
For example, a woman who normally awakens at 7:00 a.m. could train herself to awaken at 6:50 for two days then 6:40 for another two days and so on for one week. This way her body and psyche would have less of an abrupt shift when the official time change occurs.
Parents might find it beneficial to train themselves to be extra patient with their children at the start and end of Daylight Saving Time. It certainly would not hurt to remember that their children might be as groggy and disoriented or agitated as they might sometimes feel themselves at these times of the year.
Although it has been practiced for years in the United States and in other parts of the world, Daylight Saving Time can throw people off their normal cycle. Parents will benefit from being patient with themselves and their children during the time shifts. People can also try retiring to bed and waking earlier a week prior to the time change so the one hour shift has a weakened impact on their body and psyche.
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