This is the first year that the switch to Daylight Savings Time is occurring early. For years, we adjusted our clocks on the first Sunday in April but now we'll be making the switch on the second Sunday in March (March 11). The change is expected to have an economic benefit, since it's hoped that the longer daylight hours will lessen energy consumption.
Losing one hour of sleep may not seem like much, but most people aren't getting enough sleep anyway. (A National Sleep Foundation poll in 2002 showed that the nation's adults averaged just under seven hours of sleep nightly.) Therefore, the coming time change this weekend could make a bad situation worse. The only upside is that some people may be able to sleep in on Sunday morning, when the change will occur.
Lack of sleep makes people feel fatigued, sleepy, unmotivated, and sometimes irritable. It can cause poor concentration that may lead to dangerous errors and accidents. Some research suggests that the rate of traffic accidents is slightly greater on the Monday following the time changes in the fall and spring. Even though we get an extra hour of sleep in the fall, time changes cause some people to experience a reaction similar to jet lag because they have difficulty adapting to the sudden time shift.
My advice: Stock up on sleep. Don't stay up too late on Friday night (March 9) and don't get up too early on Saturday the 10th. Do the same thing Saturday night and Sunday morning. Finally, if you allow plenty of time for sleep Sunday night you should feel fully awake come Monday morning.
Be alert, though, and watch out for all those other sleep-deprived people who won't have followed this advice.
