It was an ordinary day. And, most Americans have now "sprung forward" and are celebrating Daylight Saving Time (DST). Have you gotten over the hour of your life that you have lost? Did you head to bed earlier last evening or did you just get out of bed an hour later this morning? One way or another, we have lost a precious hour of our lives. But, it will be made up when we leave daylight saving time once again. You know it will happen...correct! Will you be tired and cranky all day today, or did you plan for what you knew would happen and head to bed earlier as my wife and I did? Slightly darker mornings and brighter evenings are upon us once again. Did you know, or maybe realize, that darker mornings and more evening light together knock your body clock out of whack, which means daylight saving time can usher in sleep trouble. Studies have even found an uptick in sleep trouble for weeks or longer. Studies also have found an uptick in heart attacks and strokes right after the March Time change. There are many ways to ease the adjustment such as getting more sunshine to help reset your circadian rhythm for healthful sleep or maybe just sit in your easy chair a few extra hours each day for perhaps...a month or two. Hey! it happens every year, so why not plan for it ahead of time? And...making the change is different for each and everyone of us. My wife and I went to bed an hour earlier last evening knowing we were going to get up our same time and didn't want to lose that extra hour of sleep. You have to remember to transition your body as best you can, since there is nothing else you can do about it. And...on November 3 it will revert back to what is was a few months before. And, as long as you live in the good 'ole USA, you will experience DST each and every year. Now, just to make you feel bad...Hawaii and most of Arizona don't make the spring switch, sticking to standard time year-round along with Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. And...that's why my wife and I like to go to Hawaii this time of year so we miss DST! Worldwide, dozens of countries also observe daylight saving time, starting and ending at different dates. And, that's why you can get all screwed up from time to time. My wife and I used to travel twice a year to exotic islands around the world and made sure we planned ahead for whether we would have to change our time on any particular island or keep our time the same. It really does matter when you change back and forth on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule when you travel and happen to hit changes in time. Getting to the airport on time, if you are around the time you would have to change time, is always a big topic. Some people try to prepare for daylight saving time's sleep jolt by going to bed a little earlier two or three nights ahead of time. Last evening my wife and I went to bed an hour earlier knowing that we would be awakened by our cats on their normal time at daybreak. Our brain, as well as your brain, has a master clock that is set by exposure to sunlight and darkness. This circadian rhythm is roughly a 24-hour cycle that determines when we become sleepy and when we're more alert. And, as you age, the patterns change which is one reason that early-to-rise youngsters evolve into hard-to-wake teens. Morning light tends to reset rhythm. By evening, levels of a hormone called melatonin begins to surge, triggering drowsiness. Too much light in the evening delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync. Sleep deprivation is linked to heart disease, cognitive decline, obesity and numerous other problems. So...if you are real old, overweight and can't remember much...you're in trouble when it's time to change the clocks! Funny, but fatal car crashes temporarily jump the first few days after the spring time change. The highest risk is in the morning, and this is attributed to sleep deprivation. Then there's the cardiac connection. The American Heart Association points to studies that suggest an uptick in heart attacks on the Monday after daylight saving time begins and in stroke for two days afterward. That's why I plan to just sit in my easy chair and write stories for an extra day or two. I did prepare a bit for the change-over in time by going to bed a bit earlier this past Friday and Saturday evenings. My wife and I changed our dinner schedule and ate for an hour-and-a-half instead of just 15 minutes. We also made sure we had plenty of naps before having to change our time schedule. Some health groups have said that it's time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time year-round aligns better with the sun...and human biology. But...you just know that will never happen! At least not in my lifetime! So I will have to continue to align my human biology to match the sun and stars and make sure I don't miss any meals. Hey....if I have to put up with changing time....the least I can do is eat an extra half-gallon of ice cream the day before and the day after the changes. And, hope that my wife forgets what the day is and have to do it all over again the following week. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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