How to Cope with Daylight Saving Time
Spring Forward, Fall Back
What the new DST means to you.
Courtesy of Men’s Health
That means move your clock up one hour anytime before you go to bed Saturday night, or Sunday morning (which explains why CBS Sunday Morning isn't starting when you thought it should be).
12 Tips for a Better Night's Sleep
- 12 Tips for a Better Night's Sleep
Sleep More Soundly
Michael Breus, AOL Wellness Coach and author of the book 'Good Night: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health,' says a more restful night of sleep will give you more energy, help you lose weight and make you look younger.
Image credit: Getty Images - 12 Tips for a Better Night's Sleep
Get Cool
Sleep in a cool environment. The ideal sleeping temperature is between 65 and 72 degrees. A mild drop in body temperature often induces sleep, which is why lying in a cool bed after a hot bath is so relaxing.
Image credit: Getty Images - 12 Tips for a Better Night's Sleep
Reduce Your Anxiety
-Hide illuminated clocks from view to avoid clock-watching.
-Avoid eating within three hours of bedtime.
-Alcohol, tobacco and caffeine can exacerbate anxiety. Avoid these before bedtime. - 12 Tips for a Better Night's Sleep
Consider Possible Allergies
Look at pillows, sheets, fabric softeners and detergents, pets in the bed, dust, mold, perfume and so on, that can affect the bedroom environment. All of these can cause congestion, which can worsen snoring. - 12 Tips for a Better Night's Sleep
Watch the Caffeine
Get in tune with how your body responds to caffeine and make adjustments so that it's less likely to disrupt your sleep. Some people can drink several cups of coffee, tea or soft drinks within an hour of sleep and notice no effects, whereas others may feel stimulating effects after one cup.
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Make Some Noise
Use a white noise machine or CD that is soothing to you. A cheaper alternative is to set the tuner of your FM radio between any two stations. The pseudo white noise you'll hear will do wonders to mask unwanted sounds. Ceiling fans or stand-alone fans can also provide a constant hum that can be sleep-friendly.
Image credit: Getty Images - 12 Tips for a Better Night's Sleep
Let Each Other Sleep
Find your sleep schedule. With different work hours, social schedules and general lifestyles, couples typically need to go to bed and wake up at different times on different days. The trick is to maintain separate bedtimes and waking schedules without either one disturbing the other's sleep. - 12 Tips for a Better Night's Sleep
Prepare to Sleep
Relax before bedtime. Stress not only makes you miserable, it wreaks havoc on your sleep. Develop some kind of pre-sleep ritual like reading, light stretching or taking a hot bath to break the connection between all the day's stress and bedtime. These rituals can be as short as 10 minutes.
Image credit: Getty Images - 12 Tips for a Better Night's Sleep
Make It Dark
Cover your windows. Consider blackout shades or heavy drapes -- these can also dampen sounds. Don't forget to use a drape clip, which will securely close the two sides of the drapery. (Start out by using a "chip clip," which works just as well.) - 12 Tips for a Better Night's Sleep
Rest Your Head
Buy a new pillow. If every night you scrunch up your pillow and fold it in half like a neck-roll just to get it to fit comfortably underneath your head, you're in dire need of a new pillow. If your pillow is dirty, stained, torn or if it smells bad, you also need a new bed pillow.
If it feels funny, it's because you’re doing this about 3 weeks earlier then usual. The country, and the world, have been in and out of Daylight Saving Time (not "Savings" BTW) since World War I. At several points, some states had it and some didn't. Since 1986 it has started for all of the U.S. on the first Sunday of April, and has run until the last Sunday of October.
The new schedule: Start it on the second Sunday of March and end it the first Sunday of November. Why? The change was voted on as the “Energy Policy Act of 2005.”
It’s thought that companies will save millions by cutting energy costs. Whether that happens will be closely analyzed--it’s part of the law. If it doesn’t work, we may go back to the old schedule.
Ben Franklin is given credit for thinking up DST, but he couldn’t convince farmers to go along with milking the cows in the dark. The idea behind it has always been about saving energy--needing less artificial light at night. With this latest change, there is also the hope that the extra sunlight will get you out more at night, stimulating the economy.
Now we know you lost an hour already, and a few more minutes right here. But one thing you should do right now is change the batteries in your smoke detectors. The switchover is a handy reminder of that chore.
Oh, and good luck changing the clock in your car.
The new schedule: Start it on the second Sunday of March and end it the first Sunday of November. Why? The change was voted on as the “Energy Policy Act of 2005.”
It’s thought that companies will save millions by cutting energy costs. Whether that happens will be closely analyzed--it’s part of the law. If it doesn’t work, we may go back to the old schedule.
Ben Franklin is given credit for thinking up DST, but he couldn’t convince farmers to go along with milking the cows in the dark. The idea behind it has always been about saving energy--needing less artificial light at night. With this latest change, there is also the hope that the extra sunlight will get you out more at night, stimulating the economy.
Now we know you lost an hour already, and a few more minutes right here. But one thing you should do right now is change the batteries in your smoke detectors. The switchover is a handy reminder of that chore.
Oh, and good luck changing the clock in your car.
