Sleep deprivation on the Monday following the time shift is a widespread phenomenon. There is even evidence that it results in an increase traffic fatalities. I know I personally tend to feel groggy. And so…
This year, a week before Daylight Savings Time took effect, I started setting our alarm ten minutes earlier each day. During the school year Xy and I generally keep our alarm set for 6:00 a.m., but by Friday we were at 5:10 a.m. I hoped this would make the transition to DST less jarring when we set our clocks ahead over the weekend.
I think it worked. Monday morning, our alarm went off at 6:00 a.m. (really 5:00 a.m. “sprung forward”) but we didn’t have much trouble getting out of bed, and I haven’t felt particularly tired.
That’s a great strategy. We don’t use an alarm clock anymore–the baby wakes us in the morning. Too bad we can’t set her forward or back…
I feel like I’m the only person in the world who hates DST. This year, I tried a new strategy and it worked well. I got no sleep Saturday night because Sis B broke her arm. I didn’t take her to the hospital but still fielded hospital calls all night long then picked her up at 4:30 AM DST. Then The Husband… (who is STILL visiting, but who got a normal night’s sleep in HIS quarters) got up at 7:30 to make coffee and woke me up, SOOO…. I was in bed and out cold by 8:00 Sunday night and bright eyed on Monday morning. Heh heh.
You’re not the only one who gets messed up by DST. Really.
do you do this in reverse in the fall ?
your idea actually makes sense and seems to work.
Thanks Mr. Rick. No, I don’t think I’ll reverse this in the fall. When we fall back, we just get an extra hour of sleep, and my body doesn’t seem to mind that.
I don’t have the problem on the morning side of it, I’m an insomniac so I just stay up later.
5 hours of sleep over here and I’m a party.
I was wondering if you did it again?
I did not. In fact I had forgotten about this entirely. But having an infant has changed our sleep habits.
I don’t even set my alarm anymore.