Time change on Sunday, March 12th..

"I think people who seem effected by it are being psychosomatic." I think if someone thinks they're affected by the time change, it's not me looking in the mirror so I couldn't say it's all in their head. I found this which speaks generally:

"The Effect on Our Mood

How will a longer stretch of dark mornings and light evenings affect us?

For one thing, we are all likely to become more active in the evenings.

Feeling that the best part of the day’s not over when we leave work can’t help but make us feel more optimistic, and outdoor exercise suddenly will be a nicer prospect! Social activities also are likely to increase when we’re able to savor more daylight. An hour of light after work means more opportunity for ball games, trips to amusement parks and shopping.

Other benefits may include a drop in crime, as people are not out so much in the dark, and an estimated drop in road traffic injuries, as people are leaving work and school in daylight. However, traffic accidents may rise initially: Following the spring shift to daylight savings time, when one hour of sleep is lost, studies have found a measurable increase in the number of fatal accidents. Lost productivity is another short-term drawback, as sleep-disrupted workers adjust to the schedule change.

Finnish researchers have found that the transition to daylight savings time reduces both our sleep duration and efficiency. They monitored the rest-activity cycles of ten adults for ten days a year over two years. After the transition they noted that sleep time was shortened by 60 minutes and sleep efficiency was reduced by 10 percent on average.

But on a positive note, depression rates are set to fall. Researchers from Quebec, Canada say sleeping late increases REM sleep, and excessive REM sleep is linked to depression. They reviewed two studies on depression and sunrise time in cities, and found it was “significantly correlated” with depression rates — later sunrise (corresponding to earlier rising times) was associated with less depression.

A study in the Journal of Periodontology suggests that a chance to enjoy extra daylight can extend the life and health of our teeth and bones. That’s because our bodies get vitamin D through sun exposure. Vitamin D, along with calcium, is essential for preventing bone and teeth disorders."

" My aunt and uncle get really discombobulated by it, though." Are they in the 'older range'? Maybe it's harder for us to adjust to change. Older folks usually have a set routine and upsetting it can throw them off. I can practically set my watch to the minute by my husband's schedule, and he Really doesn't like it if Anything changes.

Does me too, Catbookss.

"thrown a bit by estimating what time it is by the light, so I have to pay closer attention to the clock." Yeah, I can set my clocks by the light coming in through the windows, except the few days following the, imo, uneccessary change.

I had to look it up, Scarletter.

"Energy Policy Act of 2005

After the energy crisis was over in 1976, the DST schedule in the US was revised several times throughout the years. From 1987 to 2006, the country observed DST for about seven months each year. The current schedule was introduced in 2007 and follows the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which extended the period by about one month. Today, DST starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November."

"It was especially bad when my kids were small. It would take weeks to adjust to the changes." Same when mine were young too, lennonforever.

I really wish they'd just do away with it.

LOL

It would though, wouldn't it. "Why are you milking me one hour early human, I'm not ready for this." :D