Get ready to spring forward and lose sleep. Here’s when the time changes in Georgia
Who’s ready for less sleep?
Yes, you read that right. Less sleep.
It’s almost daylight saving time and in March, we spring forward.
When is the time change?
Daylight saving time begins on March 10 at 2 a.m., so remember to change your clocks before bed. We will be springing forward and losing one hour of sleep.
It comes with some perks though: more sunlight in the evening.
Is it Daylight “saving” or “savings” time?
According to Almanac.com, the correct term is without the extra s, “Daylight Saving Time.” Or you can refer to it as “Spring Forward” or, as the Brits would say it, “Summer Time.”
Why do we have daylight saving time?
According to the Farmers’ Almanac, it might have first started because of Ben Franklin.
“Benjamin Franklin’s ‘An Economical Project,’ written in 1784, is the earliest known proposal to ‘save’ daylight,” said Catherine Boeckmann with the Almanac.
In a “whimsical tone,” Franklin wrote: “Every morning, as soon as the Sun rises, let all the bells in every church be set ringing: and if that is not sufficient, let cannon be fired in every street to wake the sluggards effectually. Oblige a man to rise at four in the morning, and it is probable that he will go willingly to bed at eight in the evening.”
However, some associate the time change to war times when the U.S. needed to conserve fuel and power.
And then there are farmers.
Many believe that daylight saving time allows farmers to have an extra hour in the fields to watch after crops. This has since been debunked.
What’s the best way to prepare for DST?
You may lose sleep for one day, but remember, you’re gaining extra light when you’re more likely to be driving, working or enjoying the outdoors.
Here are a few tips to make next Sunday’s transition a smooth one.
Stick to your regular bedtime routine.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bedtime.
Fill up on proteins for dinner and try to eat at the same time, if not a little earlier.
Spend time outdoors. It’ll help your body’s natural clock reset.
Take a short nap.
Who’s in charge?
The Department of Transportation oversees Daylight Saving Time, rolling out the change at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March and the first Sunday of November.
If you notice a municipality is not observing DST, you can report it to the DOT by emailing regulationsC50.law@dot.gov.
The DOT has no say in whether or not a state chooses to observe Daylight Saving Time.
When does daylight saving time end?
Daylight saving time will end the first Sunday of November, when we will fall back and gain one hour of sleep. Simply put: this change is the one that comes with the extra dark days.
What if it changes?
A change in Georgia’s adherence to daylight saving will mean the Sunshine Protection Act has passed and the state will adopt permanent daylight saving time.
Other states that have proposed this include:
Florida
South Carolina
Alabama
Mississippi
Louisiana
Tennessee
Ohio
Delaware
Minnesota
Colorado
Utah
Montana
Washington
Oregon
States that voted down legislation: Idaho, Kentucky, Arkansas, Connecticut, Nebraska, Maine, Maryland, New Mexico, Virginia and Wyoming.
What do you think of springing forward? Comment below or let me know at cmadden@mcclatchy.com
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Tired of driving in the dark? Here’s when we’ll start getting more daylight in Georgia
There’s a petition to end the time change in Georgia. Here’s how to sign it
