The Future Looks Bright for Active Adults

Well, it’s going to be brighter, later for everyone, beginning this Sunday, March 13, as we “spring forward” one hour for Daylight Saving Time 2022!

While many lament “losing an hour of sleep,” there are some steps you can take to make the transition easier:

• Try to maintain your normal number of hours of sleep in the days leading up to Sunday, March 13. Experts recommend seven hours of sleep for healthy adults.
• Adjust your bedtime in the days leading up to Daylight Saving Time, by going to bed fifteen or twenty minutes earlier each night for three or four nights.
• Change your clock to one hour ahead on Saturday evening, before you go to bed. Then, maintain your regular bedtime – by the clock. (If you normally go to bed at 11, set your clock ahead one hour Saturday evening and still go to bed at 11, even though it would have been 10, before you adjusted for Daylight Saving.)
• Spend time outdoors on Sunday, soaking up the sunshine. It’s going to be a good day for it, here in Georgia, where the forecast calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 50s!

Why Do We Change the Clocks At All?

The first Daylight Saving Time was observed in 1918, but it took another 48 years before the practice became standardized, in 1966.

The reason behind the decision to change the clocks for 30 weeks was to take advantage of daylight hours in the evenings, providing opportunities to spend time outdoors and enjoy longer periods of daylight after school and work. (In 2005, Daylight Saving was extended into the first weekend in November, giving us 34 weeks of DST.)

Another big reason is energy consumption. When people wake by their alarms before sunrise, they are more likely to turn on lights; and if they return home and have minimal daylight hours after work, they are likely to head indoors at dusk and turn on lights and indoor appliances, such as televisions and computers.

And there are human benefits, as well. In addition to energy conservation, commuters are less likely to suffer traffic injuries when driving during daylight hours. And some studies reveal lower crime rates during DST, since people do their shopping and errands during daylight hours, rather than after dark.

At Windsong, Daylight Saving Time means we kick off another season of tending to our courtyard gardens, firing up the grill, taking walks through the community, and getting to know our neighbors, all of which are easier and more enjoyable activities when we aren’t yawning or worried about hurrying home before dark.

It’s a bright future – and it begins this Sunday at 2 am! Don’t forget!

Welcome to Windsong, Where Life’s A Breeze