WILLIAMSBURG — Daylight saving time officially begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 8.
In addition to setting clocks ahead one hour, it is recommended to check the batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the spring change to Daylight Saving Time may have a variety of negative effects on health and safety. It can disrupt your sleep and enhance restlessness, causing daytime drowsiness. Research even suggests that the loss of sleep caused by springing forward one hour may be related to an increase in heart attacks and traffic accidents following the time change.
The Academy recommends the following tips to ensure a seamless transition to Daylight Saving Time.
• Try to go to bed 15 or 20 minutes earlier each night before the time change. This will give your body a chance to adjust.
• Begin to adjust the timing of other daily routines that are “time cues” for your body. For example, start eating dinner a little earlier each night.
• On Saturday night, set your clocks ahead one hour in the early evening. Then go to sleep at your normal bedtime.
• Try to go outside for some early morning sunlight on Sunday. The bright light will help set your “body clock,” which regulates sleep and alertness.
• Be careful when driving or operating machinery if you feel drowsy on Sunday.
• Stick to your bedtime on Sunday night to get plenty of sleep before the workweek begins on Monday.
Sunrise on Sunday in Williamsburg will be at 7:27 a.m., and the sun will set at 7:07 p.m. Daylight saving time will end on Sunday, Nov. 1.
