Regardless of the confusion that often surrounds when to Spring Forward or Fall Back, I have found that my sleeping schedule is little affected by these issues.
Perhaps we need to be less stressed by the gaining or losing of an hour and be more proactive in controlling our personal schedule.
Other than the aging issues of struggling with a steady sleep pattern, my normal world is this:
When it’s time to go to sleep – go to sleep.
When it’s time to wake up – get up!
In Alaska, the sun has a huge impact on people. When we first moved there, it was winter, and the sun seldom appeared. Later, in the summer, there was more sun in a 24-hour period than I had ever experienced. Some are kept awake all hours of the night because it’s bright outside, and the flip side is true in the Winter – when the sun shines fewer hours, they find they sleep more and more.
I never felt it bother me.
My thought about the sun in the winter was, “Who cares if the sun doesn’t come up till nearly 10 am and sets about 3 pm!” I still got up at the same time and went to bed at the same time.
My thought about the sun in the summer was, “Who cares that it comes up by 3 am and sets about midnight?” The same principle applies – arise and sleep on schedule.
Seasonally Affected Disorder (SAD) does affect some – but I refuse to be sad about sunlight or the lack thereof.
S-U-N, D-A-Y, N-I-G-H-T…
You can be S-A-D any time of the year.
It rose, it’ll set again, and who knows if the clouds will obscure it – No SAD in my house.