Here's a spot of good news to brighten up your November day. This Sunday morning, on November 6, 2011, you get one extra hour of sleep. That's right. It's time for Daylight Saving Time when you move your clock back one hour and gain some more shut-eye and dreamtime.
If you're wondering where Daylight Saving Time comes from, read the history of how Daylight Saving Time was created during World War I to save energy for war production by taking advantage of later hours of daylight. More recent in Daylight Saving Time history is its alternation in the Energy Saving Act of 2005 which extended daylight saving by four weeks since 2007. This act was passed in hopes of reducing oil use by lessening the power needed for businesses to operate during daytime hours.
A 2008 report to Congress states that the Energy Saving Act has saved 1.3 tera watt hours or 0.03 percent of electricity consumption over a year in the United States.
Back to that extra sleep. Just remember to "fall back" into your pillows this weekend and enjoy some more ZZZs on the clock's time. That way you can be more refreshed for homework, teaching, and more blog reading, right?
As always, happy learning (and sleeping)!
Does Daylight Saving Time throw you off schedule each year? Let us know!