Daylight Saving Time Travel

When I was in high school, I, like most seventeen year olds, knew everything. I knew how to drive (very fast), I knew how to iron my clothes (with just a squirt bottle), and you better believe I knew how to get the most out of my "extra hour" when Daylight Saving Time ended each fall.

While most people changed their clocks back and enjoyed another hour of sleep, I kept my normal schedule. My clock didn't change, and I woke up and went to bed according to its time. You see, I was saving my hour. For a time when I really needed it. Come November or December, when I had a big paper to write and the time was running out, I would finally set my clock back one hour and, just like that, traveled back in time.

Of course, not everyone sees the opportunities of DST like I once did. In 1947, author Robertson Davies wrote:

I object to being told that I am saving daylight when my reason tells me that I am doing nothing of the kind. I even object to the implication that I am wasting something valuable if I stay in bed after the sun has risen. As an admirer of moonlight I resent the bossy insistence of those who want to reduce my time for enjoying it.

The controversy surrounding Daylight Saving Time is rich and long-lived. And while it may have had a positive impact on me in high school, recent studies have detected adverse effects that could take a toll on education.

A study published in BMC Physiology last year found that adults ages 20 to 40 had a harder time adjusting in the fall if they were "morning" people and a harder time adjusting in the spring if they were "night owls." This year the Journal of Applied Psychology reported that workers get 40 minutes less sleep and sustain more injuries--with increased severity--the Monday following the switch to DST. While both of these reports studied the effects on adults, the underlying message may be applied to school-goers as well: If the time change causes restless nights, the restless nights will lead to restless bodies the next day.

Regardless of whether your students arrive groggy or wide-eyed (or an hour early), DST ends this Sunday, November 1 at 2 AM. So set your clocks back one hour, and then leave us a comment. What have been your experiences with Daylight Saving Time in the classroom?