Don't fall apart when you fall back for end of Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time ends throughout most of the United States at 2 a.m. (your local time) this Sunday Nov. 2, when you turn back the clock one hour. For many, the fall back to standard time means an extra hour of sleep. But that's not the case for all of us. A study published by Sleep Medicine Reviews suggests that there is very little evidence that we get that extra hour of sleep. And if we do, it's hardly enough to help offset the sleep deprivation many of us endure.
Here's what to do this weekend so that you're raring to go at work or at home on Monday.
Check settings on devices. Some TVs can automatically adjust their clock based on time signals broadcast by local PBS stations. But those signals can be inaccurate, and they're not available everywhere. If you want to disable that feature, refer to your owner's manuals. If your TV clocks don't fall back on their own, reset the time manually.
Budget more time for TV recording. Clocks in TV set-top boxes will be adjusted automatically by your service provide. But if a clock fails to fall back, your scheduled recording will start and end an hour earlier than than you want. Add at least another hour to any recordings scheduled for the wee hours of Sunday morning.
Bring in a backup. Don't rely on the alarm clock in your smart phone to wake you on Sunday morning. Use an old-fashioned alarm clock as a fail-safe.
Check all the clocks around your house. Don't assume that the clock on your microwave oven, coffeemaker, range, thermostat, or streaming media player will fall back on its own. Adjust those clocks manually. (Get the exact time at www.time.gov.)
If the weather is nice on Sunday, get outside. A little sun on your face can resync your body's circadian rhythm. And, finally, to make the time transition as smooth as possible, try to stick to your routine, including eating at the usual time and going to sleep at your regular hour.
Fall checklist
If you get up early on Sunday, tick these off your to-do list:
Check the battery on smoke and CO alarms. You don't want these important safety devices to be inoperable.
Clean vehicle headlights. It gets dark earlier, making lights that properly illuminate that much more important. (Also see our cold-weather survival guide for your car.)
Seal gaps and cracks around your home. Preventing cold air from entering via gaps around a chimney, ductwork, and points where electrical and plumbing lines pass through the house will help trim your heating bill this winter. For more advice, read about 8 fall home repairs you can’t afford to ignore.
Clear the clothes dryer vent. Every year $80 million in property damage is caused by clothes dryer fires, many of which are ignited by lint build-up in or around the machine. An inexpensive tool such as the Lint Lizard and a good vacuum cleaner will help solve lint build-up in your dryer.
More from Consumer Reports:
Top performing kitchen gear at rock bottom prices
The best washing machines for $800 or less
Kitchen floors that stand up to foot traffic
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