It happens twice a year, but the effects are far-ranging. Daylight Savings Time change is well known for making people late for work. Or early for work. Or worse.

It’s hard to believe that an hour’s time shift can create so much havoc, but it sure does. Far more than a mere 60 minutes’ worth, it seems.

This wasn’t planned, but I got up around 2:30 a.m. Sunday to get some water. Despite the fact that I was pretty much sleepwalking, I glanced at the clock and somehow remembered that is was a “fall back” date. My primary goal was to “fall back” asleep, but I also decided that it would be a good “time” to move the clock, since I was already up. Somehow, I felt like I would appreciate the gained hour more, since I was only 30 minutes past the designated turn back the hands of time hour.

Out of synch

After grabbing some water, I headed back to bed, trying to convince myself how much more rested I would be when I awoke. I wasn’t. As a general rule, I don’t like straying too from any routine. Any time I get up after 6:30, I feel like a chunk of the day has been wasted.

So, on mornings after the clock has mysteriously shifted, like a plane zipping through time zones, the whole process is a bit disorienting. On Sunday, I kind of wandered around in a daze, despite generous amounts of caffeine. Adding to the general confusion of the day was the fact that the weather was dreary, with occasional sprinkles. This was a bad combination.

You’d think after all these years of time changes, it would be an easy adjustment, but it’s not for me. I pretty much spent Sunday in a zombie-like state, periodically checking the clock and wondering what time it is “really.”

By about 7:30, I was wondering if it was too early to consider going to bed. After all, it had been an exhausting day of clock watching and aimless pacing. A day spent engaging in these pursuits can take a lot out of a person.

It’s a yawner

Showing a great deal of restraint, I somehow managed to stay up until about 10 o’clock. Disclaimer: I did doze off on the couch for quite some time before forcing myself upstairs.

I slept until almost 4 a.m., at which time I awoke and thought, “Wow, it must be time to get up.” It wasn’t, of course, but that didn’t mean I could get back to sleep. I tossed and turned for hours (real hours, not digitally reprogrammed hours) until I could take it no longer. The good news was, when I did emerge from the covers, it was kind of light out. That hadn’t been the case in awhile.

Maybe this time change thing wouldn’t be so bad after all. That optimistic line of thinking lasted….until the skies start darkening around 3 p.m. Monday and even an afternoon coffee jolt couldn’t help raise my drooping eyelids.

Years of experience in this process have taught me that the time change impact is something to which I’ll eventually become accustomed. In the meantime, I’m encouraged by the fact that it’s only 40-plus days until the official arrival of winter — and longer amounts of daylight. Until then, I’ll hibernate as much as possible. — Brian Sweeney