It’s A Lie

Every year at this time we start telling ourselves that we are getting an extra hour of sleep on Saturday night because Daylight Savings Time ends – at least those of us who are sleep deprived tell ourselves that – you know – parents of small children, parents of teenagers, parents of older children and old people – those of us who feel we need a nap all of the time! Everyone else sees it as an hour of extra party time – and they get that hour!

Not so for the rest of us who could use the sleep – it’s a lie that we tell ourselves every year – sort of like the tooth fairy, Santa Claus and winning the lottery.   The reality is that the tooth fairy steals money from my wallet to pay for the tooth, Santa Claus has subcontracted his shopping to me – and winning the lottery – well, that one may still come true – but that extra hour of sleep – a total lie!

What really happens to that hour? Well, at about 9 p.m. (if not earlier), we all turn back our clocks (spring forward, fall back) to 8 p.m.   because we know we will forget to do it after we have washed a couple of loads of laundry, washed the dinner dishes, picked up the toys and kissed the kidlets goodnight. Even if we don’t actually turn back the clock, every time we look at it we think – “It’s really only 10 pm, I can still get a couple of things done and get my extra hour of sleep.” We make that same stupid comment to ourselves until 2 p.m. (which is really only 1 p.m.) which is the “official” end of Daylight Savings Time. By this time our body/brain is screaming at us to GO TO BED AND GET SOME SLEEP!! The sad part? We go to bed at the same time the party-goers are going to bed – and we didn’t get to dance – unless we did it while sweeping the kitchen floor!

So – this year, instead of seeing this hour as an hour of sleep – which we all know won’t happen – or an hour to get more chores done – here is the real way to enjoy that extra hour. Put the kids to bed at their normal time then turn back the clock an hour and sit your butt down on the couch for that “extra” hour and do nothing. When your clock chimes the hour you would have put the little darlings to bed post-Daylight Savings Time, then you can get up wash a couple of loads of laundry, sweep the kitchen floor and go to bed at your normal time – but at least you have claimed your hour!