When I was a kid, I remember being absolutely giddy about Daylight Saving Time (DST).  After all, there was more glorious daylight to play in after school. During the summer, my friends and I gleefully ran the streets of our suburban neighborhood on our bikes up to 8 p.m. every day during the summer! It was our job; and we did it well… very well. 

I find that I get that same brand of glee when it’s time to spring forward.  Not everyone shares my view. Some folks would rather stay on standard time. One benefit of staying on standard time is not having to adjust your sleep pattern to get the sleep you need.  Not every state or territory does DST – Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa.  But for most of us in the United States and Canada, DST begins on March 14, 2010. 

For those of you who have your sleep challenged by DST, some sources suggest you can prepare for the time change by going to bed 15-20 minutes earlier each night during the days preceding time change. By Sunday, you’ll have adjusted your sleep schedule and will feel less groggy. (This technique also works if you need to adjust your bedtime to get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep nightly.)  

So, if you live in a place that enjoys DST, remember to set your clocks forward by one hour before retiring for the evening on Saturday, March 13 and you’ll wake up in time for your Sunday activities.
 

Sources:

http://geography.about.com/cs/daylightsavings/a/dst.htm
http://www.timetemperature.com/tzca/daylight_saving_time_canada.shtml
http://sleepdisorders.about.com/b/2009/03/05/start-preparing-for-the-spring-ahead.htm
http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/dont-lose-any-sleep-over-daylight-saving-time.html

All of Budget Blinds motorized window treatments feature Somfy motorization.  According to our friends at Somfy, the leading reason homeowners choose to upgrade their window coverings with motorization is because the windows are hard to reach.  However, motorization has other benefits that you may wish to consider, particularly programmable motorization.   With programmable motorization, you can set your window treatments to open and close a prescribed times throughout the day. 

If waking up is hard to do, programmable motorization may help you start a little easier by waking you with sunlight instead of a jarring alarm. Set your motorized window treatments about 15-30 minutes before your alarm rings, and you’ll wake up more naturally. (Use your alarm clock as back up.)

During the day, programmable motorization can help you cut solar heat gain in your rooms, which in turn, will help reduce your home energy costs. As an added bonus, programmable motorization will make your home appear occupied even when no one is home. This will make would-be burglars think twice before choosing to break into your home. 

Lastly, when it’s time to prepare your home for the evening, motorized window treatments can save time by closing all the window treatments with the touch of a button.

To learn more about motorization just ask your Budget Blinds Style Consultant.