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Waking up an hour earlier than usual has made me some-what ready for the winter/spring time change for Daylight Savings Time. If you are reading this on Saturday, don’t forget to “spring forward” one hour tonight when you go to bed, because you will wake up earlier on Sunday morning.

If it is now Sunday morning and you are waking up without changing your clock last night, you should change it or you will likely be late for church or any other event today.

Waking up earlier has not necessarily been good for me as I have been going to bed at the same time. Waking an hour earlier puts me behind for the day. I do get my cup of coffee earlier and a short afternoon nap is very appealing.

Waking up earlier has to be tough for those heading out to work and school when it is still dark. We will be getting most all the light at the end of the day, but it will sort of even-out with summer.

Why do we still have this time-change nonsense? I thought a year or so ago Louisiana was about to change it, but they didn’t. I don’t particularly like getting up earlier and during the summer I don’t like sunset being so late. Things seem strange at 8 p.m., when you’ve had your shower, are wearing pajamas and it is still daylight!

For those who like to have time in the afternoon to do outside chores after work, like mowing or gardening and enjoy having time for the children to stay outside and play — the time change may be okay.

Even with the extra time allowed, there is still something a little strange about starting to cook supper at 7 p.m. and feeding the family at 8 or 9, when it should be bedtime for the little ones.

Daylight Savings Time in Louisiana is supposed to save energy. When the sun sets later, people stay out and spend more time outside. Supposedly, they use less energy by not running electricity and gas inside.

This leaves out the air conditioner probably running and clothes washing and drying while the family is outside, not to mention a casserole baking in the oven.

Longer daylight hours are supposed to promote safety, as more driving is done in daylight, lowering accident rates. Should be good for the economy as more people shop after work, increasing sales. It also promotes more active lifestyles as people are out and about doing things. These reasons are noted by experts.

On the other side, changing regular sleep patterns can be dangerous, according to those who study our brain episodes of light and dark. Even a one-hour change can produce health problems. Our sleep rhythms don’t adjust well to the time change.

Daylight Savings Time also can drop productivity as the week it begins there is reportedly an increase of employees wasting time instead of working because they are tired. I haven’t experienced this, but it could happen. The first day after the weekend is known as “Sleepy Monday” because it is one of the most sleep-deprived days of the year, according to those who know.

On top of everything else, the time change is expensive! According to studies, moving the clocks forward has had a total cost in the past of $434 million nationally, including health issues, productivity and workplace confused time changes. Doesn’t say how it affects us financially on a personal level.

States can ban the daylight savings plan, but it has to be approved by Congress. No matter how much or how little we fuss about it, everybody has an opinion. Too many changes and not all good ones.

We can speak up or not worry about something as trivial as time change, taking every day with what it brings, then pray and deal with it!

Retired as Associate News Editor, Bob Ann Breland writes a weekly column for The Daily News. You can email her at bobann70@att.net.