What You Need to Know About Daylight Saving Time Tonight

Before you hit the sack tonight, don't forget to set your clock ahead one hour for Daylight Saving Time, which begins at 2 a.m. Sunday.

The time change means we'll have more daylight later into the evening, but it also means mornings will be dark again for a while. Today, the sun rises at 6:53 a.m. and sets at 6:32 p.m. Tomorrow, the sun will rise at 7:52 a.m. and set at 7:33 p.m.

The shift in time will make it harder to see early-morning runners, joggers, bikers and even students waiting at bus stops, so be alert, urges the Michigan Department of Transportation.

"Driving through school zones becomes more challenging for motorists during the first week of the time change," said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. "Pedestrians and bicyclists should wear brighter, reflective clothing in order to be seen more easily, and those behind the wheel need to pay close attention and eliminate distractions while driving."

To adjust your body to Daylight Saving Time, the National Sleep Foundation suggests going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night in the four days leading up to the time change (it's a little late for this, if you haven't started already). Spending more time in the sun can help your body adjust, too, since "your body uses morning light to nudge you into action and regulate its biological clock."

The National Sleep Foundation website also offers three tips for getting a good night's sleep:

1. Avoid nicotine (like cigarettes, chewing tobacco and cigars).
2. Create an environment that is conducive to sleep. It should be comfortable, cool, dark and quiet.
3. Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex.

The state Bureau of Fire Services (BFS) in the Department of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs also reminds residents to change the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors when changing their clocks to Daylight Saving Time this weekend.

“We recommend testing your smoke alarm on a monthly basis and changing batteries once a year," Acting State Fire Marshal Karen Towne said. "If you didn’t change your batteries during the time change in the fall, now is the time to do it. Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Having working smoke alarms is a simple, effective way to prevent home fire deaths.”

Daylight Saving Time ends on Nov. 4, 2012.