Hello, November

[jenk]

Happens every year: The Earth has tilted its north away from the sun. Oz's sunlight per day is growing, ours is decreasing.

Sunday morning we ended "summer time" and reset our clocks back. Once again Seattle's sunset is before 5pm. It'll stay that way until next year.

We also hit less than 10hrs between sunrise & sunset this week, but it's the "dark before 5" that's been bugging me the last few years. I don't remember noticing it when I was younger...¹

Some people aren't affected by the swingin' circadian rythym. So what if it's dark when you go to work and dark when you head home? Others of us plan our days so we get actual daylight even in December, stock up on caffeine, bake, or generally hibernate and laugh at the book on the right.

The "less than 10 hours of dark" bugs me in June (and May and July) too, but between

• My sleep mask (dianthus' suggestion)
• Dark drapes
• Watching caffeine before dinner
• Taking melatonin a couple hours before I intend to sleep

... I actually GOT enough sleep this year. Even in June. :)

Other than making sure I get outside during daylight for a walk and maybe installing more outdoor lights², I'm not sure I've got a solution for The Big Dark. Maybe getting outside more on weekends? Hitting the library for funny mysteries? More sex?

¹I think it did affect me, but that I wasn't consciously aware that it was tied to the changing sunlight patterns. School was always easier in spring or early fall than in winter - and once I was on a quarter system, I definitely got better grades in spring & summer than fall & winter. Before that - I remember going to bed at 8 and being asleep by 9 with no problem in winter, but come June I could not get to sleep until after it was dark.
²One of my frustrations with how soon it gets dark is that it's always dark when I get home - increased visibility might help me avoid stupid things like slipping in my own damn driveway.