Daylight Savings Time - March 13th

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For most of us in the U.S., it’s almost time to Spring Forward. This is rather inconvenient for those of using Lantus and Levemir because we try so hard to stick to a 12-hour schedule.

If you make no adjustments and just shoot at your regular time on the clock Sunday morning, your AMPS will be 11 hours after your PMPS the night before. This will potentially cause lower BG’s for most cats, as it will increase the overlap between shots. Remember, shooting early is equivalent to a dose increase, so if your cat is in a phase where he is running tight numbers or earning dose reductions, this might drop your cat into lower numbers unexpectedly.

If you don’t want to have a +11 in the mix, you can move your shot time a little over a few days minimize the impact on your cat’s numbers.

Option A (move in 15 minute increments): pick any 4 times during the week to move your shot time by15 minutes. This option requires a little planning, but should have very minimal impact on BG’s.

Example: regular time is 7:00
Thursday AMPS at 7:00
Thursday PMPS at 6:45
Friday AMPS at 6:45
Friday PMPS at 6:30
Saturday AMPS at 6:30
Saturday PMPS at 6:15 (you will set your clock ahead overnight)
Sunday AMPS at 7:15, which is the “old” 8:15
Sunday PMPS at 7:00, which has you on schedule for Monday morning

Option B (move in 30 minute increments): pick 2 cycles during the week to move your shot time by 30 minutes. This *could* have a little more impact on BG’s for cats who are sensitive to time changes.

Example: regular time is 7:00
Friday AMPS at 7:00
Friday PMPS at 6:30
Saturday AMPS at 6:30
Saturday PMPS at 6:00 (you will set your clock ahead overnight)
Sunday AMPS at 7:00, which is the “old” 8:00

(Please bump until Sunday, March 13th)

 

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Thanks for the reminder Sienne.

 

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Yes, thank you...almost forgot that I will need to make adjustment!

 

Visual of making a time change

 

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great info and ty for the break down
BUMPITY

 

This always gets me very confused but if we are springing forward one hour Saturday night before we go to bed wouldn't the example you used be the "old" 6:15?

 

yes. A typo, I think.

We have been moving ahead by 5 minutes per shot time and are on schedule, we hope, to meet up with Sunday morning!

 

If your shot time today is 7:00, if you do nothing, when you wake up at 7:00 on Sunday it would be 8:00 kitty shot time. (The clock springs ahead - 8:00 is the old 7:00.) Thus, you have to work the time back an hour so your cat's internal shot clock is the same as the time on the real clock.

 

Massive confusion in my brain! Do I want to move his shot time ahead 15 minutes a day, since we are "springing forward"? Or back 15 minutes a day? I think I want to move it ahead, yes?

 

The clock is moving ahead. You want to move back so you meet up with it Sunday morning.

Your shot time, if you made no changes, would appear to be an hour later in the clock's mind. If you want your shot time to look the same on the clock (which is really what this is all about) you have to move your shot earlier.

 

Oh my gosh, my brain just freezes up when I try to sort this out. So, if I currently give his shot at 9:00, I need to start moving it back 15 minutes each day, i.e., 9:00, 8:45, 8:30, etc?

 

Yes. Until you get to 8 o'clock Standard time. Then when DST comes on Sunday morning, we rename that to be 9 o'lock and you are all set.

 

Okay, got it now! Thank you so much for the help! I hadn't even taken DST into account until I saw this.

ETA: Lol, the ol' lightbulb just clicked on. When you "spring forward", you actually lose an hour. Took me a while but it makes sense to me now!

 

My husband gets so confused by DST. It's kind of funny because he is a PhD in astrophysics and I am just a masters. Ha ha ha on him!

 

Up Up Up

 

Bumpity

 

bump again

 

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Y'all need to think about this today if you haven't yet

 

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Bumping

 

I am going to be that idiot. Exhaustion and all. I just started insulin with Hedwig a couple days ago. Thus, didn't have adjusting time. Also, didn't really think on it until yesterday. That said. 9.30 is her insulin time. Which at spring ahead would be 10.30 now if I am correct? I am okay with that adjustment if it keeps her on schedule and then I can slowly move. Or I can hit 10 am today and then move. Thoughts?

 

Don't feel bad. DST is confusing. Since you didn't make any adjustments for DST, when you shot this morning Hedwig's shot was actually an hour early. You don't want to make any more adjustments today. If you want to move back to 9:30, you can move it 30 min. one time tomorrow and 30 min. the next day, or you can move each shot in 15 min. increments two times a day until you get to 9:30.

Also, the early shot acts like a dose increase. You should watch him today and get a few extra tests in if you can to make sure his numbers don't drop.

 

I haven't actually given her a shot yet at all. I realized dst yesterday evening and figured I would wait until 10.30 the new 9.30. Then adjust back. Realistically though her last med is at 12.30 am so I can stick to 10.30 as the new 9.30 and then I don't have to worry adjusting.

 

You can shoot at 10:30 (the old 9:30) and can adjust it later. Or if it doesn't mess up your schedule, you can keep it at 10:30. DST is so confusing when it comes to dosing.

 

If you do this, you are moving the shot time up by 1 hour today because DST moves the time. It's not a problem, you'll just need to watch to make sure his numbers don't drop because an early shot (since the time moved forward an hour) acts like a dose increase.

 

I did not adjust my times. My dose used to be at 5:30 AM and PM. So this morning I shot at the new time of 6:30 and it was still 12 hours from last night's shot of 5:30. The clock jumps ahead one hour but 12 hours has still passed from last night's shot, not 11 hours.

 

I always loved that you did this every year, Sienne.

 

I just landed up keeping the same time - 10.30 for 9.30. Primarily because I already have to give her meds all damn day and well, it's not like I go anywhere, sooooo.