It’s that time of year again, when pumpkins sprout on doorsteps, the winter coats come out of the closet, and most Americans get an extra hour's sleep by resetting their clocks. (Remember? Spring forward, fall back.)

The change officially takes place at 2 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, but most Americans tend to turn their clocks back an hour before going to bed Saturday night. (Others may forget and arrive an hour early at church or brunch.) The time switch marks the end to daylight-saving time, which started in April.

The idea behind daylight-saving time — or summer time, as it's known in other parts of the world — is to use the extended daylight hours during the warmest part of the year to best advantage. Timekeepers shift some of that extra sun time from the early morning (when timekeepers need their shut-eye) to the evening (when they play softball). The shift reduces the need for lighting during the evening, and some studies have shown that results in energy savings as well.

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With the clocks turned back, it will be lighter (or at least less dark) in the morning, and trick-or-treaters will have a darker night.

Not everybody goes along with this plan, as folks in places like Arizona and Hawaii know quite well. In March, Indiana reluctantly "sprang forward" with the rest of the country, marking the first time in 30 years that the whole state observed daylight savings.

Around the world, Canada and the members of the European Union operate similar summer-time shifts. And yes, some countries in the Southern Hemisphere move their clocks forward an hour at this time of year, in time for the coming summer there.

So long to daylight saving
Most Americans turn their clocks back one hour during the Oct. 31-Nov. 1 weekend. This is also a good time to change batteries in smoke detectors.
Encarta: Daylight Saving
All about Daylight Saving Time
What time is it?
What causes seasons?
Still with us? Daylight-saving time soon will last even longer in the United States, thanks to a law passed last summer. Beginning in 2007, most Americans will turn their clocks forward on the second Sunday of March and back on the first Sunday of November.

Some in Congress had wanted to extend it even further, citing the potential for further energy savings. But after a variety of opponents from religious groups to educational organizations complained of schedule and safety concerns, lawmakers dropped that plan.

So savor the extra hour of sleep. Starting in 2007, you'll have to wait an extra week to get it. Meantime, here are answers to common questions about sleep.

When we wake up, why do we have crust in our eyes? - S.S.
“Eye crusts” are the leftover protein and fat from tears that have dried up. Tears have three components:

Salty water, which comes from the tear gland behind the upper outer corner of our eye.
Protein, secreted by the conjuctiva, which is the clear film that covers the eye.
And fat, which comes from ducts in the eyelids.

Tears do lots of jobs. They clean the eye. They fill in tiny imperfections in the surface of the cornea, which needs to be perfectly smooth for maximal vision. They also deliver nutrients to the cornea, which has to be clear to let light through to the iris, and therefore has no blood vessels to deliver a “food supply.” And of course tears flow at times of emotion, when the tear glands power up and produce more salt water.

At night, with our eyes closed and protected, we don’t display emotion, and with our eyes closed we don’t get dirt in our eyes. So we don’t make tears. Small amounts of the mixture already on the surface of the eye seep out, but without a fresh supply of liquid from the tear gland, the fat and protein dry up.

CONTINUED : Mysteries of 'morning breath' and more

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