Spring Ahead This Weekend: What You Don’t Know

The thoughts about daylight savings time vary. When we spring ahead, it’s great because we’ll have more light later in the day. That’s why it’s called “daylight savings.” However, during National Sleep Month, we lose an hour of sleep, and that’s never good.

When I was younger, it was a bigger deal for me because I was working early on Sunday mornings, and that hour was so very crucial. Now, it just feels like a day that flies by quickly, followed by a week that feels “a little off.”

My brother lives in Arizona, and he never has to change his clocks. Half of the year we’re two hours apart and the other half it’s three hours. The same is true for Hawaii, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

I’d vote to end the back-and-forth time routine and just leave it alone throughout the year. Most people would agree that daylight savings time should be abolished.

The “Sunshine Protection Act” is a bill that cleared the U.S. Senate a couple of years ago and would make daylight savings time permanent. However, we're still waiting and hoping that it will be signed into law, and we won't need to change our clocks twice a year.

Since we’re springing ahead this weekend, here are some facts and thoughts that may help you cope with that uneasy or weird feeling you get around daylight savings time.

It’s not really an hour. Several studies have shown that when we “fall back” and daylight saving time ends, we only gain 12 minutes of sleep and not a full hour. When we “spring ahead” and that hour is removed, we lose an average of 40 minutes of sleep.

Fire Prevention experts say it’s a good idea to use the start of daylight saving time to change the batteries in our smoke alarms. It’s a great reminder to do this important safety check. I wonder if there is more fire damage or loss of life from fires in parts of the country where they don’t need to adjust their clocks.

A study by CareerBuilder revealed that the daylight saving time switch costs the United States economy $434 million a year in lost productivity and increases worker injuries.

Past studies have found that springing forward increases the chance of heart attacks. Researchers discovered a 24% rise in heart attacks the Monday after the time change.

“People end up losing an hour of sleep. They often didn’t anticipate it or plan for it. They get less non-REM sleep. So Monday, there’s an increase in presentations for heart attacks. Focusing on your sleep quality leads to better cardiovascular health and mental health as well.”

The Monday after we spring ahead for Daylight Savings Time is also the worst Monday of the year for accidents. Claims include observing Daylight Saving Time year-round would prevent 195 motor vehicle deaths and 171 pedestrian fatalities.

So it appears that daylight saving time is bad for your health. Sleep deprivation, the body’s circadian clock, and immune responses are just a couple of reasons for this.

Back in the ‘80s, Saturday mornings were sacred. It was the one time of the week kids had the TV all to themselves. No parents yelling about chores or bills, no news anchors going on about politic. Just pure kid fun in the form of cartoons. These weren’t just any cartoons either; these were shows so epic, they made waking up early on a weekend feel worth it. If you were lucky, you’d grab a bowl of your favorite sugary cereal, plop down in front of the TV, and let the magic happen.

In the ‘80s Saturday morning cartoons had it all! Action, comedy, and sometimes a random PSA about how not to be a jerk to your friends. They had characters you wished you could be, like a sword-wielding hero or a cool mutant turtle with ninja skills. The stories were wild, the animation was colorful (for the time), and the theme songs? Certified bangers. Seriously, some of those intros still live rent-free in my head decades later.

The best part? These Saturday morning cartoons shows had no shame in being completely over the top. They’d mix robots with dinosaurs, throw in some aliens, and add a plot about saving the planet for good measure. But that’s what made them awesome, they were ridiculous, and we loved them for it. Even now, thinking about those Saturday mornings hits me with a wave of nostalgia so strong I can almost taste the Cap’n Crunch.

He-Man wasn’t just jacked—he was the guy. Fighting Skeletor in a world of magic and monsters, He-Man made you believe yelling “By the power of Grayskull!” could fix anything. The show was cheesy but in the best way.

Robots turning into cars, planes, and everything else? Genius. Optimus Prime was the dad you always wanted, and Megatron made being bad look cool. It was the ultimate battle of good versus evil with explosions.

Four mutant turtles trained in martial arts by a giant rat? Sure, why not! They ate pizza, kicked butt, and had catchphrases like “Cowabunga!” What’s not to love?

Lion-O and the gang brought a mix of sci-fi and fantasy to your screen. With their epic battles and that wild “ThunderCats, ho!” battle cry, they had you hooked. Plus, Snarf was everyone’s weird little sidekick.

“Knowing is half the battle!” If you watched G.I. Joe, you probably still say that line. The team of elite soldiers fought Cobra and taught life lessons at the same time. A true classic.