5 Things You Should Know When You Spring Ahead
Everyone either gets excited or dreads the thought of daylight savings time. It’s great because we have more light later in the day. It’s not so good because we lose an hour of sleep.
My brother lives in Arizona and they never change their 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’m not alone in thinking that I’d like to end the clock back-and-forth routine in New Jersey and elsewhere, and just leave it alone year-round. SleepFoundation.org reveals that most people think daylight savings time should be abolished.
Now that we’ve sprung ahead, here are some facts and theories that I dug up. Maybe some of these will help you cope with the weird feeling you get for the first couple of weeks of daylight savings time.
It’s Not Actually An Hour
Multiple studies have shown that when we “fall back”, and daylight saving time ends, we only gain 12 minutes of sleep and not one hour. In the spring, when that hour is taken away, people lose an average of 40 minutes of sleep.
It’s the Only Use for 9-Volt Batteries
Fire Prevention experts say people should use the start of daylight saving time to change the batteries in their smoke alarms. It’s a great way to remember to change the batteries. I wonder if there are more fires in parts of the world where people (like my brother) don’t change their clocks.
DST Costs Us Big Bucks
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.
It Takes Time and Coffee to Adjust
GrubHub performed a survey that revealed it takes 62% of people at least a week to adjust to Daylight Saving Time. 55% of people said that they need extra coffee to keep up with the time change.
Increase in Health Risk
American College of Cardiology found that springing forward increases the chance of heart attacks. Researchers discovered a 24% rise in heart attacks the Monday after the time change.
Doctors say, “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.”
Bonus: Viral Poem for DST
Warren Harmon, of South Colton, New York, went viral because the North Country Now newspaper published his Daylight Saving Time poem.
Beware of the government and DST
They like to steal from you and me.
They come in the spring and in the night
And when you wake up they’re out of sight.
What have they taken with all their power?
They’ll say, “Don’t worry, it was just one hour.”
What could you do with “Just one hour?”
You could go for a walk and pick a flower,
Or mow the lawn around your home
Or even sit down and write a poem.
The hour was yours that they’ve taken away
It was more than an hour. They’ve shortened your day.
You could have invented something worth money
Now the loss isn’t so funny
You can’t retire on what wasn’t done
You can’t rejoice if there was no fun
DST will tell you, “Don’t worry at all,
We’ll give you your hour back in the fall.”
Daylight Saving Time: Are You Ready To Spring Forward?
