A Quick Guide to Daylight Savings Time
Early Sunday morning, we will be springing forward 1 hour to kick off the start of Daylight Savings Time. This means longer days, warmer seasons, patio beers and beach days! – But why do we spring forward and how does this affect our internal clocks? Here are some facts you can spout during the inevitable Daylight Savings Time conversation between family and friends this weekend:
When is Daylight Saving Time this year?
This year DST (Daylight Savings Time) starts on March 12, 2017 at 2.00a Sunday at 2 a.m. The clock jumps forward by one hour, meaning the sun will rise later and will also extend later into our evenings.
What’s the point of Daylight Saving Time?
DST was originally created to cut energy costs – If work hours were during daylight, there was money saved on candle wax, and later on, electricity.
Which parts of the world follow DST?
More than 70 countries and one-fifth of the world’s seven billion people follow DST. There are some exceptions, though,
Like in Canada, Saskatchewan, parts of BC, Ontario and Quebec’s north shore don’t follow the time change. In the United States Arizona and Hawaii don’t observe daylight time. China, India, Japan and several other nations also don’t abide by DST.
How does losing an hour of sleep affect our bodies?
We have clocks all over our body, including our stomach and we have rhythmicity to things like eating, alertness and sleeping. The spring-time is tough because we are already sleep-deprived and losing an hour of sleep will compound an already difficult situation for some people. If you aren’t sleeping well, your metabolism can take a hit along with your whole eating routine – You could be experiencing more cravings for junk food, or worse, a total loss of appetite.
Your heart health is tampered with, too – Research shows that losing just an hour of sleep increases your stroke risk for the following two days, specifically for seniors and those living with cancer.