Daylight saving time begins this weekend, when we all lose an hour sleep as we spring forward. It officially begins Sunday, March 13 at 2:00 a.m. in the morning, so, it’s advisable to set your clocks ahead by one hour prior to going to bed.
Fire officials urged residents when turning the clocks ahead, to take a few minutes to replace the smoke alarm batteries and push the test button to make sure the alarms are working. It’s also a great time to check carbon monoxide detectors.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths result from fires in properties without working smoke alarms. A working smoke alarm significantly increases your chances of surviving a deadly home fire.
Did You Know?
- Inventor and politician Benjamin Franklin first proposed the concept of saving daylight in 1784, but modern Daylight Saving Time never saw the light of day until 1895.
- There is no "S" on saving. It’s “daylight saving time,” not “daylight savings time.” Many people use the word saving in its plural form. However, since the word “saving” acts as part of an adjective rather than a verb, the singular is grammatically correct.
- Only about 1/4 of the world's population observe daylight savings time. Countries closer to the equator have little need to deviate from standard time since their days remain pretty much the same length year round.
- In the US, Hawaii and Arizona (with the exception of the state’s Navajo Nation) do not observe daylight saving time. Some Amish communities also choose not to participate in daylight saving
- Losing one hour of sleep by switching to daylight saving time has been linked to increased risk of heart attacks, according to a 2014 study of Michigan hospitals. Admissions to the hospital increased 25 percent the Monday following the Spring time change. The same study found that heart attack risk fell 21 percent later in the Fall when clocks were set back one hour.