When does Daylight Saving Time begin? It's almost time to turn your clocks ahead one hour and that means anyone who lives in a state that participates in DST will lose an hour of sleep. However, there is a big perk to all of this clock changing mumbo jumbo — the daylight hours will be a bit longer as we get ready to say goodbye to winter and hello to spring.
So, who needs to "spring forward" this month and when does the change take place? The time change happens at 2 a.m. on March 12 and you will need to change not only your bedside clock but the clock in your car, on your stove or microwave, and any other time piece that doesn't automatically adjust to the correct time.
Which states don't participate in Daylight Saving Time?
According to Time and Date, if you live in Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, or the U.S.Virgin Islands, you don't have to be bothered with the time change. However, residents of other states should change their clocks before they go to bed on Saturday, March 11 so when they wake up it's the correct time.
Is DST a good thing?
Mass Live reports that the Energy Policy Act of 2005 changed the start date of Daylight Saving Time from the first Sunday of April to the second Sunday of March. Since then, there has been plenty of public outcry about changing clocks back and forth in the fall and spring.
Aside from having to remember which way to turn your clock, health issues seem to be the center of discussion when it comes to DST.
Reuters reports that there is some concern that the time change could affect your heart, noting that the switch raises the risk of having a heart attack by 25 percent. In comparison, when clocks return to standard time in the fall, the risks falls by 21 percent.
Put the time change to good use
Even if you're not a fan of losing an hour of sleep, you'll gain such much-needed extra daylight.
That's a good thing after a long winter. And here's another positive way to think about the time change — if you change the batteries in your smoke alarms when you change your clocks you take a care of a task that could save your life.
