Most people know about Daylight Saving Time and that clocks are changed twice a year because of it. However, there are several things about the Time Change that they might not know or have overlooked. First of all, it is Daylight Saving Time and not Daylight Savings Time. Grammarians want people to know there is no "s" on the word "Saving."

About Daylight Saving Time

People enjoy getting that extra hour of sleep in the fall when they turn their clocks back. They are only getting temporary pleasure by falling back in the fall because they will have to spring forward in the spring.

Most people look at that extra hour as something great, but they might not be aware of side effects that come along with that extra hour. According to health reports, falling back and springing forward have side effects. The time is not the only thing that changes when you turn your clocks backward and forward.

Side effects of the time change

Knowing about the side effects in advance can help people prepare for them before they occur. According to many medical sources, Daylight Saving Time can cause changes in the rhythm of your body. Some people complain of experiencing severe headaches, depression, and fatigue during the first few days after the time changes.

More people stay home from work, school, and other places.

Employers see a difference in their top employees. Teachers might not only notice a slight change in themselves, but they will also see a change in the performance of their students. Coaches witness a major change in those who play sports.

There is an increase in traffic accidents during the adjustment period. More people end up in the emergency room the first few days after the time changes.

Doctors and hospitals schedule extra staff because they are aware of what is called circadian rhythm caused by the time going backward or forward.

The body's clock

Over the years, researchers and medical personnel around the world have concluded that gaining or losing an hour of sleep makes a difference to a person's overall health.

Dr. Shelby Harris, Director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at Montefiore Medical Center in New York makes it clear when she says that any time there is a change in the body's clock, it throws off all hormones. That's because a person's biological clock is so well set that it notices even an hour's difference in light exposure that creates major changes in a person's body.

Precautions

Watch out for the changes in your own body and in the people around you, such as your family and co-workers. Daylight Saving Time might be causing them to be moody and irritable.

Don't look at getting an extra hour of sleep as such a good thing because the time change will affect other areas of your life. Besides, only a few people actually sleep the extra hour anyway.
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