Daylight Saving Time Begins Sunday
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — This weekend, it's time to spring forward again.
Daylight saving time begins Sunday, when clocks should be pushed forward one hour at 2 a.m. The change allows for more daylight in the afternoons.
The practice, first conceived by Benjamin Franklin, was adopted in the United States in 1918, to help cut down on energy use in the evenings. Hawaii and Arizona do not observe daylight saving time.
Los Angeles County Fire officials say the time change is a good reminder to people to prepare their homes for emergencies. Changing the batteries in smoke alarm and carbon monoxide monitoring devices is recommended, as well as preparing an emergency power kit.
To many people, daylight saving time is inconvenient, robbing people of one hour of precious sleep and requiring yet another chore – changing all the clocks. It's more than inconvenient for people with health issues -- the spring time shift in particular has been shown to increase the risk of a heart attack right after the time change is implemented.
Parents with young children also tend to loathe daylight saving time. A Facebook page called "Mothers Against Daylight Savings Time" has 1,566 likes.
WebMD had a few tips for adjusting to the time change:
- Move up your bedtime in the days leading up to daylight saving time to help you and your children gradually adjust.
- Expose yourself to sunlight as early as you can
- Exercise before dusk to avoid delaying your sleep time
- Don't nap (for adults).
Swedish retailer Ikea has announced plans to help perk up commuters after the time change. Ikea plans to give away more than 10,000 cups of coffee at their Costa Mesa, Covina, Carson and Burbank locations. For more information, follow Southern California's Ikea on Twitter.
