Love it or hate it, daylight saving time will soon be here! 
At 2:00am on Sunday, while most of us are sleeping, the clock will quietly spring forward. The good news is you can expect an extra hour of daylight in the evenings that follow. The bad news? An hour of lost sleep.
But it turns out sleepiness isn’t the only gloomy thing to come from daylight saving time. Here are three health-related side effects that may surprise you:
- Increased risk for cardiovascular conditions. Though an hour may seem insignificant, it can have a significant effect on your heart. In fact, according to a story from ScienceDaily, the Monday and Tuesday following the time change are associated with a 10% increase in the risk of having a heart attack. Some sources cite an even higher 21-24% spike! Learn the warning signs of a heart attack from the American Heart Association here.
- A spike in car crashes. According to another story from ScienceDaily, fatal car accidents increase by 6% during the workweek following March’s daylight saving time. There are two likely culprits to blame: increased grogginess and a darker morning commute. We encourage you to avoid the driver’s seat if you are feeling particularly tired.
- Increased spending. Your financial health may also be at risk. Debt.com warns us of a phenomenon they cleverly call “Daylight Spending Time.” The longer days can lead to more discretionary spending and often jumpstart your summer impulse buys. Debt.com suggest creating and sticking to a budget so the longer evenings don’t get the best of your wallet.
On the bright side…
Despite these grim side-effects, there is quite literally a bright side to the time change: the sunny afternoons. You can expect the extra daylight to improve moods, boost after-work activity levels, and more positive side-effects.
Bonus: The TV networks hate it! With the afternoon sunshine comes a fall in TV viewership. More and more people swap their spot on the couch for a spot on the hiking trails. We encourage you to do the same and take advantage of the extra afternoon daylight.
