10 things to know about daylight saving time

While most of us know two things about daylight saving time — spring forward one hour and change smoke detector batteries — there’s much more to know about the annual change, which begins 2 a.m. Sunday.

1. Saving or savings?: "Daylight saving time" is correct; "daylight savings time" is incorrect.

2. Rise in heart attacks: There is a 25 percent jump in heart attacks the Monday after we spring forward, according to a study presented to the American College of Cardiology. "It may mean that people who are already vulnerable to heart disease may be at greater risk right after sudden time changes," Amneet Sandhu, M.D., said. Read the study here.

3. More traffic accidents: Research links more than 300 traffic deaths to the time change over a 10-year period. The jump is attributed to sleep deprivation and the shift of ambient light from morning to evening.

4. Observed worldwide: More than 70 countries observe a daylight saving time shift. It's also called "summer time" in some countries.

5. Not in Arizona and Hawaii: "Standard time" is observed yearlong in Arizona and Hawaii, the only U.S. states that do not shift to DST.

6. You can survive: The Better Sleep Council suggests you start making changes in the days leading up to the time change to help your body adjust. Changes include going to bed 15 minutes earlier in the days before, exercise, avoiding caffeine and 20-minute naps following the change.

7. Worth it? Depends on whom you ask? The U.S. Department of Transportation says yes because a study shows it cuts electricity usage by 1 percent. Other studies dispute this finding. The ski industry opposed a proposal to extend DST in Colorado, saying it cut time resorts had to prepare for opening.

8. Grades may fall: Some sleep-deprived students have tested a grade lower than during well-rested times. Sleep specialist Lisa Meltzer, PhD, suggests putting kids to bed 15 minutes earlier in the four nights before the time change.

9. It pays and costs: Retailers see a boost in sales during DST. Other industries cite extra costs from longer hours to prepare for the time switch.

10. When does it end? DST ends 2 a.m. Sunday, November 6.

Cox Media Group