Daylight Saving Time ends: one more hour of sleep on Sunday morning

Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday morning, meaning you get one more hour to sleep or – if you’re celebrating Halloween – to party.

Bars and clubs that typically close at 2 or 3 a.m. will now have one extra hour of operation on one of the biggest party nights of the year. Likewise, on Sunday morning, you’ll have one more hour to sleep off that Halloween-induced sugar high.

For the most part, it will be effortless to adjust the time on smartphones and computers as the change should be automatic, but many will notice the days becoming darker much earlier than they might be used to. With the time change, the sun will be setting at 4:50 p.m. beginning Sunday and will go down as early as 4:16 p.m. come December 20.

On the bright side – literally – the sun will be rising earlier, meaning the commute to work will be a little lighter. Currently, the sun isn’t coming up until just before 8 a.m., making those early mornings that much more difficult. But thankfully, come Sunday, the birds will be chirping by 7 a.m.

There is still a great debate over the value of adjusting the clocks, but one of the benefits proponents argue is that it gives children more daylight to travel to school in the morning. In theory it should give you an extra hour of sleep, but many tend to overcompensate and stay up far later.

In fact, according to an ICBC survey, at least 30 per cent of B.C. drivers overcompensate; with more tired and less alert drivers on the road, there is a 16 per cent increase in vehicle accidents during the late afternoon commute over the two weeks immediately following the time change compared to the two weeks prior to the change.

So, however you choose to enjoy your extra hour, make sure you stay safe.