Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday

Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday at midnight, so don’t forget to set your clocks forward one hour at 2 a.m. or before you go to bed.

The change means we “lose” an hour of sleep as we "spring forward" as we gain an hour of daylight.

Daylight Saving Time ends on the first Sunday of November which is Nov. 1 this year. We will then turn the clocks back one hour and "gain" that hour of sleep back.

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.

CAL FIRE SLO recommends residents take the time to check if their smoke alarms are working throughout their home during this time. Here are some other recommendations:

1. Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of your home, in every sleeping area, and in the hallway leading to every sleeping area. Smoke alarms should be connected so when one sounds, they all sound.
2. Inspect smoke alarms monthly, clean them yearly, and replace the entire unit every ten years.
3. Replace the battery if the smoke alarm chirps. That is your warning sign that the battery is low.
4. Protect your family by developing a home escape plan with two ways out of every room. Make sure to have an outside meeting place and practice your escape during the day as well as the night.
5. People who are hard-of-hearing or deaf can use special alarms. These alarms have strobe lights and bed shakers.
6. An ionization smoke alarm is generally more responsive to flaming fires and a photoelectric smoke alarm is generally more responsive to smoldering fires. For the best protection, or where extra time is needed to awaken or assist others, both types of alarms, or combination ionization and photoelectric alarms are recommended.