Daylight Saving Time & Consumer Spending: The Hidden Link

Image Credit: @Top.venom04/Twenty20

If you sprang forward over the weekend, you may still be muddling through the day, trying to remember whether you've changed your non-Internet of Things clocks. Most people adjust to the new daylight schedule fairly quickly, but it certainly can mess around with your routines. That includes your shopping habits, and sometimes that can mean trouble for your wallet.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia have just shared a study looking at the effects of sleep deprivation and shopping. You wouldn't think losing an hour would affect your spending — after all, numerous myths about daylight savings (we conserve energy!) aren't true. But the UBC team found that sleep-deprived study participants made different decisions than fully rested ones, namely that being tired leads to shoppers seeking out more variety. Rather than sticking to one method for staying awake, like reaching for a favorite candy bar, sleepy consumers sought out multiple kinds of candy, a behavior which could lead to price creep at checkout.

There are ways of outsmarting Daylight Savings Time, but keeping up your sleep hygiene is important all year round. (Unfortunately, drinking all the coffee isn't the answer, though keeping your favorite beans on hand can actually give you an edge.) If your mind races when you're trying to get some shuteye, try writing about it for a few minutes. Of course, because biology always finds ways to be terrible, getting too much sleep isn't any better for you. But if you're fighting to stay awake, mix up your stimuli a little. Budget for variety, and then get your bedtime on track again.