Fall back: how to adjust your child’s sleep for daylight saving time
Preparing for Daylight Saving Time can feel a little too much like a math problem for my liking. And a lot of the info out there makes it even more confusing.
As I’ve found with nearly everything parenting-related, it can take some effort, but it doesn’t have to be complicated.
Here in North America, the clocks “fall back” the on the first Saturday of November (or, technically, very early the morning of the first Sunday).
Here’s what to do at bedtime
Most older babies and children do just fine with just a few nights preparation and my minimalist method is to simply put your child to bed half an hour late for a few nights leading up to the time change.
If your child’s regular bedtime is 7:00 PM then this looks like this:
Thursday: 7:30 PM bedtime
Friday: 7:30 PM bedtime
Saturday: 7:30 PM bedtime
Sunday, 2:00 AM ***time change occurs***
Sunday: 7:00 PM bedtime (which will feel like 8:00 PM)
If your child is under 12 months of age or is sensitive to schedule changes, you could use a more gradual approach. If bedtime is typically 7:00 PM the week before would look like this:
Monday: 7:15 PM bedtime
Tuesday: 7:15 PM bedtime
Wednesday: 7:30 PM bedtime
Thursday: 7:30 PM bedtime
Friday: 7:45 PM bedtime
Saturday: 7:45 PM bedtime
Sunday: 2:00 AM ***time change occurs***
Sunday: 7:00 PM bedtime (which will feel like 8 PM)
How do I adjust naps?
For babies taking multiple naps each day, use your child’s ideal average awake time to determine when the next nap should be on any given day, before or after the time change.
For babies on just one or two naps, you can bump naptimes later on the same timeline as bedtime (i.e. 15 or 30 minutes at a time).
How long does it take to adjust?
Usually it takes three to seven days for a child's body to get used to the change. But everyone is different and some kids can easily make the change without shifting bedtimes at all. The greater their sleep skills and their sleep reserves, the easier it is to adjust.
What about morning wake up times?
If your little one is over 2 years, you can use a digital clock or a children’s sleep clock to make it clear when it's time to get up. Refer to the clock when they wake whether it's time to get up or not to get them in the habit of using the clock to tell if it's morning yet or not.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT YOU!
And remember to go to bed a little early too since you’ll be waking up early as well. There is actually an increase in car accidents in the week after the time change, so make sure you keep getting the rest your body needs too!
You got this!
Sleep well,
Sierra Dante
Your Pediatric Sleep Consultant