Sunday, November 6, 2016: You’re preparing for the End of Daylight Savings Time. It’s time to move your clocks back one hour. For parents of young children, we may worry about the end result – early waking or a disrupted schedule.
Here are some tips to smooth the transition. Use one or a combination of these methods and your child’s sleep schedule should be back on track in just a few days to a week.
No matter what you decide to do, it will be much easier for you to adjust if you go to bed early on Saturday, November 5th.
Tip 1 – Cold Turkey: When the time changes, switch to the new time right away. Also switch meals, activities, and naps to the new time. Wake up times may be a bit off for a few days but they will adjust. If your child is fairly easy going, adjustment should be quick and painless with this method.
Tip 2 – Work Up To It: This is helpful for children that may be more sensitive to being overtired, to changes in schedules, or who tend to wake up early. Start 4 days before the time change by moving bedtime and wake up time 15 minutes later each day. You can take an even slower approach if you want to. At the new wake up time, make a big deal about morning, turning the lights on and exposing your child to the out-door light as much as possible.
Tip 3 – Fix It After: Wait until the day of the time change and adjust the child’s schedule over the following days. This method is good for children that tend to get overtired; however it can make for some early mornings and can take longer. Most children will naturally adjust to the new time within a week.
In the short term, the time change can cause us to feel a little off but most people adjust within 5 days on their own based on exposure to light in the daytime and dark at night.
Andrea Strang, is a Certified Child Sleep Consultant and Gentle Sleep Coach with The WOMB. Andrea provides personalized, custom sleep consultations and packages to parents who need guidance, love and support through the sleep challenges with their children.
