Daylight Savings Time: How-to Handle Sleep When the Clocks “Fall Back”.

Daylights Savings Time is on Sunday, November 3rd.

Don’t panic. This is not, I repeat NOT, going to ruin your child's sleep. It's just one hour. We got this.

Here's how to handle it…

On Saturday Night:

Don't worry about changing any of your manual clocks the night before. (Yes, your smart phone will automatically adjust overnight to the new time but do your best to ignore it). That way, when your child wakes up for the day between 5-6am, you'll remember that it feels like 6:30am to them and to you. Get up and start the day. After everyone has been up for a while and you've had a cup of coffee, go ahead and adjust all the clocks to the new time. 

Adjusting Naps:

If your 9-month-old, for example, usually takes a morning nap around 9:30, move it up to 9am. It will be a little bit of a stretch for them, but it won’t ruin their schedule. Do the same with the afternoon nap.

EXAMPLE:
NAP 1- 9:30 AM → now at →  9AM (feels like 10AM)
NAP 2- 2:00PM → now at →  1:30PM (feels like 2:30PM)

Adjusting Bedtime:

Do the same thing you did with naps. If your toddler, for example, normally goes to bed at 8:00pm, now it's 7:30pm (which will feel like 8:30pm). 

For How Long Do I Adjust Nap and Bedtimes?

On average, I recommend making these 30-minute adjustments for the first few days of the time change (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday) before jumping back to your usual nap and bedtimes! 

Remember, every child is different. You may want to make slightly more gradual adjustments for a younger baby. And older kiddos may not need you to adjust anything at all, just jump right into the new time (this is my plan for my 6-year-old). By the end of the week, everyone should be adjusted to the new time! 

What If My Toddler Uses an Okay-to-Wake Clock?

If your toddler uses a toddler clock, then you'll want to adjust what time their light turns green (or whatever color you use) for the first few days to help them be successful. 

EXAMPLE:
Light normally turns green at 7AM→ which is now → 6AM

On Sunday, set it to turn green at 6AM → which feels like 7AM
On Monday through Wednesday morning set it to turn green at 6:30AM
By Thursday morning set it back to the usual 7AM

That's It!

See how easy this is? There's no need to stress! This time change will not ruin your child's sleep! And remember, if you want to “gain an hour” of sleep like you used to be able to before becoming a parent - THEN GO TO BED AN HOUR EARLIER! 😉

If you are already struggling with early wakings, you are likely dreading this time change. In that case, I would recommend downloading my Early Wakings Workbook. This workbook is a self-led troubleshooting guide for your child's early wakings to help you pinpoint the cause of your child's early waking and then FIX it!

Finally, a well-rested human (that includes you) handles a time change better than one who is not sleeping well! If the upcoming time change is the least of your worries because sleep is already going so poorly, it's time to address it! Book a free 15-minute sleep chat to learn more about working together 1:1 to create a personalized sleep plan for your child.