Falling Back for DST: How to Adjust Sleep Schedules Easily!
Daylight Savings time is fast approaching - but don't worry - we can handle this and we will survive this together!
There are a couple of ways you can approach a time change. One is to start slowly by making small adjustments during the week leading up to it and the other, which is my personal preference is to just wait until the weekend it happens.
My first piece of advice is not to stress yourself out by moving your clocks back an hour on Saturday night. This will spare you the psychological upset of seeing your child an hour earlier on Sunday morning. Instead, just get up at your normal time, have your coffee and let yourself settle into the day a bit, and then you can go around changing the clocks. Trust me, it will feel much better this way!
If your little one wakes up at 5 or 6 am, it's ok. Remember, it still feels like 6 or 7 am to their bodies (and yours, too!).
How Do I Adjust Naps?
If your little guy usually takes his naps at 9:30 AM and 2:00 PM, you’ll want to start by moving each nap earlier by 30 minutes to 9:00 AM and 1:30 PM for the first 3 days. It’s going to be a bit of a stretch, but it won’t be so terrible that it will throw his schedule all the way off.
EXAMPLE
On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday:
NAP 1 - 9:30 AM >> now at 9:00 >> feels like 10:30 AM
NAP 2 - 2:00 PM >> now at 1:30 >> feels like 2:30 PM
On Thursday, resume your regular nap time schedule!
How Do I Adjust Bedtime?
If your sweet pea usually goes to bed at 7:00 PM, move her bedtime to 6:30 on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Remember, this will feel like 7:30 PM to him.
EXAMPLE
On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday:
BEDTIME - 7:00 PM >> now at 6:30 >> feels like 7:30 PM
On Wednesday, resume your regular bedtime schedule!
*BONUS TIP: Try offering baby a snack with some natural sugar (like fruit) an hour before naps. This will give them an extra boost and help them power through those first few days!
What About Toddlers & Preschoolers?
If your little one is over the age of two you can use a clock like the Hatch Rest to help them understand when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to wake up. Set the clock forward by half an hour for the next week and allow them to get up a little bit earlier as their body adjusts to the new time. By the end of the week their bodies should be back on track and they’ll be sleeping until their normal wake up time.
If your child normally wakes at 7:00 AM, it’s now going to feel like 6:00 AM to their body. On Monday morning, set the clock to signal it’s time to wake up at 6:30 AM and let them get used to that time for a few days. Then, on Thursday morning set the clock to resume morning wake ups at 7:00 AM.
If you have a school-aged child, there’s probably no need to shift their bedtime as they can usually make the change without missing a beat. Just keep in mind that it usually takes everyone about a week to fully settle into a new sleep schedule.