Fall Back: Your Guide to Daylight Savings

Are you ready for daylight savings time?  It snuck up on me a bit this year!

The pre-mom version of you was probably really excited about gaining an hour of sleep.  The mom version of you is probably despising the adjustment for your child.

If you’re nervous about the time change, here is a guide to help you out!

Option 1:  Do nothing

If you would actually love for your kid to go to bed an hour earlier, change nothing!  

For example, if your little one is currently going to bed at 8PM, and you would love a 7PM bedtime, make no adjustments prior.  On the day prior to the time change, put your babe to bed at 8PM.  The next day (the day of the time change), new bedtime will be at 7PM.  Easy peasy.

Keep in mind that for kids older than 4 months, the sweet-spot for bedtime is between 6:30pm and 8:00pm. So if your baby is already going to bed at 7:00pm, 6:00pm may be too early!

Option 2:  Prepare a week in advance

This option is for those of you who want to keep the same bedtime, and are either in the midst of sleep-training or have a kid who is sensitive to change.

Starting the Monday prior to the time change, move your child’s bedtime, nap time, and wake up time by 10 minutes later each day.  This will put you at an 8PM bedtime by 6 days prior to the time change.  On the day of the time change, 8:00 will now become 7:00!

Example:

Option #3, and also if you forgot about the time change

This one is for those of you with kids who do well with change. It’s also for those of you who forgot about the time change until the day prior.

The day prior to the time change (Saturday), put your baby down for their nap 30 minutes late. Move bedtime 30 minutes later, as well. The next morning (morning of the time change), get them out of bed 30 minutes later than normal. They will likely have already wakened, because this is what their body is used it. Just allow them to hang out in their crib/bed for those 30 minutes. If they are really upset by this, get them up but make your first 30 minutes of your morning really boring, and keep the room dark. Now you can put them down for nap at their normal time (even though it’s technically 1 hour later than they’re used to), and put them to bed at their normal time as well.

Option #4: For the wee ones younger than 4 months

On Saturday before the time change, add an extra cat-nap for your baby. It doesn’t need to be long, just a short nap so that bedtime can be pushed back an hour. For babies younger than 4 months old, they aren't yet circulating a good amount of melatonin, and don't have a circadian rhythm, so adjusting times doesn't work as well.

Adding a cat nap for older babies won’t work, since their wake windows are longer.

Some things to remember:

Keep your baby’s bedroom dark

This will help to remind your baby that it’s time for sleep.  Although this isn’t quite as important in the Fall, it will be very important for the time change in the Spring, when light is streaming through the window wayyyy too early.

Keep your bedtime routine consistent

You want your baby to expect to go to sleep when bedtime routine is complete, even when the time you’re putting baby to bed is different.  Bedtime routine doesn’t have to be long or complicated, but it should be the same each night.

For some babies, these changes are hard

Give yourself and your baby some grace.  It may take more than a week for your baby to get adjusted.  Stay consistent with your plan.  Your baby will adjust with time.

I hope that you found these tips useful.  If you need more help with sleep, book a free evaluation call to see how I can help you!