Navigating Daylight Savings with Children
Courtney Carter
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

Navigating Daylight Savings with Children

Transitioning to daylight savings can be tricky for babies and children whose sleep schedule thrives on routine. But, with a little advance preparation, you can make “falling back” easier for all.

There’s nothing like sudden darkness at 4:30 p.m. to make your whole world feel off. The transition to daylight savings, both in the spring and fall, is especially hard on young children who live by routines. The impact can be particularly challenging as it relates to bedtime.

The good news is that it is possible to begin managing the transition before it happens so that, when the day comes, you and your child are ready.

For maximum success, you want to begin at least four days before daylight savings kicks in. This year, with Daylight Savings Time starting Sunday, November 3, you want to begin adjusting bedtimes no later than Wednesday, October 30.

Begin by pushing bedtime forward 15 minutes. If the normal tuck-in time is 8 p.m., move it to 8:15 p.m. The next night, move it another 15 minutes later to 8:30 p.m. and repeat so that on the evening of daylight-saving time (Saturday night), bedtime will be at 9:00 pm. Once you adjust the clocks on Sunday, your child will be back to their usual 8 p.m. bedtime.

And, because you don’t want to disrupt bedtime routines (think getting into jammies, brushing teeth, reading books, etc.), you must adjust the timing of ALL your routines for the four nights preceding daylight savings.

Yes, that means you’ll be eating dinner a bit later for a few nights, but the reward of not having a groggy baby or a tyrannical toddler will be worth it.

A few other tips to keep in mind as you ready to fall back as a family:

Avoid screens: Powering down screens of all type at least 30-60 minutes before bedtime to provide the best sleep quality and help you fall asleep faster.

Don’t skip naps: As tempting as it might be to try playing the sleep-swap games with children’s naps, it can lead to sleep deprivation that can affect a child’s mental and physical health.

Keep kids awake for bedtime: While your child may get sleepy as you push back bedtime, it’s important to try to keep them awake so they’re truly ready for the transition.

Also, if possible, put a pause on any big transitions, such as changing bedrooms or beds, or even potty training, until your child is comfortably settled into the new sleep cycle—typically one week. You don’t want to overwhelm them or have a lack of sleep negatively impact their progress toward important milestones.

Again, most children and adults can adjust to daylight savings within a week. Mustering an extra bit of effort, patience and consistency in the days leading up to it will have you all sleeping soundly soon.

Lynn Mann, DO, is a pediatrician at SVMC Northshire Campus.

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Six Questions with the Medical Director of SVMC Orthopedics

Dr. Michaela Schneiderbauer, medical director of orthopedics and orthopedic surgeon, answers six questions about getting orthopedic care right now.

1. What types of patients are you able to treat right now?

We are happy to see patients with all sorts of conditions returning to the practice for care. Patients have heard that the Governor has lifted restrictions for elective procedures, and they are ready to investigate their options for joint pain relief. Plus, the weather is getting nice again, so people are active outside. We've seen an increase in injuries related to outdoor activity, too.


2. Are you seeing patients remotely via telemedicine?

Yes. We offer telemedicine, and we use it a lot. Of course, there are limitations for those that need an X-ray or a physical exam. But telemedicine is a great option for initial visits when we need to collect patients' health history and for follow-ups.


3. How has care in the office changed over the past several months?

Patients will notice that we have gone beyond all of the Centers for Disease Control and Vermont Department of Health recommendations for office visits. All of our staff are wearing masks and shields or goggles, and patients are expected to wear a cloth face covering when they come in. In addition, we are making efforts to limit the number of people in our waiting rooms and office at any one time. For example, part of the check-in process now happens on the phone, instead of in person.


4. How is preparing for a surgery and recovering from a surgery different since COVID-19 became a concern?

Like for office visits, our pre-surgery processes have all been ramped up well beyond the state and national recommendations designed to decrease risk of contracting COVID-19. A few days before the surgery, we test patients for COVID-19 and ask them to self-quarantine until their procedure. The patient arrives to the hospital in their own cloth face covering. Visitors are limited. After the procedure, we provide patients with an app that allows them to note their temperature and any type of respiratory symptoms for a few weeks. If any of the information falls outside the norm, a nurse gives the patient a call. These are all examples of ways we are going beyond our very high infection-prevention standards to ensure safety for patients, their families, and our staff.


5. What would you like to share with people who postponed a joint replacement or other orthopedic care because of COVID-19?

Here in Vermont cases of COVID-19 cases have been relatively low. The Governor has given his approval by lifting restrictions for elective procedures, even those requiring an overnight hospital stay. SVMC started with an exceptionally low rate of hospital-acquired infections and added many extra precautions on top of that. We have the attitude that it is definitely safe to resume care both surgeries and other types of orthopedic care.


6. What are the greatest risks and rewards related to having orthopedic care now?

From our position as one of the safest hospitals in one of the safest states, the risks of contracting COVID-19 and other illnesses during a procedure or other care are very low. Many patients know this. They are coming in for their procedures and joint replacements. Many of them will recover and be active again in time to really enjoy this summer. That’s our goal: to help every patient resolve their orthopedic issues so that they can get back to doing the things they love.

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