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.