Two Strategies to Get Your Child’s Sleep Back on Track After the Fall Time Change
Daylight Savings and Baby Sleep
I would like to go on record and say that I hate Daylight Savings. (And I don’t say that about too many things!)
And it appears I’m not alone. There are forums with thousands of comments on the topic, trying to come up with an alternative, or just wanting it to go away!
Parents are downright stressed about the upcoming time change in the wee hours of November 3rd!
But I can understand why. You’ve worked so hard to get your child on a great sleep schedule and then BAM! Time to stir up the pot and make it interesting again…and this one can cause early wakeups for a short time.
Can we just get rid of these time changes? It just doesn’t make sense to me.
For the Spring time change, heart attacks, stroke, workplace accidents, and cyberloafing are more prevalent the week following the time change.
One good thing about THIS time change is a 7% decrease in accidents after the Fall time change when we get an extra hour of sleep (but that same study revealed that there are 7% more car accidents following the Spring time change – just goes to show you how precarious our sleep debt situation really is…)
And another great thing is that it’ll be good and dark at bedtime.
Anyway, standing on my soapbox probably won’t change it, so…I’ll give you two options on how to tackle the Fall time change - adjusting the schedule before and adapting to it afterwards!
How to adjust the sleep schedule to the Fall time change beforehand
If you’d like to be proactive and start shifting your child’s sleep schedule PRIOR to the time change on November 2nd, I recommend gradually shifting the sleep schedule later in the days leading up to the time change.
Gradual bedtime transition
For babies on more than one nap per day and a 7pm bedtime, adjust bedtime as follows:
Tuesday, Oct 29 - 7:10pm bedtime
Wednesday, Oct 30th - 7:20pm bedtime
Thursday, Oct 31st - 7:30pm bedtime
Friday, Nov 1st - 7:40pm bedtime
Saturday, Nov 2nd - 7:50pm bedtime [push clocks back before you go to sleep Saturday night]
Sunday, Nov 3rd (first bedtime following the time change) - 7:00pm (which is really 8pm on your
child’s body clock)
For children on 0-1 naps with a 7pm bedtime, adjust bedtime as follows:
Thursday, Oct 31st - 7:15pm bedtime
Friday, Nov 1st - 7:30pm bedtime
Saturday, Nov 2nd - 7:45pm bedtime [push clocks back before you go to sleep Saturday night]
Sunday, Nov 3rd (first bedtime following the time change) - 7:00pm (which is really 8pm on your
child’s body clock)
Gradual nap time transition
On the day you start gradually moving bedtime later, you’ll also use the same “formula” to push naptime.
So for babies on multiple naps, you’d push each one later by 10 minutes in the five days leading up to the time change.
For kids on one nap, you’d push the nap later by 15 minutes in the three days leading up to the time change.
How to get your child’s sleep back on track after the Fall time change
Don’t change the clocks on Saturday night before you go to bed
…unless you have somewhere to be early on Sunday morning!
It’ll just make you grumpy getting up with your kiddo an hour earlier than normal. Instead, put your child to bed at his normal bedtime on Saturday night and let him sleep as long as he wants Sunday morning (which, if he’s on a good sleep schedule, will be the same time he always wakes up!) Then, once everyone’s up and moving, you can change all of the clocks in the house…
Gradual bedtime transition
For babies who have more than one nap per day and a 7pm bedtime, adjust bedtime as follows:
Sunday, Nov 3rd (first bedtime following the time change) - 6:10pm (which is really 7:10pm on your
child’s body clock)
Monday, Nov 4th - 6:20pm
Tuesday, Nov 5th - 6:30pm
Wednesday, Nov 6th - 6:40pm
Thursday, Nov 7th - 6:50pm
Friday, Nov 8th - 7pm and back at the normal bedtime
For children on 0-1 naps with a 7pm bedtime, adjust bedtime as follows:
Sunday, Nov 3rd (first bedtime following the time change) - 6:15pm (which is really 7:15pm on your
child’s body clock)
Monday, Nov 4th - 6:30pm
Tuesday, Nov 5th - 6:45pm
Wednesday, Nov 6th - 7pm and back at the normal bedtime
Gradual nap time transition
On the day you start gradually moving bedtime earlier, you’ll also use the same “formula” to push naptime.
So for babies on multiple naps, you’d move each nap later by 10 minutes in the five days after the time change.
For kids on one nap, you’d move the nap later by 15 minutes in the three days after the time change.
Tips to make adjusting to the time change easier
Give them space in the morning
If you choose to make adjustments after the time change, on Day 1, give her a little time when she wakes up (~10 minutes) before you go in. Keeping her in the dark bedroom will help reset her body clock to start waking up later.
On Day 2, give her a bit more time (~15 minutes) and continue over the next week or so until she’s adjusted and waking up at her normal time.
Give a visual cue for toddlers
Time changes are hard for toddlers and preschoolers to understand! If you’re not already using one, a toddler clock works really well in this situation.
Depending on whether you choose to adjust the sleep before or after the time change, be sure to also adjust the toddler clock.
Make sure the room is pitch black
If your child normally wakes up at 6:30am, then there’s a good chance he’ll be waking at 5:30am for a short while. Be sure that NO light is coming around the edges of the shades. I have good options for blackout shades on my resources page.
Keep everything else the same
The bedtime routine should be consistent every night, and that’s even more important during the transition around daylight savings.
This also isn’t the time (if you can help it!) to take a trip, have a new babysitter, have a bunch of relatives stay with you, etc. The more “normal” the environment, the easier it will be for your child to adjust more quickly!
Be patient
Remember that this is a process – children don’t adapt to the time change as quickly as most adults do – and it can take a week or two to get back on track after daylight savings ends.
If you find things aren’t on track two weeks after the time change, feel free to reach out and book a call with me or check out my Early Wakings Guide (this link has a limited-time 50% discount!)
And while we’re on the topic of time changes, here’s a reminder to:
check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detector
rotate or flip your mattress
go through your medicine cabinet and throw away expired prescriptions and over-the-counter remedies
Fall Time Change and Toddlers
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This post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you, your child and/or your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your child’s physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.