This weekend is Daylight Savings Time and while that extra hour of sleep on a weekend used to feel like a gift, with kids it can be a little more stressful as this small change can wreak havoc on carefully planned sleep schedules and routines. However, with a little planning and patience, you and your child can adjust with minimal hiccups.
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Start early.
Now is the perfect time to start preparing for this weekend. Instead of waiting for a big, one hour long shift this weekend, go ahead and starting moving bedtime (and other key routines) up by 10-15 minutes to make the transition go a little smoother. While this can be harder for older kids with a more set school schedule, it can be a game changer for littles.
Keep routines consistent.
Even as bedtime changes, keep the other routines consistent. If you normally go straight from dinner to bath time to bedtime, don’t change that. Sticking to familiar pre-sleep activities can help your child to see those familiar cues that help them prepare for bedtime.
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Use light strategically.
Daylight, and darkness in turn, help our bodies natural sleep and wake cycles. It can be helpful to expose your child to sunlight first thing in a morning if they’re having trouble with sleep at any point in the year, but exposing them to sunlight first thing in the morning at a time of transition like daylight savings time can be all the more helpful. Additionally, you can use darkness to help you in the evenings as well. When it’s getting closer to bedtime, dim lights and limit bright screens, so your child’s brain (and yours) are not tricked into thinking it’s still time to be awake.
Adjust mealtimes and nap times too.
While we often think about bedtime transitions around daylight savings time, adjusting mealtimes and naptimes are just as important. If your child naps earlier in the day they are (usually) sleepy earlier in the evening, and mealtimes often serve as cues for your child when it comes to sleep and what time in the day it is, even if they don’t have a good concept of time yet. As you adjust their bedtimes by 10-15 minutes each day, do the same with their naptime (if applicable) and mealtimes as well.
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Talk with older kids.
While older, school age kids aren’t always the ones we’re worried about when it comes to sleep changes, falling back this weekend can have an effect on their sleep as well. Talk to them about what to expect before this weekend, even showing them on the clock (if they understand time). Let them know that it may take a few days for their body to adjust and set expectations of what you want to happen if they wake up earlier than usual (playing in their room quietly for example).
Be flexible and patient.
Transitions like this can hard for kids and parents alike. While the above times should help you and your family adjust a little bit better, no plan is perfect. Expect to run into some issues, even if they’re minor, and try to be flexible when necessary and be patient with your kids, especially little ones who really don’t understand why waking up at their normal time is suddenly a problem. With patience and love, you can get through this, we promise!
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