With the end of daylight savings time coming up, many of us will have an extra hour of sleep to look forward to. But parents of little ones start to worry about how the time change will affect their child's sleep schedule.
Unfortunately, our children's biological clocks don't automatically change with our household clocks, leaving it up to us to help them adjust. But have no fear, there are several ways to help them make the transition without too much disruption to their current schedule!
Here are five ways to prepare your child leading up to the end of daylight saving time:
1. Prepare by shifting you child's entire sleep schedule forward.
To prepare for the "fall" back, you can move your child's sleep schedule later (10-15 min each night) over the week prior. This includes awake time, naps and bedtime. This will also help to prevent your child from becoming over-tired which can affect both the daytime and nighttime sleep cycles.
2. Anticipate early rising—and be prepared.
If you're moving bedtime later, hopefully your child isn't still waking early, but it is possible this can happen since anytime there is a shift in sleeping patterns, our cycles can feel a bit off. If your child wakes early, try allowing them time in their crib/room to hang out (assuming they don't get upset) and encourage that independent time before getting them up. Make sure the room is completely dark in the morning and that sunlight isn't causing early morning risings.
If your child is a bit older you may want to communicate the change and invest in an okay-to-wake clock which gives the green light once it's time to get up for the day.
3. Be mindful of exposure to sunlight + darkness through the day and evening.
Our body's internal sleep cycles (circadian rhythm) are regulated by light and darkness and heavily influenced by our environment. This is why we often become sleepy once it starts to get dark and many of us wake up with the sun. You can help your child's 24-hour sleep cycle by exposing her to light once you get her up in the morning and throughout the day, with her last sun exposure around 4 pm. If your child's bedtime is typically later (as in past 8 pm), you may want to consider moving it up slightly since her body will likely become tired earlier as a natural result of having darkness earlier.
4. Get enough sleep before the time change.
If possible, hold off on sleepovers or any major travel before we "fall back." While you can't necessarily deposit sleep into a bank to accrue, lack of sleep can result in chronic over-tiredness which will further the challenge in adjusting to a new sleep schedule. The more rested your child is leading up to this transition, the better!
5. Be patient and try not to worry.
As we all know, the effects of sleep deprivation impact the entire family. Children are just as confused about the time change as we are, and although our bodies will adjust naturally (eventually), some have a harder time than others. If you notice meltdowns become a bit more frequent after the time change, try and remember that lack of sleep could be the culprit. Set aside more quiet time and maybe even an extra nap while you all try to adjust to this new season.
Just remember, you'll get through this time and try not to worry or change anything drastically in order to over-correct sleep. Each year we go through this shift and each year we adjust so remind yourself that it is just another season!
