Springing ahead. It's that time again.
We’re back. Every 6 months or so, usually about the time you’ve got the kids’ schedules down pretty well, we here in the United States (except Arizona and Hawaii, you lucky ducks) move the clocks by an hour. Every few years or so, I’ll look it up and read about why we do it – farmers and energy use and blah blah blah. It still doesn’t make sense to me!Â
But before having a baby, I remember it as a mild inconvenience -“My weekend is an hour shorter – poor me!” Those old days when losing just one hour of sleep on the weekend was something to worry about (if only!). Now, I’m watching Daylight Saving Time creep up the calendar wondering how long it will take us to get back to our “perfect” schedule.
The good news this time around is that the Spring Forward tends to be easier than the Fall. For those of you with Early Risers (usually anyone up before 6:00), this is actually a GOOD THING! If you’re little guy is waking up before 6:00, on Sunday he will naturally be waking up an hour later because of the clock change. You don’t have to do anything except move his schedule forward and hour by the clock. Super easy and that should prevent some of those super early morning wake ups (goodbye 4:00am mornings!)
There are a few general tips that everyone can do to make the transition easier.
1. Go outside! Getting some sun exposure will help the kids’ bodies naturally acclimate to the new time change and help reset their circadian rhythms (to tell them when to be asleep and when to be awake).
2. BE ACTIVE – The thing about moving the clocks earlier is that it still feels an hour early to our kiddos. Since they don’t know or care about the clock, when we put them down for bed at 7:00, it’s still going to feel like 6:00 to them. One way to combat this is to have some really active days following the time change. Go run around outside, visit family, or try some new activities you haven’t done in a while. Doing stimulating things during the day will help them be more ready for their “early” bedtime.
There is an easy option for those who have a “laid back sleeper.” This is the type of child who can miss a nap or take a vacation and get right back into his schedule without too much drama. Usually families have a mix of sensitive sleepers and these more go-with-the-flow sleepers. For these easy going sleepers, you can just Do Nothing. Yep, you read it right.
It’s exactly what it sounds like. You continue your regular schedule on Saturday. Then Saturday night you set the clocks an hour earlier. Sunday morning you just wake your child at the usual time by the clock. If he’s usually up at 6:30, then 6:30 it is. It will feel an hour earlier to him so you might have to wake him up. I did just say to wake up a sleeping child, but you will thank me when they are back to their regular schedule in just a few days!
If you are a working mom with a set schedule or you have a little bit more of a sensitive sleeper, then there is an option for you as well. It’s just shifting the schedule by half an hour later on Sunday and then back to regular schedule on Monday. Check out the sample schedule below.
By shifting it a half hour later, you are allowing your child a couple of days to acclimate to the new time. To them, Sunday’s schedule will still feel a half hour early, and Monday’s schedule will feel a half hour earlier than that. However, it is easier than adjusting the full hour at once. This can help make the adjustment while maintaining a consistent schedule during the weekdays for working families.
Now if you have a sensitive sleeper, this next one if for you. (If you have a sensitive sleeper, I’m sure you are aware of this already – a shortened nap throwing off the whole day, an early morning rising leading to days off schedule, vacations taking extended time to come back from…. you understand.) For this kind of sleeper, I would recommend slowly adjusting their schedule by 15 minute increments starting on Thursday before Daylight Saving Time. Look at the sample schedule below.
Your eyes do not deceive you – on that sample schedule, you would be waking the child up at 5:45 on a Saturday. That does seem crazy, but is it as crazy as potentially 2 weeks of “drama” to get back on track? That’s a personal choice. This slow, 15 minute push will allow your child to slowly adjust to the new time change, 15 minutes each day. If you have a sensitive sleeper and some flexibility in your schedule, it is worth consideration.
Despite all your best efforts, it may still take a few days (possibly up to 2 weeks) for your child to fully adjust to the time change. It’s really important to remain consistent in your bedtime routines and sleep strategies during this time. Uphold your expectations and boundaries in the normal, loving and consistent way and you will be back to your “perfect” schedule soon.