Daylight Saving Time (DST) is right around the corner and like most parents right now, you’re starting to feel nervous about how your little one will transition. Danyale Washington, local Certified Sleep Consultant and owner of UnpackedfulParenting, is here to help you (and your little) navigate the time change!
Slowly Change Sleep Times
Thankfully, most phone calendars let us know when the time change occurs. If you can, I recommend beginning to adjust the sleep schedule the week before the time change will occur (typically Sunday), so you can start adjusting the Sunday/Monday before. You can do small increments such as 10 minutes per day. For example, in the case of “springing forward,” you would start putting your child(ren) to bed 10 minutes earlier each night. If bedtime is normally at 7:30pm, you would begin an earlier bedtime of 7:15pm/7:20pm on the first night. Bedtime on the second night would be 7:00pm/7:10pm, and so on until you are a full hour behind (or ahead) by the time the change happens on the following Sunday/weekend.
You can adapt this method with flexibility depending on your family’s needs. For example, if you are only going to change the schedule for the last three days, you would do 20 minutes or so each night to make it to DST. However, especially with young children or children who do not adapt to change easily, a gradual approach may be preferred.
The Same Goes for Meals and Nap Times
Adjustment goes for every part of the day, especially if you do have a set schedule for your family during the day or if your child(ren) have a set schedule due to school and/or daycare. The key is consistency with all daily routines, including meal times and naps. We want to decrease the “shock” to their bodies! You may find that they get hungrier earlier (during spring forward) or not as hungry as “usual” (during fall back) as well. You can alleviate this with healthy snacks while they adjust.
Prepare for that extra light in the evenings during spring forward! If you do not have blackout curtains, I highly recommend buying them! This will help eliminate the bedtime debate of it being light outside and aid in signaling the body to sleep by eliminating the amount of light in their sleeping areas!
Pro tip: if your child starts to complain because they think it is too early for bed due to extra daylight, it can help to start teaching them how to look at the clock (if they don’t know how already) and recognize the time for bed rather than the amount of light. You can also utilize “wake to sleep” clocks such as the Hatch night light, which allows you to set “programs” and can turn on or change color when it is time to go to sleep and/or wake up!
Get Out (and Soak Up) That Extra Sunlight
Typically by spring, we are yearning to get outside after the winter months/season. Not only will getting out and getting your daily dose of vitamin D positively impact your mood and mental health, it also helps with sleep! The more children (and adults) are out and exposed to sunlight the more energy we burn which can make us more tired in the evenings–but not too tired because contrary to popular belief, an overtired child is more difficult to get to sleep!
You may notice in the fall that getting your baby or toddler to bed can be less of an issue as our bodies think it’s later. However, for those with early risers, you can find yourself up with your child(ren) in the wee hours of the morning. Be sure to let them know that it’s still bedtime (at least until 6 a.m.) with the “wake to sleep” clocks mentioned previously and/or by setting verbal reminders and letting your child stay in their bed/crib until the appropriate time.
All in all, allow for flexibility and compassion with your child and yourself as you all adjust to the time change. For some, it can take little to no time, and for others, it can take longer. Just know that eventually it will all even out–it may just be longer than we would like! Steady the course and ride the wave…the waters will calm!
About Danyale:
Danyale Washington is a parenting and early childhood expert, mindset coach, and motivational speaker located in Chicago, IL. She created UnpackedfulParenting where the mission is to “unpack” all that comes with caring for children (the shame, the guilt, myths, truths, etc) and manifesting and creating the impact we as caregivers want to have on the children in our lives. She focuses on working on and through caregivers to ensure they are getting what they need in order to have the surplus they need to be able to meet the needs of their children! She provides one-on-one coaching, workshops, and trainings for parents, caregivers, and childcare professionals across various child-rearing components such as potty training, behavior management, sleep, and more! You can find her at unpackedfulparenting on all social media. Her website is www.partnerforparents.com. If you'd like to discuss how she can support you or your organization, you can do so by booking a discovery call here.
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