How to "Spring Forward" with Your Kids' Sleep

We’ve had a pretty mild winter in the Metro Detroit area, though it seems like pretty much all the snow has come in February. At least we’ve had some sunny days. I remember last year wondering if the sun was ever going to return! Days are getting longer, and I’m noticing it’s still light outside when I sign off work for the day, which means spring is right around the corner!

And good news – Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so it’s pretty much guaranteed that we’ll have an early spring, right? Well I guess that’s not guaranteed, but what is guaranteed is that Daylight Saving Time will start on Sunday, March 14th. *Sigh*

If it was up to me, Daylight Savings Time would not exist. It can have a negative effect on both adults and kids, and can increase our sleep debt – especially for kids whose body clocks operate better with a consistent structure/routine. That is usually why parents of little ones come to dread these time changes. It wreaks havoc on schedules, particularly when it relates to sleep. It not only affects children’s sleep patterns, but adults too. In fact, there is an 8% increase in traffic accidents the Monday after “Spring Forward” kicks in.

So how do I tell my clients how to handle Daylight Savings Time? I tell them to “split the difference.”

Bedtime

If bedtime used to be 7:00, for the first 4 nights, you will put your child to bed at 7:30 (which will actually feel like 6:30, a half hour earlier). On the fifth night and beyond, you will move to the correct time on the clock and put him to bed at 7:00.

Waketime

But what about early wakeups? If your child normally slept until 7am, she will likely now be waking up at 8 after the time change. If she is over the age of 2, and does not have an “ok to wake” clock in her bedroom, I recommend you get one. This is the one we have in our kids’ rooms (it turns green when they’re allowed to get up). For the first few days, set the clock back a half hour, so that at 8:00, it says 7:30, and let her get up a little later than normal. By the end of the week, she will be back on track sleeping until her normal wake-up time of 7am (just remember to set the clock back to the actual time around day 5).

If you have children over the age of two, you can put a digital clock in the room and put a piece of tape over the minutes, so that they can see if it’s 7:00, but they cannot see the minutes. Just set the clock back half an hour so that at 8:00, it says 7:30, and allow them to sleep a little later than normal, knowing that by the end of the week, they will be back on track and sleeping until their normal wakeup time.

If you are dealing with a baby, you can’t do that. Let’s say your child normally wakes at 7 (but that’s now actually 8). Each morning, you’ll want to get her up 10 minutes earlier to get her back to that 7:00 time. On the first day, you will get her up at 7:50, 7:40 the next day, then 7:30 the next day, and so on. By the end of the week, her schedule should be adjusted to the new time and she should be waking up at her usual hour.

Naptime

If naptime was usually 9:30, it’s now 10:00 (which will feel like 9:00, a half hour earlier). The same goes for the afternoon nap. If her nap used to be at 1:30, you will adjust it to 2:00 (which will feel like 1:00). Adjust naps to the correct times on day 4 and beyond (9:30 and 1:30). This will mean that your child is going to bed a little earlier or sooner than the normal wait between sleeps, but again, it’s not so much so that it’s going to interfere with her schedule too much. It may take her a bit more time to fall asleep, since she may not be as tired, but in a week’s time she will be back on track again.

If you want to get ahead of the game and have the flexibility in your schedule, you can start making adjustments to bedtime, waketime, and naptime a week in advance, starting this monday. Keep reading if that sounds like you!

Start by modifying bedtimes by 15 minutes every couple days. For example, if your child typically goes to bed at 7, move bedtime 15 minutes earlier to 6:45. A couple days later, bring bedtime another 15 minutes earlier to 6:30, then 6:15, and then 6 (which will technically be 7 once the time change happens). If you time it right, his body clock will make the transition easily and he’ll be back to a bedtime of 7 when DST goes into effect.

Take the same approach with waketimes and naptimes moving everything earlier by 15 minutes every couple of days until you’re back on the “normal” schedule after the time change.

Check out the calendar below if you’re more of a visual learner!

Keep in mind that it may take a week or two for your child’s body clock to get use to the time change, so be patient, and in the meantime, enjoy a few more snuggles each morning!