Tips for Parents on Helping Kids Adjust to Daylight Saving Time
The unfortunate news is that daylight saving time begins on March 12.
The brighter side is that this particular change is somewhat less troublesome than others.
“In my view, ‘spring forward’ is considerably better than ‘fall back,’” stated Katie Pitts, a certified pediatric sleep consultant and mother of two. “Nonetheless, it can still be quite a shock for our little ones.”
With additional sunlight in the evening and the potential for longer morning sleep, adjusting to “springing forward” can prove challenging.
However, before you resign to sleepless nights, consider these expert tips and advice from experienced parents on how to navigate the transition.
1. Treat it like jet lag
“Traveling from west to east is more challenging than going from east to west,” explained Dr. Judith Owens, a sleep medicine specialist. “This is because the human circadian rhythm is slightly longer than 24 hours, making it easier for us to stay awake longer than it is to fall asleep earlier compared to our regular bedtime.”
Owens recommends planning for at least one day per time zone changed to adjust to the new time shift, which indicates that the most significant impact will occur on Sunday night when children may struggle to fall asleep.
2. Energize them
On the Monday following the time change, Jacque Rogers Foster’s four children often have trouble waking up for school. To help them feel sufficiently tired for an earlier bedtime, Rogers Foster and her husband, based in Greenville, South Carolina, have devised a plan.
“We wear them out on Sundays,” Rogers Foster detailed. “No indoor activities – the kids enjoy the local children’s museum, playground until darkness falls, and trampoline play after dinner – so that they’ll go to bed earlier than usual.”
This approach certainly demands extra effort from parents as well, but the restful evening will make it worth it.
3. Adjust their schedule
If possible, start a few days ahead of time, as Nashville mom Alexandra Toppins does, to gradually adjust sleep schedules as needed.
“We try to start adjusting a few days to a week in advance, moving naps and bedtime forward in 15-minute increments every couple of days,” said Toppins, who also uses this strategy when traveling out of state with her young daughter. “You may not align perfectly with the time change, but you’ll be close, and the kids will adapt soon enough.”
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4. Invest in blackout curtains
“This time change tends to work in my favor,” remarked Courtney Wagner, a mom based in Amarillo, Texas. “My kids frequently sleep an extra hour for the first week – then they typically adjust naturally.”
However, bright light streaming into her children’s rooms at bedtime can sometimes cause issues.
“Invest in blackout curtains to prevent your children from resisting sleep when it’s still bright outside,” Wagner advised.
Many parents favor affordable paper shades like these, available at Amazon, which can be sized and easily stuck to windows.
Dr. Shalini Paruthi, co-director of the St. Luke’s Sleep Medicine and Research Center in Chesterfield, Missouri, also recommends keeping the sleeping environment dark and maintaining room temperatures between 65 and 72 degrees.
5. Compromise the timing
This approach involves parents adjusting the extra hour by shifting bedtime and naptime by 30 minutes later, easing their child into the new schedule.
“If nap time was at 9:30 a.m., shift it to 10 a.m. The same applies for the afternoon nap,” said Pitts. “Bedtime, originally at 7 p.m., would then be moved to 7:30 p.m.”
“This means your child will go to bed slightly earlier or wake up sooner than usual, but the changes won’t disrupt their overall routine significantly,” Pitts explained. “It might take them a bit longer to fall asleep since they may not feel as sleepy, but they will be back on track in about a week.”
By day four, parents can realign to their regular nap or bedtime.
“Have patience,” advised Pitts. “Rest assured that your child will readjust within a week or perhaps two.”
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Contributors to this article include Meghan Holohan and Sally Farhat Kassab. The original publication date was March 7, 2018.
