4 Ways of Handling the End of Daylight Savings this Fall
It’s the beginning of fall and the days are getting shorter again. Your kids are back at school or daycare or maybe they are at home with you, but things are slowing down and you are back to a solid routine. The time change that comes with the end of daylight savings can feel overwhelming when you have little kids. In the fall, we turn the clocks back which means that 7 am becomes 6 am and 7 pm becomes 6 pm. If you have a baby that is used to getting up at 7 am, you may find that they are now awake at 6 am - at least for a few days or weeks. Many parents hope to avoid this and want to smoothly transition into wintertime. Here are four ways of handling the time change with little kids:
1. Move bedtime by 15 minutes every day
This option is ideal for young babies and toddlers that have trouble staying awake past their bedtime. You move your baby’s bedtime back by 15 minutes every day. Adjust naps and morning wake-up times accordingly. Your baby may be a bit more cranky than usual but try to stick to his or her schedule as closely as possible. Here is an example of how this would work for an 8-month-old that takes two naps a day.
Original schedule:
7 am: wake up
10 am - 11 am: nap 1
2.30 pm - 3.30 pm: nap 2
7 pm: bedtime
Schedule 3 days before time change:
7.15 am: wake up
10.15 am - 11.15 am: nap 1
2.45 pm - 3.45 pm: nap 2
7.15 pm: bedtime
Schedule 2 days before time change:
7.30 am: wake up
10.30 am - 11.30 am: nap 1
3 pm - 4 pm: nap 2
7.30 pm: bedtime
Schedule 1 day before time change:
7.45 am: wake up
10.45 am - 11.45 am: nap 1
3.15 pm - 4.15 pm: nap 2
7.45 pm: bedtime
Day of time change:
Back to original schedule
2. Move bedtime by 30 minutes the day before the time change
This is a great option for older kids that can’t just get up 30 minutes later because they need to be at school at a certain time. Older kids usually don’t mind staying up a bit later (they might even get excited) but it’s nice to help them cope with the time change by adjusting their bedtime in a two-step process. Here is an example of how this would work for a 6-year-old.
Original schedule:
7 am: wake up
8 pm: bedtime
Schedule 1 day before time change:
7.30 am: wake up
8.30 pm: bedtime
Day of time change:
Back to original schedule
3. Switch to an earlier bedtime
If your child has been struggling with waking up early and you suspect that they need more sleep and an earlier bedtime, this is your chance to use the time change to your advantage. Especially kids that transition from being at home or daycare to starting school and having to get up earlier than they want to can profit from the end of daylight savings. Here is an example of how this would work for an 8-year-old.
Original schedule:
6.30 am: wake up
9.00 pm: bedtime
On the day of the time change:
The end of daylight savings time is always on a Sunday, so if your kid gets to sleep a bit longer on the weekends, let them sleep until an hour before they would usually get up on a Sunday. Remember, we just moved the clocks back, so this will feel normal to them. That night, put them to bed 30 minutes to an hour earlier. Because of the time change, they will likely be tired an hour before their usual bedtime. The following day when they wake up at 6.30 am, it will feel like they have slept until 7.30 am.
New schedule:
6.30 am: wake up
8.15 pm: bedtime
4. Switch to a new schedule
This option is amazing because you don’t have to do any preparation. If you would like an earlier bedtime and an earlier wake-up time for your child, you can simply make these changes the day of the time change and your little one will adjust automatically. Maybe you just started a new job and having your little one wake up earlier so you avoid rushing them out of the house sounds ideal. Or maybe your baby sleeps so long that they don’t get to spend time with their siblings or other family members in the morning. Here is an example of how this would work for a 3-month-old:
Original schedule:
8.30 am: wake up
Following wake windows throughout the day
8.30 pm: bedtime
New schedule after time change:
7.30 am: wake up
Following wake windows throughout the day
7.30 pm: bedtime
Important dates to remember:
End of daylight savings in Europe and the UK: 30/10/2022
End of daylight savings in the US and Canada: 6/11/2022
Do you need more help with your child’s sleep? Just contact me!
