Managing Daylight Savings Time - “Spring Forward” - and your child’s routine
Confused about how to adjust your baby or child’s daily routine with the time change this Sunday? I can help!
Here is a step-by-step outline for how to handle "Spring Forward" this Sunday, March 10:
1. Do NOTHING to prepare. Yep, you heard me right! Not the usual Rooted in Routine way, but in this instance, you truly don’t have to.
2. On Sunday (day of the time change), we "spring forward" an hour. This means that we lose an hour in our day. Sunday will have 23 hours. When our body feels like it is 7:00am, the new time on the clocks will say 8:00am.
3. Expect that your baby or child will wake up "late" on Sunday. This is because their body will naturally wake up at their normal time, but the clocks will now be one hour later. For example, if your baby typically wakes up at 7:00am, they will likely wake up around 8:00am (on the new clocks), but will have gotten the same amount of sleep.
4. Shift your child's entire schedule later by 30-60 minutes on Sunday.This is because their body will feel tired "later", since we lost an hour in the day. By shifting their schedule, you help match their naps/bedtime to when their body is likely to feel tired and be ready to sleep.
Here are some examples:
5. On Monday, your child should wake up a bit closer to their normal time. If not, it's okay! Regardless, plan to shift their entire schedule only 15-30 minutes later (for each nap and for bedtime) on Monday. This helps bring you closer to their normal routine.
6. By Tuesday or Wednesday, they should be back on their normal routine! Remember, some children adjust easier to sleep schedule changes than others. Be patient and know that they WILL adjust.
*Note: If you actually prefer a later "summer schedule" (8:00pm-8:00am overnight sleep, for example), or you previously had a chronic early-riser, then you can simply not do as much adjusting so that their “new” schedule remains. However, typically after a few weeks, they will re-adjust to their normal baseline.
7. Remember, let your child get outside as much as possible on Sunday (as well as on Monday and Tuesday!) Exposure to natural sunlight helps reset the body's circadian rhythms and can help make these schedule shifts easier.
Remember, this is not a perfect science. Some children are more sensitive to sleep changes than others. Do your best to observe your individual child and take their individual needs into account. Your routine may look a bit messy for a few days, but they WILL adjust!
Questions on Daylight Savings and your child’s routine? Comment below!