Spring forward: Child sleep tips for the daylight saving time transition

[March 08, 2014]  CHICAGO — Yep, it's that time again! Right when your kids were finally sleeping well, we get to throw another wrench into their system and change their schedule … again. But, since daylight saving time happens twice a year, we are knowledgeable, we will prepare for it, and we will get on with it!

Susie Parker, certified child sleep consultant and founder of Sleep Baby Love, shares some facts about daylight saving time and tips for your child's sleep schedule.

Daylight saving time starts on Sunday at 2 a.m. We will spring forward!

Here are some fun facts about daylight saving time:

• There are many areas of world that either no longer follow daylight saving time or never have.

• In Europe, daylight saving time starts on March 30, later in the month than U.S. daylight saving time.

• The idea of daylight saving time was originated in 1784 by Benjamin Franklin, but it wasn't adapted in the U.S. till 1918, mostly to preserve coal during World War I (thanks, Wikipedia).

What does it mean to spring forward?

On Sunday, the former 6 a.m. is 7 a.m. — and 6 p.m. becomes 7 p.m. In Parker's opinion, this is the better of the two daylight saving times — since early risers will actually wake up a bit later — even if it's just because of some clock magic and even if it only lasts a day or two. And parents get an extra hour of sleep, assuming the children go along with the plan to sleep an hour too. This is the time of year when it will stay darker in the morning and lighter at night.

There are two ways to handle the transition of daylight savings time: do nothing or take action:

Do nothing:

Sleep is regulated by our circadian rhythm, or body clock, which is affected by darkness and light. If you put your child to bed at their normal time, technically they might wake up at their normal time in the morning, even though by the clock it's an hour later. You could put your child down for their naps later by half an hour, and by the end of the day or within a couple of days, your child should be adjusted to the new schedule.

Here are some helpful tips for the adjustment:

• A shot of light in the morning will help adjust your child's body clock. Open your curtains and let light in.

• Since it will be brighter at night, use blackout shades to help keep the light out.

• Keep your routine and schedule the same — offer the same nap and bedtime routine to signal to your child that it is time to sleep.

• If your toddler uses a tot clock, you can set the new wakeup time an hour later with the plan that they will stay in their room until the clock turns green (this requires a discussion of expectations in advance).

As great as a later bedtime and wakeup schedule sounds, usually after a few days your child will revert to their old schedule without doing anything (just like we adjust when traveling to a new time zone).

Take action:

To help ease into the transition leading up to daylight savings time, you can slowly adjust your child's schedule. Over the course of the week, you can start shifting your child's schedule later by 15 minutes every three days. So a nap at 9 a.m. will start at 9:15 a.m. and so on. By the end of the week, your child's bedtime will be close to an hour later, so when daylight savings time rolls around you will have already adjusted to the new time change.

Go about your normal schedule:

Regardless of the strategy you choose, it is only a matter of time until your child is back to their normal schedule. Keep in mind that:

• A well-rested child will be readily able to adapt to the time change.

• If you find that your child is extra-affected by the time change, do your best to get back to your normal schedule. Get out of the house in the morning to get your child active, and offer relaxing activities in the afternoon.

• Within a week (two weeks maximum), you should be over the hill of the daylight savings time adjustment — just get ready to do it again in another six months.

___

Susie Parker is a certified infant and child sleep consultant and the founder of Sleep Baby Love. To find many other sleep tips, tricks and advice, like Sleep Baby Love's Facebook page as Parker attempts to rid the world of sleepless families. She offers many sleep consulting services — via phone, email and Skype — aimed to teach your child to love sleep. She can be reached for questions at [e-mail] or 847-834-9216.

To learn more about Family Sleep Institute, go to http://www.myprgenie.com/company/profile/
family-sleep-institute.

[Text from news release from MyPRGenie for the Family Sleep Institute]