WHEN DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS
For those of you who live in a place where our clocks change every spring and fall, it is almost time for the fall time change where Daylight Savings Time ends and our clocks will “fall back” where 7:00AM becomes 6:00AM. You can prepare or not, depending on how sensitive your child is to timing changes and what you feel best about being consistent with.
I know people can worry a lot about this time change, but I have been through this enough and seen enough families go through it that I feel confident in saying it’s going to be fine. It can take a few days, but we can get through it.
With whatever you do, keeping them in the dark until the new “normal” Out of Crib/Bed time on the day of the time change (or the next day, if you prefer) is key in helping to reset our little ones’ bodies’ sleep-wake needs. For example, if they are normally up at 7:00AM but they wake up at 6:00AM on the day of the time change (because that is 7:00AM on the “old clock” before the time change), aim to keep them in their dark sleep space until 7:00AM or as close as you can get them. Comfort them as needed, such as using your sleep training method, checking in on them, or even holding them in the dark, but keep the lights off if you can. Exposure to light is key for sleep-wake needs.
Here are some options for handling the time change:
Option 1: Gradual Shift
What To Do: Shift their schedule by 15 minutes later every 1-2 days in the week before the time change
How To Do It:
Have their morning Out of Crib/Bed time (OOC/B) be 15 minutes later than usual. (If they wake earlier, offer them comfort as needed but keep the lights off until the new OOC/B time.)
Follow their wake windows for the day or have by-the-clock naps and bedtime be 15 minutes later than normal.
Repeat every 1-2 days until their morning OOC/B time is 1 hour later than usual (ideally this will happen the day before the time change). Then when they wake on the day of the time change, their OOC/B time will be when you wake them up on the new clock.
Option 2: Fast Shift
What To Do: Shift their schedule by 30 minutes later the day before the time change
How To Do It:
Have their morning Out of Crib/Bed time (OOC/B) be 30 minutes later than usual the day before the time change. (If they wake earlier, offer them comfort as needed but keep the lights off until the new OOC/B time.)
Follow their wake windows for the day or have by-the-clock naps and bedtime be 30 minutes later than normal. By having their OOC/B time be their normal time on the “new clock,” it will be 30 minutes later than the day before.
As in Step 1, if they wake early, comfort if needed but keep them in the dark until “normal” OOC/B time.
Option 3: Do Nothing
What To Do: Don’t prepare. Have their OOC/B time be normal on the “new clock”
How To Do It:
Set all household clocks, including any okay to wake clocks, to the new time (1 hour earlier) the night before the time change.
When their normal Out of Crib/Bed time (OOC/B) comes, such as 7:00am (which was 8:00am before the time change on the “old clock”), get them up. (If they wake earlier, offer them comfort as needed but keep the lights off until the new OOC/B time.)
Follow their wake windows for the day or have by-the-clock naps and bedtime be at their regular times on the “new clock.”
PSST. This option is my favorite. And if your child is an early riser, Option 4 can be useful.
Option 4: Shift After
What To Do: Shift their schedule later the days after the time change
How To Do It:
On the time change Sunday, let them wake up at their normal time (e.g., 6:00am on the “new clock,” which was 7:00am before the time change).
Every 1-2 days, have their morning Out of Crib/Bed time (OOC/B) be 15-30 minutes later than the day before. (If they wake earlier, offer them comfort as needed but keep the lights off until the new OOC/B time.)
Follow their wake windows for the day or have by-the-clock naps and bedtime be 15-30 minutes later than the day before. Continue until they are back to their normal OOC/B time on the “new clock” (e.g., 7:00am).
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