Oh, fall! That blissful time of year with comfy sweaters, crisp leaves, and warm drinks (just kidding most of us are parents). I personally love this time of year no matter where in the country I’ve lived. There is something about that time of year just after the summer craziness, but before the holiday rush sets in, that is very calming. In addition to fall traditions of going to pumpkin patches, bobbing for apples, and picking out Halloween costumes we also have to get ready for daylight savings time ending.
Try to think about daylight savings time similar to a sleep regression, but this one you can plan ahead for! When else do we get to plan ahead for the potential for less sleep…..probably only in the newborn days as you are packing your hospital bag.
As parents sometimes we dread change (don’t worry sleep professionals do too), especially when you’ve just settled into a routine that seems to be working why would you ever want to mess with that?! I’ve got you, no need to add any more stress to these days! The benefit is that you get to choose what works for your family, plan ahead or plan after the fact- both will result in restored sleep for your family.
Here are the top 3 things to make time change run smoothly!
- Make sure your little one already has the desired wake time before time change even occurs. So if your child is waking at 5 am- that’s soon 4 am, no thank you! If you have tried everything and nothing is working consider my purchasing my ebook which includes all the ways to solve early morning awakenings!
- The main things that affect our sleep rhythms are light and meal times. Expose your child to natural sunlight soon after waking in the morning or if the clock says it’s too early to wake then keep them in their crib/bed/darkness until close to the desired wake time using your go to sleep training methods if needed. These things help reset the circadian rhythm, signaling that it’s time to be awake or asleep, even though the clock has shifted.
- In regards to meals, even if it’s dark out try to keep dinner at the similar time from night to night so your kid’s stomach body clock can help reset the one in their heads.
Adjusting before the time change
See below on how to adjust your little one’s sleep schedule about a week before the time change (starting about Tuesday 10/28). By no means will your child follow the times to a T, but it will adjust their body slowly rather than a whole hour at once. Basically, imagine how travel goes when changing time zones, this is very similar. When you are traveling you can decide whether you really want to adjust your child’s schedule, but with the time changing back to standard time it’s going to happen ( unless you live in Arizona, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico). This schedule will allow you to make some adjustments prior to your iPhone on Sunday, November 2nd, 2025.
Adjusting after the time change
Are you more of a “roll by the seat of your pants” kind of parents? Or maybe your kiddo attends daycare/school and you can’t adjust your child’s schedule the week prior. Even though the clocks have already changed, you can slowly adjust your child’s bedtime and wake-up times over the next few days. For example, if your child is waking up too early, still try to keep nap time within a similar time. If nap time is usually 9:30 am make it 9 am for a few days and then jump back to the normal 9:30 am after a few days. Do that same shifting for other naps and bedtimes too!
You may think “my child can’t tell time” and sure that may be true for itty bitty babes, but toddlers are smarter than we think! If you haven’t yet started using a toddler clock then this is a great time to do so. I typically find that babies starting between 15-18 months can start to learn color systems really well. We say “red when it’s time for bed” because this is a visual cue AND because red light is the best overnight sleep light because it doesn’t affect our melatonin nearly as strongly. Then when it’s time to wake in the morning we say “green means get up and GO”! Want to learn more about toddler clocks? Check out my YouTube video all about it!
Need more than schedule help? If you book with me now you’ll get my support through time change!! You know I’m always just a call away to support your parenting and sleep journey! Book a free discovery call here
