Daylight savings time (DST) starts in a couple weeks and nothing sucks more than losing an hour of sleep. You’re dysregulated, the kids are dysregulated, everyone and their mom is dysregulated; it’s not a fun time.

According to a Better Sleep Council survey, 29% of all parents reported they disliked the Spring Forward time change. Once bedtimes and sleep routines are thrown off, everyone chimes in on how the practice is no longer necessary. It’s challenging enough to reset our kid’s circadian rhythm after summer break and again when DST ends. Now we must do it again, but with a time loss. Kudos to Arizona and Hawaii for staying out of the whole thing…

The implementation of daylight savings time was intended to make use of as much daytime possible and save energy in the early 1900s. While daylight savings time is a human construct, standard time is determined by science. Standard time is local time (based in beautiful Greenwich, London) and is influenced by the earth’s position in relation to the sun, resulting in different time zones. So, while we set our clocks ahead or behind an hour, it doesn’t alter time itself or for the rest of the world. Because our circadian rhythm is environmentally influenced (how much light or dark is present), the time change messes with our internal clock for about 1-2 weeks while we adjust.

Curb Your Sleep Deprivation

We are most vulnerable to sleep deprivation during the transition from standard to daylight savings time. Research has found that the average person receives 40 minutes less sleep on the Monday after Spring Forward compared to other nights of the year. While your kids might wake up fine and complain about how it’s still light out at bedtime, you are struggling to reach for the coffee pot. Here are some common suggestions to curb its effects on your kids:

• Gradually shift their bedtime schedule. Four nights before DST, move your child’s bedtime 15 minutes earlier each night. For instance, if it’s lights out at 8pm, bedtime will be 7:45pm. The next night, it will be 7:30pm, and so on. When the clock moves ahead on Sunday, their bedtime will be back at 8pm. You can also apply this to dinnertime as well to help get into the early time vibe. This can work but often parents just forget, kinda like flossing. Thus, here’s a blog post reminder with time to spare…
  
  
• Stay consistent with good sleep hygiene. The sleep cues embedded into their nightly routine (brushing teeth, putting on pjs, reading a book, etc) will be helpful as you alter their sleep time. Also really make sure those curtains are blackout.
  
  
• Use an “OK to Wake” clock. These clocks provide toddlers and young children with a visual or audio cue to let them know if it is an appropriate time to wake up. Many use a combo of light and sound that can be customized to their sleep routine, which can be super helpful when adapting to the new time. You can also have their room lights on a smart timer or dimmer.
  
  
• Set clocks ahead. If you have watches or clocks that must be manually adjusted, change the time on Saturday afternoon. This will give you the visual cue to get to bed a little earlier.
  
  
• Go outside. Outdoor play does a lot of good for kids. Not only will it help expend some energy out but can also reset their circadian rhythm to acclimate to the new time frame. Going outside is also a common remedy for jetlag, another time thief.
  
  
• Let them take a short nap, if they must. When we say naps, we mean like under 30 minutes. Try to time it in the early afternoon (1-3pm) as that is when energy levels are at their lowest during the day.

Last year’s research for our Circadian Rhythm post really inspired this one about DST. That one hour has a huge effect on the body and it’s hit us especially hard the last few years. Good luck!

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