Daylight saving time ends this year on November 3. It is common for people to change their clocks and their schedules on this day, “falling backward” for the purpose of utilizing our daylight time to the fullest. However, when it comes to a child’s sleep structure, it may be helpful to begin the shift sooner rather than later.
Sleep is critical to all aspects of our health. It especially contributes to our mood and ability to react to our circumstances. Over the past 8 months, our body’s circadian rhythm has adjusted to our regular sleep schedule. A circadian rhythm is a biological and internal process that regulates our sleep cycle. When this cycle is interrupted, we are at a greater risk of mood disturbances. Although we can overcome this interruption by taking the first week to adjust to the time change, children may benefit from a gradual time change, which can help to avoid negative behavior due to a lack of sleep or oversleeping.
Experts suggest that the best way for a child to avoid the negative effects of interrupting their circadian rhythm due to Daylight Savings Time, is by putting them to bed and waking them up incrementally later prior to the day of Daylight Savings Time. This can look different for every child so find what works best for your family.
An example of this is if my child’s usual bedtime is 8:00 pm you would want to spend the next couple of days prior to Daylight Savings Time pushing their bedtime forward by 15 minutes. A schedule for this could look like:
Wednesday – 8:00 Pm
Thursday-8:15 Pm
Friday- 8:30 Pm
Saturday- 8:45 Pm
Sunday- 8:00 Pm
This schedule will help ensure that they have adjusted with minimal impact on their sleep cycle. If your child needs longer to adjust, it is also suggested that they start earlier in the week, moving their schedule back by 10 or 15-minute increments.
If you notice that your child’s sleep has been thrown off by daylight saving time, and this method did not help, or you do not have time to prepare, Here are some other suggestions to help get their sleep back on track!
This will help let your child know when bedtime is getting close by having them do things that are in their normal bedtime routine. Things like bath time, brushing teeth, and reading a book are good examples of this. Avoid doing anything new or that will stimulate them while trying to get them to sleep.
Try to keep the room dark by using blackout curtains. Because we are falling back, it will get brighter earlier in the morning. Having curtains that block out light will help prevent your child from getting up too early and throwing off their sleep schedule. Additionally, if there are lots of other noises and they are struggling to fall asleep, look into getting a sound machine.
Throughout the day it might be a good idea to monitor your child’s naps leading up to and after daylight savings time. Try and make sure that they are not taking naps too late in the day or for long periods of time close to bedtime. This could lead to them going to bed later than their bedtime.
While it can be frustrating to have disturbances in your child’s sleep schedule, it should only be for a few days to a week. Try to be compassionate and understanding with your child as they may be more moody during this time.
Encouraging your child to move around or planning activities that are going to help them use energy will help bedtime go smoother. Normally they should start to wind down about two hours before bed.
If you try all of these options above and your child is still struggling with sleep, consult your child’s doctor about what the next steps should be.
However you choose to help your child adjust to Daylight Savings Time, it is important to remember that their sleep is a big factor in their behavioral display. Avoiding an abrupt change in their sleep schedule will help their mood and reactivity to better adjust to the time change.
