Daylight Saving Time: How to Get Baby Back on Schedule
You’ve finally gotten your little one used to some kind of sleep schedule. Yay!
And then, it happens: Daylight Saving Time ends or begins. (And yes, it’s “Saving” and not “Savings.” Who knew?) With that spring forward or fall back one hour, your baby’s sleep routine is thrown off. And that means yours is affected, too.
Don’t worry, mama. If you’re not living in one of the few states who don’t observe Daylight Saving Time, there are ways to get your baby’s internal clock back on schedule.
Spring forward: Daylight Saving Time begins
When the clocks spring forward for the beginning of Daylight Saving Time, you and your baby lose one precious hour of sleep. To prep your baby for the time change, try moving bedtime 10 to 15 minutes earlier each night for about 4 to 5 days.
So if you typically put your baby to bed around 8 pm, put her to bed at 7:45 pm the week before Daylight Saving begins. The next night, bedtime is 7:30 pm, and so on and so on. Your goal is to get bedtime as close to 7 pm as possible to make Daylight Saving less of a shock. If an earlier bedtime doesn’t seem to work, you can try moving wake up time earlier instead.
Fall back: Daylight Saving Time ends
In the fall, usually around early November, the clocks fall back one hour, meaning we get to enjoy a few more moments snuggling in bed. Sounds nice, right? It also means that your little one will probably wake up one hour earlier, too.
To get back on schedule, use the same approach that you used in spring, but reversed. About 4 to 5 days before Daylight Saving ends, push bedtime about 10 to 15 minutes later each night. If Baby goes to bed around 8 pm, set his bedtime at 8:15 the week before Daylight Saving ends. The next night, bedtime is at 8:30 pm. Before you know it, your kiddo will be used to falling asleep later.
Stick to a bedtime routine
If all else fails, take a deep breath and relax. You’ll get back to your usual routine eventually. It helps to stick to a consistent bedtime routine: a bath, bedtime stories, feeding, and rocking help your baby prepare for sleep.
Making your baby’s room as sleep friendly as possible can also make a big difference. That means dimming the lights, using a noise machine, and putting up blackout curtains if needed at bedtime. In the morning, expose your baby to natural light by going for a walk, opening up your blinds, or having breakfast outside.
It takes time for everyone to adjust to Daylight Saving. You might feel cranky or sluggish when the clock springs forward or falls back, so remember to give your little one (and yourself) a break if the routine doesn’t work. In time, you’ll adjust naturally.
Need more sleep tips? Sleep by Rachelle is a full-service sleep program tailored to the unique needs of each baby. Learn more about the Sleep by Rachelle method on our website!
