Daylight saving time is just around the corner, and if you're a parent like me, then you know that spells trouble for bedtimes and wake ups. While the rest of the world is enjoying their extra hour of sleeping, we are up with the sun, and our kids.
But just because we have littles at home doesn't mean we can't do everything we can to help them prepare for daylight saving, and there are a few pediatrician-backed tips that can help. From pushing bedtimes back little by little over the next few days to beefing up your bedtime routine with the right product, this is what you should be doing to prepare your kids for daylight saving time.
How do you prepare a baby or toddler for daylight saving time?
“Kids don't own watches, they have their internal clocks, and those clocks don't care what your phone says,” says Dr.
Michael Milobsky, a board-certified pediatrician and Pampers partner.
The key to helping your child adjust to daylight saving is to start well ahead of the fall back. In fact, you should be prepping your kids now but making slight adjustments to their routines. "In the four or five days before the time change, push bedtime, naps, and meals about 15 minutes later every day or so," says Milobsky. "By Sunday your child is already living on the new schedule, and the 'fall back' barely registers."
How to make daylight saving time easier
Despite all efforts to get that extra hour of sleep, you still might find yourself awake way too early this coming Sunday. If you want to give it your best go, these products might help your kids sleep in a little bit longer so that you can too:
- Wearable blanket: The HALO SleepSack serves as a familiar bedtime cue for your baby or toddler. "A HALO SleepSack wearable blanket can be a familiar “it's bedtime” cue while keeping loose blankets out of the crib," Milobsky says.
- Blackout curtains: Control bedroom light by installing blackout curtains. These will keep the light out so that your baby or toddler sleeps in later.
- Sound machine: A sound machine like the Hatch Rest will create a calming environment that will encourage your child to sleep peacefully.
- Toddler wake clock: To reinforce your family's desired morning routine, consider a toddler wake clock that uses visual cues to let your kiddo know when it's time to get out of bed.
- Diapers: If you're expecting a longer night, a diaper like Pampers Swaddlers can help prevent an overnight accident.
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4 easy ways to help your baby or toddler adjust to daylight saving time
Use morning light to help reset your child's schedule
“Light is the most powerful sleep medicine we have, and it's also free,” Milobsky says. Problem is, the sun will be up an hour earlier as we fall back.
To help reset their internal clock, Milobsky recommends getting your children out into the bright light and outside if you can. At night, keep your home calm and dim at least the hour before bedtime. "Morning light tells the brain 'the day has started,' and evening dimness tells it 'the night is coming,'" he says. "Do that for a week and the body will reset itself."
For the early hours of day, blackout curtains or shades can help keep the room dark, and a good nightlight or clock and supply a dim light. "For toddlers, an “OK to wake” clock can also help reinforce the new morning schedule," Milobsky says.
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Don't jump to pushing a later bedtime
Instead of pushing bedtime later, you should be focusing on getting to bed on time or even earlier. "This is the myth I correct most often in my office," Milobsky says. "Parents keep a baby up late hoping for a sleep-in, and they get a 5 a.m. wake-up instead."
If your baby or toddler is overtired, it can spell disaster for the next morning. "An overtired baby releases stress hormones that make sleep lighter and more broken, not deeper." says Milobsky. This can even lead to an earlier wake time, or a rough day over all. "Counterintuitive as it sounds, an earlier bedtime is often the fix for early mornings," he says.
Stick to your bedtime routine
Although you should slowly start to adjust bedtimes to get your kids ready for the time change, you shouldn't uproot their bedtime routines. Keep everything in it's regular order, like dinner, bath, reading and bedtime, to make the transition as seamless as possible. An 'okay-to-wake' toddler clock can help streamline this process.
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Use a sound machine to create a calm sleep environment
I use a sound machine in both of my kids' rooms, and even in my own. I love how the soft noise lulls you to sleep, and keeps you in restful slumber all night long. If you're thinking about putting one in your baby or toddler's sleep space, now might be the time.
"To help keep household sounds from interrupting sleep, a sound machine like the Hatch Rest can provide gentle background noise that can be placed away from the crib and kept at a low volume," Milobsky says.
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How long does it take kids to adjust to daylight saving time?
Milobsky says it can take four or five days for your child to adjust to daylight saving, but it can take as few as three days and as much as a week for the new schedule to set in.
The key tip: Be patient, your child will adjust to the time.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to prepare your baby for daylight saving time, according to a pediatrician
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