Time Change – Reduce the Impact on Your Child’s Sleep

Spring forward! This Sunday, March 8, 2015, the clocks will Spring Forward!!! I can hear all the parents of early risers rejoicing now! I can also hear the panic in some people’s voices. Arghh Time Change.

Often the time change can impact your child’s sleep.  This time change usually has more of a positive impact than negative impact.  The biggest change that we will see is more daylight.  Blackout blinds will be your friend.

How do you prepare for the time change?

The best thing you can do is carry on like you usually do and make sure your child’s room is quite dark.

How will this time change impact your child’s sleep?

Your child may sleep in longer!  (Yippee!!)

How do you get their sleep back on track?

If you want to keep your child on their current schedule you could wake them up at their usual wake time.  I would suggest that you do this as naturally as possible as children waking up are not happy.  By naturally, I mean open up the black out blinds or curtains, turn off their white noise, turn on the hall light and open their door.

If you choose not to wake your child up (this is the one I will choose), I suggest that you keep in mind that child may not be ready for sleep at their regular time.  They will naturally be ready for sleep an hour later than their regular sleep time.  You can start to get them back to their regular schedule by moving their bedtime and naps 15 minutes back.

For example:  Our son usually goes to sleep at 7:00 PM this Sunday he may not be ready for sleep until 8:00 PM.  We will have his bedtime (lights out) at 7:45 PM.  Then every few days we will move the back another 15 minutes until we get to the desired time.

Another thing you can do to reduce the effect this time change has on your child’s sleep is to take advantage of the outside and get your child moving lots.  This will increase their ability to go to sleep “early” on Sunday which really will be their regular sleep time.

Have fun and enjoy the weekend!

Happy sleeping, everyone!