Nervous About Daylight Savings Time

We always had a horrible time when the kids were younger. I would dread the approaching time change. We did try to start shifting 2 nights earlier, by 15 minutes each night. It probably helped, but it is hard to not slip and to let bedtime routines start earlier. You look up at the clock and say Yikes! And then the morning wakeup time is often on the old schedule even when you adjust the night schedule. But trying to shift gradually is better than wham bam!

Start now adjusting the nap and bed time by a few minutes each day, by the time daylight savings time gets here you will already be on that schedule and the child will not know the difference.

I've tried it both ways...easing into it by 15 minute intervals and just keeping the same schedule and I've found it's easier to just keep the same schedule. Kinda like ripping off a band-aid I guess. But I do have black-out curtains in daughter's room so that probably helps too.
I agree, daylight savings is a beating. Whoever had the bright idea to do it did NOT have small children on a schedule.
Good luck! =)

my daughter never had an issue with it and i just kept the same times for everything

Make sure to bite the bullet and get up at the proper time right away. Letting everyone sleep in prolongs the agony. I just got a great alarm clock for my son that slowly generates light until it is fully bright right at the time the beep goes off, so there is a 1/2 hour ramp up. He now gets up promptly, very helpful in winter, northern latitudes and if you live at the margin of your time zone and often have dark mornings.

I had the same problem - my daughter's room got the west sun and it was a nightmare trying to get her to bed while the sun was still shining. Install some room darkening blinds and put insulated curtains/drapes over them. It was like midnight in there and the problem went away! I ended up doing the same thing in my son's room (he got the morning east sun - and was up at daylight) .... they saved my life! They're not expensive!

About the time we all got adjusted, it was time to change back - I REALLY hated that - I couldn't keep them awake long enough to finish dinner...it was dark by 6.

I wish they would just leave us on DS - and stop changing back and forth. I don't see what difference it makes if the kids are getting off the bus in the dark or getting ON the bus in the dark!

c

I always started adjusting bedtime by 15 minute intervals. A few days at 15 early or late (whichever time change), and so on. It takes a week or so, but doable.

We move the bedtime 15 mins per night leading up to the time change and it seems to work perfectly. Good luck!

B.
www.mamabeartales.com

I know what you mean! It really is no problem if you don't have a schedule that you have to keep to like having to have the baby up at a certain time or getting him up to pick up your kids. But if you do have to have things stay the same in terms of what the clock says, you can start transitioning to an earlier sleep time now. Do it gradually, you may even have to wake up your child a littl early to get them to fall asleep when you want. My son's birthday party is on daylight savings time...so I hear you!

A couple of weeks before change the nap and bed time in 15 min increments until the day of the change. I know I do the same thing with my furbabies and it makes a big difference.

I hate daylight savings time! It always takes about 2 weeks for everyone in our family to adjust. I just keep up with the familiar routine 9at the new time/0 until everyone has adjusted. Good luck!
~C.

They had something on Good Morning Texas on WFAA Tuesday morning about this. I believe they posted a link so you can either view the video or read the tips.

I haven't had any experience with this yet, but I did read that it's good to get your child out into the morning sun to help with the sleeping issues that can arise with the time change.

Start the week before and adjust 5 to 7 minutes each day. Don't do a hard reset. Bedtime is 5 minutes earlier a week before. Then it's 12 minutes earlier than the original bed time. Then the third day your are putting him to bed 20 minutes earlier, the fourth you are at 25 to 30 minutes earlier. The fifth day it's up to 35 to 40 minutes. You get the idea. You can also do this with naps, snacks for older children and any other activity that you think might upset the flow. We did this until the kids were about 6 years old.

I don't have children yet, but I'd say start naps and bedtimes starting today and increase the time period until they are almost on the right schedule. (So say they nap at 1pm, I'd lay them down at 5 til, then a couple of days later 10 til, then 15 or so until you're close.) See how that works? You may even want to increase the times from 5 mins to 10 mins early every time?

no issues with mine ever. we keep same bedtime and wake-up time.

Hi, I had the same issues with my girls with the first time change for them. My daughter was 6 months old when it changed in the fall, then she was almost one when it changed the next spring. What saved me was room darking blinds. Cuts out the early sun in fall and the last of the light in the spring evenings. Also the spring change had her getting up a little early the first week or so but was better after that. Try that. Also I didn't change her bedtime at all. I always keep it the same for the girls. Sleep schedule is so important. It affects so much for them developmentaly. I know if they don't get enough sleep they are hype, out of sorts and cranky.
Hope the blinds help.

I read in a sleep book recently that you should try to adjust nap and bed times in the week leading up to the change by 15 min. each day. I guess if you moved the times back 15 min. starting on Wed., by Sat. night they would be going to sleep an hour ealier than usual, but when the time changes they will be on track.

Am I saying that right?

This will be our first change that will really affect my daughter, so I'm starting to worry about it too!

Push everything forward 15 minutes every other day for the 8 days prior to the time change in the spring and then push everything back 15 minutes every other day for the 8 days prior to the time change in the fall. By the time the time changes, they are used to their new nap/bed times.

I do this for school starting, too. The week before, I push bedtime back 15 minutes a night.

The baby quite likely will maintain the same schedule before the change out of habit. Just keep to that. So if he slept at 1pm, just expect him to sleep at noon the old time or vice versa...these time changes mess me up too.