Daylight Savings + Baby Sleep

Ahhh…the sweet sound of calm and quiet in the morning. Your wee one is finally on a solid schedule – rising about the same time every day – and sleeping strong! What could possibly wreak havoc on this rock-solid routine?

Well other than teething and sickness (which we obviously cannot predict!) there’s the pesky problem of Daylight Savings Time to consider. Personally, I’d rather they just nix the whole premise…clearly someone without a baby came up with this plan! Am I right?

Sunday November 4.

It’s finally here! The day every parent-of-an-incredibly-early-rising-baby-or-toddler dreams of…NOT. The end of Daylight Savings Time!

If you’re wondering why that bleary-eyed mom sitting in the cubicle next to you is pulling out her hair, or the dad in the carpool lane beside you is tossing back coffee like its nobody’s business, it’s because their little early-rising angels at home are about to rise even earlier this weekend – at least by an extra hour! So much for sleeping in…

When faced with the dreaded end of Daylight Savings Time each autumn – when clocks “Fall Back” and many babies now start their days at 5 a.m., or earlier! – remember that most people require up to one full week to adjust to any time change, and children are no exception. Try not to expect too much from your little ones as they adjust to the new time.

Try these tips to help with the transition:

  • For the first three days of the time adjustment, bump naps and bedtime backward by 30 minutes. I.e. if your child normally naps at 12 p.m., push the nap to 11:30 a.m. – since for the child it will feel like 12:30 p.m. If bedtime is normally at 7 p.m., push it to 6:30 p.m. This is to help them gradually shift their internal clocks.
  • After three days, return to the normal schedule.

And, if your little one’s early-rising habits return after that Daylight Savings Time adjustment has ended, head over to the Mabelhood check out our top tips for ending early wakes!