Daylight Savings begins March 13, 2016. We will all lose one hour of sleep as we move our clocks forward one hour (hint = spring forward)! The lost hour can be especially hard on children. Follow the tips below to help make the Daylight Savings Transition a little easier.
- Transition into the time difference gradually – Get your kids up and put them to bed 15 minutes earlier every day leading up to Daylight Savings Day. Taking baby steps toward the earlier day will make the transition a little bit easier to bear.
- Add a nap into the day – Adding an afternoon nap for a few days will help your and your children’s bodies adjust to the time difference a little bit quicker. If your kids are already napping, let them sleep a little bit longer than normal for a few days. Just make sure it isn’t too close to their bed time or yours.
- Keep your normal number of sleep hours – It might be hard to convince your kids or yourself that it’s bedtime, but it’s important to do so. You’re getting up early already, so make sure to carry that over to bedtime. Keeping your number of sleep hours and avoiding staying up that extra hour, will help everyone adjust to the time difference quicker.
- Control the lights – The body’s natural melatonin, which helps to induce sleep, increases when the environment begins to get dark. Going to sleep at an earlier time will be easier if the environment is adapted to feel more like night. If it’s still light outside, make sure to cover the windows and dim the lights in your child’s bedroom. Turn off all electronic devices 30 minutes prior to bedtime.
- Whatever your bedtime routine is, don’t change it – There is comfort in routine and if you stick to your normal bedtime activities, your children will not notice the time difference quite so much.
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