It's happening- AGAIN. Daylight Saving Fall 2023 is here- but don't panic, I'm here to help you navigate it.
Daylight Saving in the Fall means that the clocks go back, so 6pm feels like 7pm- awesome, we love a tired kiddo at bedtime and an excuse to get an early bedtime... but also- 5am feels like 6am- oh no...
Spring forward is definitely the easier of the Daylight Saving duo of parental stress, but don’t worry, we will get through this together.
First of all, DON’T PANIC. Daylight Saving is still over a 2 weeks away, so we have time to prepare, and I honestly must recommend preparing for this one unless you don’t mind dealing with kiddos waking up in the 5 o'clock hour…
So here are three options to consider for your prep…
Option 1: 1 week, 15 minute shift
*This option is best for our sensitive sleepers, those sleepers who don’t tolerate change in their schedule very well. Also great for parents who don’t like change, and really like to get ahead of things… like myself.
Here is your schedule:
October 29th & 30th: Move all naps and bedtime 15 minutes later. Do not respond in the morning until 15 minutes after normal wake time.
October 31st & November 1st: Move all naps and bedtime 30 minutes later. Do not respond in the morning until 30 minutes after normal wake time. This will actually make a good excuse to stay out a bit later on Halloween!
November 2nd & 3rd: Move all naps and bedtime 45 minutes later. Do not respond in the morning until 45 minutes after normal wake time.
November 4th: Move all naps and bedtime 60 minutes later. Respond at ‘new wake time’ when they wake on November 5th and continue with your day back on your normal schedule.
Option 2: 4 day, 15 minute shift
*This option is best for children who respond pretty well to change. This would also be a great option for children who respond well to change, but are dealing with early wakes.
Here is your schedule:
November 1st: Move all naps and bedtime 15 minutes later. Do not respond in the morning until 15 minutes after normal wake time.
November 2nd: Move all naps and bedtime 30 minutes later. Do not respond in the morning until 30 minutes after normal wake time.
November 3rd: Move all naps and bedtime 45 minutes later. Do not respond in the morning until 45 minutes after normal wake time.
November 4th: Move all naps and bedtime 60 minutes later. Respond at ‘new wake time’ when they wake on November 5th and continue with your day back on your normal schedule.
Option 3: 2 day, 30 minute shift
*This option is best for our very flexible sleepers. Those who do not struggle with early wakes and tend to be able to really go with the flow with their sleep. This will sometimes be the only option for those of us who cannot shift our mornings due to school/work schedules.
Here is your schedule:
November 3rd: Move all naps and bedtime 30 minutes later. Do not respond in the morning until 30 minutes after normal wake time.
November 4th: Move all naps and bedtime 60 minutes later. Respond at ‘new wake time’ when they wake on November 5th and continue with your day back on your normal schedule.
Bonus Option: HELP! I FORGOT ABOUT DLS.
*This option is for those of us who totally forgot about Daylight Saving and just woke up wondering why their kids are up so dang early and frantically started searching for a blog- I’ve been there.
If you have the time and can shift your child’s schedule back by 15 minutes/30 minutes each day for a couple of days- then GREAT! Follow one of the schedules above, but backwards:
November 5th & 6th: Shift all naps and EARLIER by 45 minutes- aka, if that typically go down for nap at 12:30, then nap can begin at 11:45… Same with bedtime.
November 7th & 8th: Shift all naps EARLIER by 30 minutes.
November 9th: Shift all naps EARLIER by 15 minutes
November 10th: Follow your previous schedule
If this is not an option for you because of work, daytime activities etc… then we just go with the new timings of things and know that it will take a moment to settle in.
If you are needing to make the change cold turkey, the key to tackling this transition after the fact is to move your child’s whole schedule- do not offer early naps- they must push through to their normal timing to get back on track.
Also, do not respond in the morning until a suitable wake time for them, most likely after 6am, but if you know they typically sleep until 6:30 or 7 then you can choose those times as well.
The key is to be consistent with the new timings so that there is no choice but to adjust, and adjust they will- patience and consistency are key!
We will be talking about this on my Instagram page leading up to DLS, so keep an eye out to set you up for success!
And two reminders:
-DON’T PANIC. It’s okay. We have done it before and we will do it again.
-Remember that putting your child to bed ‘later’ does not mean they will wake up later… they will more than likely wake up at their normal time, or if they are overtired, EARLIER- so really consider doing some prep work leading up to the time shift.
What questions do you have? Reach out! I'm here to help you navigate these moments with ease and confidence.