Daylight Savings Time Is Ending -- Here's How To Cope

Ahh, fall, crisp leaves, chilly mornings, and darkness that falls before your child is home from school.

Daylight Savings Time ends in most of the United States on Sunday, November 5. Hawaii and Arizona no longer have DST. 

Ideally, you would have started preparing your children already but it's not too late to soften the blow for your children if they easily affected by time changes. Babies are usually the least affected and older children and adolescents can be quite affected. 

Starting Friday night, put your child to bed 15 minutes later than usual. So if bedtime is usually 7, make it 7:15. In the morning, try to get them to sleep 15 minutes later. Move meal times and nap times 15 minutes later too.

It's important to not do more than 15 minutes per day if you can avoid it, because over tiredness can backfire and lead to early morning wakings or night wakings.

On Saturday night, put your child to bed 30 minutes later, so 7:30 instead of 7 pm. Move wake time, mealtimes, and nap times 30 minutes later the next day... which is Sunday, standard time. So in reality, you'll be putting them to nap at 8:30 and 12:30 but their body clocks will feel like it's 9:30 and 1:30. 

(This assumes that you have flexibility on Sunday with regard to outside obligations.)

On Sunday night, you'll put them to bed at what feels like 7:45 pm but is actually 6:45. And Monday night you'll put them to bed at 7 pm standard time, which will feel like 8 pm. Then you'll stay with this bedtime from then on.  

Changing time zones is no fun but making the change gradually can definitely make the transition less painful.

PS If you need help with too-late bedtimes, too-early wake times, night wakings, or inadvertent bed sharing, you are not alone. Schedule a free consult and find out how you can get your family sleeping beautifully in 2 weeks or less, guaranteed.