How to Help Your Kids Adjust to the Fall Back Time Change (Without Losing Your Mind or Your Mornings). Halloween Edition.

Every November, we get a little “gift” — an extra hour of sleep when we fall back from Daylight Saving Time to standard time.

Sounds dreamy, right?

A whole hour to sleep in?

​The only problem is that our kids didn’t get the memo.

That magical “extra hour” often turns into 5 a.m. wake ups, cranky afternoons, and frenetic, overtired evenings.

Planning ahead can really pay off  when it comes to this transition which all too often catches us by surprise. 

Why Kids Wake Early After the Fall Back Time Change (and Why They Won't Just Sleep Late For Once)

When the clocks fall back, 6 a.m. becomes 5 a.m. Your child’s body still thinks it’s 6 a.m.

That’s why they’re suddenly up with the birds.

The good news: most kids adjust within a week.

The better news: you can help make that week easier with a few smart DST sleep strategies.

Pick the Right Transition Plan for Your Family (and Yourself)

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. The best approach depends on your child’s age and temperament as well as your own personality.

Are you the kind of person who starts packing a week before a trip or an hour before you're supposed to leave? That'll tell you a lot about which approach is best for you.

(Truthfully, I'm a week-before packer and still never managed to organize myself for the time change.) 

• Wing It
  Do nothing in advance. You’ll get through it although you'll likely have a few cranky mornings for parents and children alike.
  
  
• Mini-Transition (Most Families’ Sweet Spot)
  A few days before the time change, put your child to bed 20 minutes later each night. Leave them for 20 minutes longer in the morning than they are accustomed to. If they get upset, get them up but keeps the lights low and activities quiet until the 20-minutes-later goal time. By Sunday, a buffer day, their internal clock is already closer to the new time. 
  
  
• Full Transition (For Sensitive Sleepers)
  Start shifting bedtime and naps by 10–15 minutes over 4–6 days. It’s slower, but perfect for sensitive little ones who don’t handle abrupt schedule changes well.
  
  

Align Wake Ups, Naps and Feedings With the New Schedule

If bedtime shifts but mornings, naps, and feedings stay the same, your child’s sleep schedule won’t fully reset.

You'll need to get them up later (ideally, this part isn't critical), feed them later, and put them down to nap later than usual.

Embrace Later Bedtimes (Temporarily)

Temporarily moving bedtime later can help cause overtiredness during the transition, but it makes the following week less painful so just take it slow and steady. Don't try to skip a whole hour in one night. 

Use Light to Reset Your Child’s Sleep After DST

​Light is one of the most powerful cues for our internal clocks:

• Exposure to morning light helps reset the body clock. Open  the curtains first thing upon waking your child, and get outside as early as you can, even if it's just a 10 minute walk or to drink coffee and hot chocolate on the stoop.
  
  
• Dim the lights in the evening to signal that bedtime is coming. This helps the hypothalamus get the memo to start producing the body's own melatonin. It'll be important to turn all the screens off early, also, because the blue light from screens is stimulating to the brain. Not what you want when you are trying for an early bedtime!
  
  

Age-Specific Fall Back Sleep Tips

Babies

Babies are more sensitive to even small shifts in timing, so a gradual adjustment of just 10 to 15 minutes every day can make a world of difference. Slowly stretching feeding times and naps can help minimize overtiredness and avoid major disruptions. Ask childcare providers to help you with this. 

Toddlers

For toddlers, it often works best to “split the difference," shifting the schedule 20 minutes per day, although it's even better if you can do it more slowly. Adjust bedtime gradually, keep routines tight, and expect a few early mornings that will smooth out over the week.

Again, waking your toddler early in the morning this week and after naps will be (painfully) crucial to preventing next week's tantrum storm.

School Age Kids

Ironically, school age children may benefit the most from a structured plan since they need to be alert, focused, and emotionally regulated at school, which is tough with a DST hangover.

Waking your child a little later each day this week can help their body adjust to a later bedtime, which will make early wake-ups less likely next week. After the time change, it’s especially helpful to hold firm on your new morning wake time over the weekend.

And remember: your child won’t be the only tired kid at school that week. The teachers know. They’ve seen it all (and are tired themselves). You’re in good company... but still, it's not fun for anyone.

Give Yourself (and Your Kids) Grace

Even with the best plan, there may be a few bumpy mornings. That’s not a failure, it’s biology.

Keep routines steady. Don't plan any extra actitivies for after pick up next week. Trust that their internal clocks will catch up. Within about a week, your family will find its new rhythm.

🎃 Why Halloween Can Actually Help With the Fall Back Time Change
That later Halloween bedtime is actually your ally for school aged children. 
Toddlers and babies are less likely to sleep late so be cautious with this strategy for them.

A slightly later bedtime Friday night naturally shifts your child’s body clock forward — which makes the early wake-ups on Sunday less brutal.
How to make it work:

• Let bedtime run later Friday night. (You don’t need to make it a free-for-all, but an extra 30–60 minutes is your friend here.)
  
• Sleep in a bit Saturday morning if your child will.
  
• Keep bedtime a little later again on Saturday to lock in the shift.
  
• Enjoy your Sunday coffee at a reasonable hour instead of 5 a.m.