Spring Time Change

WHEN DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME STARTS

For those of you who live in a place where our clocks change every spring and fall, it is almost time for the spring time change where Daylight Savings Time ends and our clocks will “spring forward” where 7:00AM becomes 8:00AM. You can prepare or not, depending on how sensitive your child is to timing changes and what you feel best about being consistent with.

Good news! Of the two daylight savings time changes, this one tends to be easier.

Here are some options for handling the time change:

Option 1: Gradual Shift

What To Do: Shift their schedule by 15 minutes earlier every 1-2 days in the week before the time change

How To Do It:

1. Have their morning Out of Crib/Bed time (OOC/B) be 15 minutes earlier than usual.

2. Follow their wake windows for the day or have their by-the-clock naps and bedtime be 15 minutes earlier than normal.

3. Repeat every 1-2 days until their morning OOC/B time is 1 hour earlier than usual (ideally this will happen the day before the time change). Then when they wake on the day of the time change, their OOC/B time will be their normal wake-up time on the “new clock.”

Option 2: Fast Shift

What To Do: Shift their schedule by 30 minutes earlier the day before the time change

How To Do It:

1. Have their morning Out of Crib/Bed time (OOC/B) be 30 minutes earlier than usual the day before the time change.

2. Follow their wake windows for the day or have their by-the-clock naps and bedtime be 30 minutes earlier than normal.

3. By having their OOC/B time be their normal time on the “new clock,” it will be 30 minutes earlier than the day before and they’ll be caught up.

Option 3: Do Nothing

What To Do: Don’t prepare. Have their OOC/B time be normal on the “new clock”

How To Do It:

1. Set all household clocks, including any okay to wake clocks, to the new time (1 hour later) the night before the time change.

2. When their normal Out of Crib/Bed time (OOC/B) comes, such as 7:00am (which was 6:00am before the time change on the “old clock”), get them up.

3. Follow their wake windows for the day or have their by-the-clock naps and bedtime be at their regular times on the “new clock.”

Option 4: Shift After

What To Do: Shift their schedule earlier in the days after the time change

How To Do It:

1. Let them “sleep in” until the time they had been waking up before the time change (e.g., 8:00am on the “new clock,” which was 7:00am before the time change) on the day of the time change.

2. Every 1-2 days, wake them 15-30 minutes earlier.

3. Follow their wake windows for the day or have their by-the-clock naps and bedtime be 15-30 minutes earlier than the day before.

4. Continue until they are back to their normal Out of Crib/Bed time on the “new clock” (e.g., 7:00am).