It’s coming…and soon your Facebook feed will be filled with lamenting parents unsure of how to cope with kids not being able to go to sleep or waking too early all because of Daylight Saving Time. Fear not. We’re all in this together and have some tips to help you cope.
Remembering my own childhood I used to dread the time change. I would be sent to bed when Jeopardy was on and because my mother also kept the AC off as long as possible I could hear the neighbor kids on the cul-de-sac yelling up at my window, teasing me about having to go to bed. The light flooded my room, curtains blowing in the evening breeze, and I was expected to go to sleep. Flash forward thirty years and I realize that my mother wasn’t inflicting cruel and unusual punishment but was spot-on in her child rearing ways. Schedule, routine, fresh air. She knew exactly what she was doing. And now I treat my kids the same way.
The “deal” with Daylight Saving Time – whether in the spring or fall – is that it shifts our circadian rhythms a bit. Some kids cope really well with this change while for others it throws them off completely. Here are some ways to make the time change more manageable:
1. Keep to your routine. Most kids thrive on knowing the routine. So try not to veer from it too much.
2. Get room darkening shades – these can be a lifesaver! In the spring, when the days are longer and it’s still daylight at 7:30 p.m., when you are trying to get your kids asleep, it can feel really odd to be trying to sleep when the sun is still out. Room darkening shades can help block that light and keep you on schedule.
3. Take some time in the fresh air and get some exercise. In the spring and summer months after dinner get your kids bathed and in their jammies and go for a walk or stroll. The fresh air and light exercise can help calm their nervous system and prepare them for a good night sleep. And that leads us to tip 4….
4. Limit/omit screen time 30 minutes before bed. The glow of the television and devices like phones or tablets keeps our brain “on” and “wired”, making it more difficult for melatonin to be secreted.
5. Don’t beat yourself up. Take time to let your little one adjust. Embrace the longer nights and earlier mornings. You can always snuggle in bed together!
Take solace that we are all in this together! You are instilling good sleep habits in your children by riding the waves of the time change and encouraging them to sleep in rhythm with their bodies and nature. For more information or support one of our postpartum doulas can help you figure it all out too. If all else fails – grab a cup of coffee and relive your glory days partying all night!
