How to “fall back” into your sleep routine during DST
The “fall back” time change is the least desirable one among the two time changes — especially if you already have an early riser. Even though we “gain an hour” of sleep that night, it unfortunately doesn’t work like that with a baby. If your little one usually wakes for the day at 6/6:30 AM, that means they will be up at 5/5:30 AM with DST. This can lead to an overtired baby when you’re trying to get back on track and make it to their typical nap times.
While daylight savings time—and the sleep struggles it can bring— is something many parents dread, with a little bit of planning, everyone can remain well-rested!
If you have a baby 4 months or younger, this is easy advice for you – just ignore the time change! Continue to follow baby’s sleepy cues and wake windows throughout the day – even if they are awake for the day earlier than usual. It takes about a week for your baby to naturally adjust to the time change.
If you have a baby 5 months or older, here are a few options for you:
1. Shift the start of your day 10 minutes later for a few days prior to DST. This includes morning wake time, naps, and bedtime. This is a gradual approach to help your little one adjust to the time change without pushing them past their limits leading to overtiredness. You will want to begin this approach 5 days before DST ends. See below for examples:
2. The weekend of DST, extend wake windows by 5-15 minutes. You will help your little one stay awake slightly longer than usual that Saturday and Sunday leading up to the time change. Keep an eye on their sleepy cues to know how long to extend this wake window between the recommended 5-15 minutes, and keep in mind it could change as the day goes on. For example, if your baby is on a two-nap schedule, and their morning wake window is usually 3 hrs – you may notice that 3 hours and 5 minutes is all they can handle before they are ready for their nap. For the afternoon, if their wake window is usually 3 hours as well, they may do fine extending this wake window by an extra 10-15 minutes. See sample schedule below:
Please know these wake windows are just an example and your daily schedule will be adjusted based on your baby’s typical age-appropriate wake windows. If your baby is on a “1 nap” schedule, you will only be adjusting two wake windows vs. three as seen above.
3. The final and most simple option: do nothing and maintain your normal schedule! For some families, this means they have a “summer bedtime” and a “winter bedtime” which works out with the seasonal sunrise and sunset. For example, over the summer months, your child has had a bedtime of 8 PM. Great! This means after DST their new bedtime will be 7 PM and their morning wake time will adjust accordingly as well.
“What if my baby is STILL waking early in the morning even after taking the steps to adjust their schedule?”
It’s common for babies to wake early after the clocks change in the fall. Since their internal clock doesn’t yet match the “new” time on the clock, they’ll likely continue to wake early until they adjust to the time change. Keep the room dark and keep your baby in their room if you can until a desired wake time. Since the sun will be setting early in the evening, expose your baby to well-lit areas before their bedtime routine to maintain their circadian rhythm and to help them adjust to the time change.
Final thoughts:
Even though your baby’s nap(s) and bedtime will shift as you approach daylight savings time – the most important step is staying consistent with your little one’s bedtime routine. From bathtime to books – every step helps cue their brain that it’s time to wind down for sleep. Please know that for everyone — babies and adults alike — it takes about a week to adjust to this change!
