Spring Forward with Ease: Toddler Sleep Strategies for Daylight Savings

Here we are again, getting ready to change our clocks this weekend. The US government keeps teasing us with ending daylight savings time but, nothing has changed yet. So, parents, get ready. We’re Springing Forward this weekend! This time change isn’t typically AS disruptive as the Fall Time change but there are still some easy things you can do to keep your kids’ sleep from falling apart.

Personally I always like this time change because it means that the days get longer, gloomy weather is heading out and summer is coming. 

But, it’s also stressful because it can throw our kid’s sleep schedule out of whack. But we can easily prep for this so it’s not a huge disruption. Let me walk you through how…

So, overnight on Saturday March 8th, most of the US is going to Spring Forward, meaning we are going to be losing an hour of sleep. At 2am on Sunday March 9th, the time will magically become 3am and, if we’re not careful, we will all lose an hour of sleep!

We prepare our kids for the time change by doing what I call “Hopping Back” bedtime.

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“Hopping Back” Bedtime

We’re going to use a gradual adjustment strategy just like we did in the Fall - but in the opposite way. We are going to be moving bedtime EARLIER in the days leading up to the time change. 

For kids 2 to 5 years old, I recommend starting this process 3 days before the time change and making adjustments in 20-minute increments. This means moving bedtime (and naptime) earlier by 20 minutes per day. 

So, lets’ assume that the normal bedtime for your 3 year old is 7pm.

On Thursday, March 6th, you’re going to move bedtime 20-min earlier, to 6:40.

On Friday, March 7th, move it 20-min earlier, to 6:20.

And then on Saturday, March 8th, move it 20-min earlier once again to 6pm.

Then, on Sunday night, after the time has Sprung Forward, when the clock says 7pm, it will feel like 6pm in his body which is the bedtime you have adjusted him to. 

If your child is over 5 years old, you can start on Friday and make the change ot bedtime in 30-minute chunks. So, Friday bedtime would be 6:30 and Saturday bedtime would be 6pm. 

Even if you don’t adjust bedtime an entire hour earlier in advance, just splitting the difference and moving it 30-minutes earlier on Saturday night will help. You just don’t want your child staying up too late on Sunday and then getting overtired. Because overtiredness is the culprit behind so many of our kids’ sleep problems. 

It will also be getting lighter in the evening so make sure your kiddo’s room has blackout curtains. 

Remember, Be Realistic

Be realistic, the younger the child, the more difficult the time change can be for them. Once your child has well-established, good sleep habits, they are able to tolerate the change more easily. Having a solid foundation of good sleep habits is the key to breezing through the time changes easily. Once your child’s body builds up that muscle memory - that need for sleep - sleep schedules aren’t as fragile and can’t be thrown off as easily.

And be patient, it will take everyone a few days for their bodies to fully adjust.