Twice a year, Daylight Saving Time (DST) seems to sneak up on all of us. The good news is that we’re nearing the end of DST, which means that we’ll get another glorious hour of sleep in the morning. Unless, of course, you have young children at home.
For parents, the end of DST means staying up late, and getting up early, because your kids can’t just turn off their internal clock from one day to the next. And, if your kids aren’t sleeping in, then you won’t be sleeping in, either. So, get your kids ready for the end of DST by making small adjustments to their sleep schedule.
Adjusting to the End of DST
Avoid the days of being sleepy and cranky by preparing early for the end of DST. At 2 am on Sunday, November 5th, 2017 we all set our clocks back one hour.
Most adults look forward to getting that extra hour of sleep Sunday morning, but your kids are most likely going to stick to their regular sleep schedule and wake up early. You can make small adjustments in the week leading up to DST so that the transition is smooth.
Going to Bed Ten Minutes Later
Start adjusting your kid’s sleep in the weeks leading up to the end of Daylight Saving Time. In the week leading up to November 5th, start by making bedtime ten minutes later every night, or every other night, depending on how early you start.
It may not seem like much, but if you already have a steady sleep schedule for your kids, then ten minutes will make a difference, especially at night. Fortunately, there is nothing kids love more than being allowed to stay up past their bedtime.
Changing Your Child’s Internal Clock
You may have an easy time keeping your child awake past their bedtime, but once morning rolls around, your child’s internal clock is going to trump your house clocks.
Unfortunately, you can’t just tell your kid to enjoy an extra hour of sleep in the morning. Their internal clock is going to wake them up at the same time as usual. So, if they’ve been waking up at 6 am there’s a very good chance they’ll wake up at their usual time on Sunday, November 5th. With the adjusted time, they’ll be up nice and early at 5 am, and you can kiss that coveted extra hour of sleep goodbye.
By making small adjustments to your kid’s schedule leading up to DST, you’ll slowly begin to change their internal clock, and they’ll transition smoothly into DST.
The Gift of Sleep
We usually give tips, tricks, and insights into helping businesses make great online impressions and grow. However, since Impressions Group is a family owned business, we thought we’d get a little more personal and give our fellow parents out there some tips on the upcoming time change.
We know all too well how important it is to get all the sleep you can, whenever you can, especially for parents with young kids. Sleep is one of the most undervalued tools for success in every aspect of life. Give yourself, and your kids the gift of sleep by being proactive with changing your kid’s sleep schedule before DST.