Helping Your Baby Adjust to Daylight Savings Time 2021
Though the exact date varies by year, Daylight Savings Time begins sometime in early spring for those in the US. For 2021, the date will be March 14. And on this day, our clocks will spring forward one hour in the night, causing us to lose precious sleeping time. For most people, this will be nothing but a minor annoyance. But for parents of young children, a disturbance like this could result in weeks of sleep battles.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. With some proper preparation and gentle guidance, your baby can adjust to the time change without a hitch. And your entire family can get the sleep you need and deserve. In this article, we’re talking about the best ways to prepare your baby for Daylight Savings Time. Then, we’ll discuss two methods you can consider implementing to make the transition as easy as possible.
Preparing Your Baby Before the Time Change Even Happens
You know about the time change coming, but your baby doesn’t. And you’ve both worked so hard to get this bedtime and sleeping routine down. Make sure to give you and your baby some grace and patience. It’s also important to be prepared. This preparation state will look different for every family, depending on your sleeping styles and needs, but is smoother and more successful when your whole family is on the same page.
The Top Two Transition Methods for Adjusting to Daylight Savings Time
At Blissful Baby, we believe the most effective way to help your baby adjust to the time change that occurs in the spring is to choose between two transition methods. There are other ways, but they can sometimes be complicated and unreliable. The two methods we’re sharing, when done correctly, work time and time again. And I believe you’ll love them!
Transition Method #1 - Pretend Nothing Has Changed
Best for: families with early rising children & parents who feel rushed at bedtime
Transition Method #1 is the easiest, most effortless of the two transition methods. It’s also designed with easygoing children in mind. Simply do nothing.
It may come as a shock, but some kids do best when you just don’t make a big deal of things. These kids tend to be more go-with-the-flow in attitude, and you’ll know best if they’d take to a change like this easily.
But, for the most part, bedtime will be bedtime. And to your child, they will look the same on March 13, 14, 15, and so on. When the time change has occurred, allow your child to sleep as they normally would. They may try and sleep in, but if bedtime is at 7 pm, I don’t recommend allowing them to sleep in later than 7 am.
Now, bedtime could turn into a struggle. This has to do with the clocks being ‘behind’, and the fact that your child may have slept a little longer than normal, but just try and exaggerate the bedtime routine a bit, and offer your baby some flexibility. You know exactly what you’re doing, and will be just fine!
Preparations: With this method, you mostly just need to prepare yourself. Prepare yourself for a little bit of a bedtime struggle. Prepare yourself for a toddler that may be grumpy for a day or two. Prepare yourself for a baby who may want extra naps. As long as you’re prepared and willing to stay the course, the transition will be over in no time. It could be beneficial to grab some blackout curtains to re-instill the concept of day and night, but make sure to expose your baby to lots of natural light first thing in the morning to encourage the new sleep/wake cycle.
Transition Method #2 - Slow and Steady
Best for: kiddos who struggle with change and families who like to plan in advance
Some kids are much more rigid in their routines, especially the ones surrounding bedtime. That’s okay! We have a method designed for them, too.
For kids who struggle with bedtime changes or sleeping in general, we recommend that you begin planning about 6 days before the time change even happens. This means that changes to the bedtime routine will be implemented beginning on March 8.
And, because Daylight Savings Time is springing the clocks ahead, you want to know going in that you are preparing your child’s body to go to sleep one hour earlier than what they are right now. What is 7 pm today will be 6 pm after Daylight Savings, so you want to prepare their body for going to bed at 6 pm.
But, instead of sending your child to bed at 7 pm one day and “6” pm the next, you’re going to begin changing their bedtime in 10-minute increments.
Using the 7 pm bedtime example
Day 1 (March 8, 2021): Bedtime at 6:50 pm
Day 2 (March 9, 2021): Bedtime at 6:40 pm
Day 3 (March 10, 2021): Bedtime at 6:30 pm
Day 4 (March 11, 2021): Bedtime at 6:20 pm
Day 5 (March 12, 2021): Bedtime at 6:10 pm
Day 6 (March 13, 2021 - Clocks change tonight): Bedtime at 6:00 pm
Day 7 (March 14, 2021): Bedtime at 7:00 pm - used to be 6:00 pm
This method does require some more detailing and attention on your part, especially if your child goes to bed at a different time. But this is how many parents get through the time changes without completely losing their sleep and sanity.
In this method, you must be very strict with your child’s sleeping and napping schedule. Don’t allow for any unusual oversleeping, and make sure to ease into the bedtime routine for that time spent changing their routine. Always remember to allow for flexibility and patience - for you and your baby!