Get Ready for the Time Change!

Daylight savings time will end before we know it - we change the clocks back one hour on Sunday, November November 5th. That’s a little over a week away!

If you’re a planner like me, you may want to start thinking about adjusting bedtimes, nap-times, and wake times. If you’ve are a parent who has experienced a time change, or have even put your kiddo to bed late thinking that they will sleep in…you know that is often NOT the case. I prefer the slow and steady method, but there are a variety of ways that you can approach the upcoming change.

• Starting the Monday before the time change, adjust bedtimes, wake-times, and nap-times by 15 minutes per day. This means moving sleep times and wake times 15 minutes later every 2-3 days over the next week or so. This is actually pretty helpful if you are planning to trick-or-treat, or perhaps enjoy some other fall activities in the late evenings. Here’s what a schedule of a kiddo on a 7pm-7am sleep schedule would look like.

• If you want to start just a few days before the time change, you can make slightly larger adjustments every two days. Adjust bedtimes, wake-times, and nap-times by 30 minutes every few days.

• Do nothing. That’s right - not a planner? No problem. You don’t have to do anything in advance. Go with the flow and adjust with your child. Do keep in mind that if you have an early riser (helloooooo 5am!) that 5am will now be 4am. I can help with those early wakings!

If you have questions about the time change - or anything else - send me a message at nikki@nikkinelsonsleepconsulting.com. I would love to help!