We all love the idea of an extra hour of sleep, until there are kids in the house. At 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, clocks fall back an hour, and for little ones whose internal clocks haven’t gotten the memo, that can mean a 5:30 a.m. wake-up, right after a late Halloween night. The good news: the fall time change is generally gentler than the spring one, and a few simple steps can help the whole family ease into it.
1. Shift bedtime in small steps
Starting Wednesday, push bedtime back by 15 minutes each night. If bedtime is normally 7:30 p.m., make it 7:45 on Wednesday, 8:00 on Thursday, 8:15 on Friday and 8:30 on Saturday. On Sunday evening, go back to 7:30 on the new time, and the routine is right where it belongs. Do the same with snacks, dinner and little ones’ naps so the whole day slides back gently.
2. Let the morning light in
Daylight helps reset the body clock. As soon as everyone is up, open the curtains and, if you can, get outside for a few minutes in the morning or at lunchtime. For early risers, blackout curtains keep the sun from waking them too soon, and a kids’ wake-up clock that changes colour at the right time can help them wait it out.
3. Wind down in the evening
In the evening, dim the lights and turn off screens about an hour before bed. A warm bath, pajamas, a story and a cuddle make up a ritual children recognize, and it’s exactly what reassures them when the clock changes.
4. Stay the course, even if the wake-up is early
If your child wakes up an hour too early on Sunday morning, resist starting the day at 5:30. Encourage them to settle back to sleep in a dark, quiet room, and keep meals and activities on the usual schedule. On Monday, allow a little extra time in the morning, and avoid big schedule changes over the time-change weekend.
5. Be patient
Plan on about a week for everything to settle, and a few cranky days are perfectly normal. If sleep trouble lingers after roughly two weeks, mention it to your pediatrician or family doctor. And if you didn’t have time to prepare, don’t panic: you can simply move to the new time on Sunday and let your kids’ internal clocks catch up over a few days.
