Oh Spring Forward. Before we were parents, many of us hated this time change as we lose an hour of sleep.  Now, for some, Daylight Savings Time is actually good news as our “early wakers” go from 6 am wake ups to the coveted 7 am wake up time!

In this case, it is OK to change the clocks the night before. If you do not have anywhere to be in the mornings, no need to.  Follow my tips below!  Enjoy your later mornings and more time in the evenings as Spring and Summer are right around the corner.

For those of us who have to get our children to daycare and school on time – even in the Spring – simply follow these easy steps for a seamless transition!

Step 1:

Go ahead and change the clocks on Saturday night before you go bed. Have your kids go to bed at their regular bedtime on Saturday night.

Step 2: 

For Toddlers and Young Children:  on Sunday night, split the difference by a half hour. So, let’s say your child is going to bed around 7:30 pm the week before. When the time change occurs, it will be 8:30 pm their body time. Do not put them down at 8:30 pm that night,  put them down to bed at 8:00 pm which will be 7:00 pm their time. They will be going to bed an extra half hour earlier. Do the same for their afternoon nap on Monday.  Do this for 3 nights. Then on the fourth night, move to their new bedtime. On the fifth day, move them to their new nap time. Hold them to the 6 am wake up if they wake up too early in the mornings.

It might take some time for their body to adjust. For some children and adults, it can sometimes take a good 30 days. Be patient and you will get there.

Step 3:

For Infants: If their bedtime has become very predictable –  for example they are always going to bed at 7pm, then on the Sunday, move their bedtime up by 15 minutes. Keep adjusting by 15 minutes every night so that in four nights you should be on your new bedtime. If they are not predictable with their bedtime (3 to 6 months old) simply jump into the new time on Sunday as if you were traveling to a new time zone.