Daylight Savings: Spring Forward Edition

I still remember the days when I used to dread “springing forward” with Daylight Savings, knowing it would mean losing a whole hour of sleep, but at least it was an uninterrupted night. Now I have kids. Enough said.

For some, Daylight Savings is a delightful sign that Spring is on the way. For others, it’s a phrase included in their mental book of parent curse words.

Regardless of how you view it, it can feel overwhelming at times to know you’ll have to adjust those nap and bedtime schedules.

The good news? It is way EASIER to make adjustments during Spring Forward Daylight Savings. That being said, it is important to keep in mind that we approach time adjustments differently than during Fall Back Daylight Savings. So if you’re thinking, “But I didn’t adjust the schedule this way in the Fall” - you’re right!

So let’s get into it.

PSA: Finish your cup of coffee before scrolling through this post! While we lay it out in simple steps, reading it without coffee can still feel like the mental equivalent of doing a calculus equation without sleep.

On the day that clocks have changed …

1-Wake baby up at their typical wake up time. 

(i.e. If they usually wake up at 7am, baby will sleep until the clock says 8am).

2-Change ideal nap and bedtime by 30 minutes from the old time for the next 2-3 days. If baby is under 4 months, do this in 15 minute increments.

(i.e. If nap is typically 10am, you’ll be putting baby down at 9:30am. If bedtime 

was 7pm, it is now 6:30pm.)

3-On day four, move naps and bedtime to the regular time.

(If bedtime was 7pm in “fall back” time, it is now 7pm in “spring forward” time.

It can take a week or two for your little one’s awake time and bedtime to fully adjust. We recommend extra grace and patience for baby and a bottle of wine for you. 

After two weeks, if your baby is struggling with early morning wakings or falling asleep at bedtime on their own, something else is going on. You can learn about what may be happening on our YouTube channel here.

And that is how you navigate the adjustments to baby’s sleep schedule during Daylight Savings in the Spring! 

Enjoy the extra daylight,

Anna