How Parents and Children Can Get More Sleep with Daylight Saving Time

Well, sleepy parents. It’s that time we all dread every year - Daylight Saving Time  - the much-despised Spring Time Change.  

Daylight Saving Time (DST) is when we turn our clocks forward one hour ahead of standard time to get more daylight during our waking hours. 

Spring Forward! 

Someone gave it a happy-sounding name to disguise just how un-happy it really makes us.  

Except for a few of those lucky ones who live in a state or country that opts out of the time change, almost every one of us understands what the big deal is. We lose an hour of sleep this Sunday night. 

And then there’s the week or so of sluggishness, the super fatigue and wondering "Just what time is it, anyway?" that follows.  

There is only one group of people who don’t hate this time change AS much. There are the parents of those early rising babies who wake up WAY too early every day. This time change actually HELPS them to switch their early rising (actually WE are just switching to their schedule lol)   As for everyone else?

I don’t know anyone who wants to give up an hour of sleep, do you? 

So, in this post, I am going to help you decide if you EVEN NEED  to do anything to transition to the new time change and if you do, give you some tips for making the transition easier. 

Why is the time change a big deal? 

First, let's talk about why changing the time is even a big deal. How does just waking up an hour earlier cause such difficulty? (If you don't care about this, just skip ahead but this information helps to show how important our sleep is)

There is actually some real data out there that shows that the change to DST time is actually detrimental to our health and well-being. Did you know that there are 6% more automobile accidents the week following DST? (https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)31678-1)

Or that there are increased visits to the  ER during this time period?  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30056770/

Several studies, including this one in the New England Journal of Medicine https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc0807104 show that there is an increase in heart attacks immediately after the onset of DST and a decrease during the fall time change when we get an “extra hour of sleep”.  Strokes also increase immediately following the spring time change. And workplace errors and accidents are reported to occur more frequently. in the few days after the change in time to DST. 

One study even looked at errors among health care workers and found that there was a significant increase following the beginning of DST. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-020-06090-9

All from just one day of waking up an hour earlier? There’s clearly more to it.

How does our body react to the time change?

Our body's natural body clock 

Nighttime darkness and morning light help to establish the appropriate sleep and wake hormones our body releases. These hormones help to set our circadian rhythms - our body’s natural clock. Many of our body functions including sleep, digestion, and heart function all follow our circadian rhythms. For example, one of the hormones, cortisol ramps up in the morning to jump-start our energy levels and digestion. The sunlight keeps our hormones in alignment.  So disrupting our wake time can negatively affect our health and wellbeing. 

The good news about spring is that we naturally begin to have more hours of daylight as the days get longer. Sunlight, especially in the morning, also helps our bodies release another hormone called serotonin - some people call that our Happy Hormone. With more morning daylight comes a happier mood, less depression and less daytime sleepiness. For people who suffer greatly from Seasonal Affective Disorder in the winter months, the developing longer days may be a big boost to you. 

In springtime, daylight gradually increases. But, when we abruptly change our daily schedule - or we have no regular daily schedule to begin with -it can be very challenging to establish our circadian rhythm. 

This is why I talk so much about the importance of a routine daily schedule when parents consult me about sleep coaching. 

When we shift our daily schedule around artificially, it is very difficult for our body systems to work in sync. 

The good news about the time change 

Our bodies will naturally adjust after a few days or weeks (depending on how well established our body clock is already) but changing the time artificially obviously causes a lot of problems until our body adjusts.

I don’t have to tell you how difficult it is to adjust. That is why you dread this time already.

What is the most common complaint parents have? Sleep deprivation. So, if we add in a time change that intentionally causes us to get less sleep  - well - no wonder this time change is a parenting nightmare! 

Although you can’t just manually reset your body’s clock - like you can reset the clock in your car - there are some things that you can do to make this transition for yourself and your baby as easy as possible.

Before we talk about what to do during the time change, I think it is helpful to talk about what you can do to prevent sleep problems in the first place. Although I usually give you advice about how to get your baby to sleep better, these tips will also help parents just as much. The key is to have good baseline sleep habits. 

Sleep habits 

Establishing good daily habits helps cue your body that it is time for sleep and helps your body regulate your sleep hormones. Basically, sleep habits help your body unwind and relax so that WHEN you go to bed you can actually fall asleep and stay asleep. 

WHAT ARE GOOD SLEEP HABITS? 

Habit #1 - ESTABLISH REGULAR SLEEP AND WAKE TIMES 

I have already talked about the part our circadian rhythms play in sleep,  but something that greatly impacts our circadian rhythms are our daily habits. These play a big part in why these natural rhythms can get out of sync and lead to sleep difficulty. 

One of the best daily habits you can develop is waking at the same time every morning and going to bed at the same time every night. 

Our body’s natural cortisol rises about the same time every morning. This helps to give us the spike of energy we need to wake up and get moving every morning, If we wake before our natural wake-up time, our cortisol hasn't kicked in yet and our other body systems have to work harder to get us going. (Which may be why we see more heart attacks after the time change). This is also why it's so hard to get up in the middle of the night with your child. 

So, naturally, if we get up at the same time every day, we can take advantage of that natural rhythm to have the energy we need to get going. If our sleep schedule is erratic, the time we release our wake hormones will be erratic too. 

Going to bed at different times every day impacts those hormones too. Your body releases melatonin which helps to relax and fall asleep and stay asleep at night. But, your ever-changing schedule, makes it difficult to know WHEN to release that hormone. 

Habit #2 LIMIT ELECTRONIC USE 

Darkness really plays a big role in melatonin production and it's levels. 

When the sunlight is strong, the melatonin level stays low. When the sunlight decreases, your melatonin gradually increases. Melatonin doesn’t just come from a bottle you know. Your body makes it naturally. 

Our electronic use greatly impacts our production of melatonin. The screens we use emit a blue light which mimics sunlight. This tricks our body into thinking that it is still daylight and that we need to stay awake. So our wake hormones stay high and our sleep hormone stays low. 

Another important fact about melatonin is that it is released earlier in the evening than you might think. (It is NOT at bedtime). So taking that artificial melatonin when you lay down to fall asleep may not help very much. 

Any screen time, particularly in the evening and late into the night,  prevents your body from getting sleepy. This is the one habit people hold onto - either because they don’t believe it has any effect OR they just can’t let this go. But, screentime likely has the greatest negative impact on our sleep (and that of our little ones) of all of our habits. 

Habit #3  SET REGULAR MEALTIMES 

Having regular mealtimes helps your body to establish that body clock we already talked about. You don’t have to be a robot about it, but eating at about the same time every day will help solidify this clock. 

A negative influence that meals can have is eating large meals late at night. Your body gets confused about what time it is if you are eating late. I.e.  "It's dark and I should be asleep but I am eating so now I need digestion hormones…." A little spike in hormones to help you digest your food may be just enough to keep you awake. 

Eating during the night can be a really big interference for children. When babies or young children, who were previously sleeping long stretches at night, begin to wake frequently, often parents will assume it is because they are hungry and begin offering full feedings from the breast, bottle or even a cup. This can really confuse the circadian rhythms. Children may then begin to wake more frequently and need that milk - not just as a sleep association like you may have heard - but because the body thinks it needs the food because the sleep cycle is confused. 

Keep in mind that middle-of-the-night feedings are NORMAL for babies until at least 6 months and even up to a year for their optimal growth and development. Night feedings are also important for sleep hormone regulation in breastfed babies. There is a lot of melatonin in the breastmilk at night.

Putting young babies on a strict sleep schedule that eliminates feedings before they are naturally ready can interfere with their growth and with the lactating parent's production of breastmilk.  

If you have questions about when to wean at night and if your baby needs breastmilk or formula for adequate growth, you will want to talk to your pediatrician, a lactation consultant and/ or sleep coach with expertise in infant feeding to help you make this decision. 

Habit #4 SET UP A SLEEP FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT

A sleep-friendly environment is a relaxing sleep environment that helps cue your body that it is time for sleep.

You don't need a lot - just make a comfortable place to sleep. Turn off all electronics so that your body can release the appropriate sleep hormones at the right time. Use darkness to your advantage to help your body relax and release your sleep hormones. Block out any noise with a white noise machine to help relax your brain and decrease the distractions that might interfere with you being able to fall asleep AND stay asleep. 

Those are the key principles in developing good sleep habits. 

The better your family’s sleep habits are going into Daylight Saving Time, the less of an effect it will have on you and your child.

If you are getting 8 hours of sleep at night and feel rested when you wake up in the morning,  you aren’t going to have as much problem adjusting.  if you are already experiencing sleep debt, well -  this is going to be a harder time for you. And just so you know, sleep coaching isn’t just for babies. It’s not too late for YOU to work on these healthy sleep habits!  

Likewise - the same goes with your child. 

If your child has good sleep habits already, they will adjust quickly when something gets them out of sorts - whether it is the time change, teething, milestone growth spurts or travel. But, if your child already battles with sleep,  anything that disrupts their sleep will cause them to struggle even more. 

So, helping your child develop good sleep habits will help them - not just during time changes -  but in all areas of their little lives. And another hint here, you may just be able to AVOID the sleep training you hear so much about. (And a baby who sleeps well leads to parents who sleep well, just saying! ) 

HELPFUL TIPS FOR ADJUSTING TO THE TIME CHANGE

Maybe you have read all this way for this very information. I hope you didn't skip to the good stuff because all of the other stuff is what good sleep is made of! 

These tips will help anyone of any age who struggles with the time change. 

Just a reminder that establishing a baseline of good sleep habits will help you go into the time change WELL RESTED.

If you and/or your child have good sleep habits already, a good bedtime routine , are sleeping well and waking up easily on your own at the same time every day, you may not need to do anything at all BEFORE the time change. Your body will naturally adjust in the next few days on its own. But going to bed early the night before the time change will help you. 

If that does not describe you or your child, then read on.  Here are some other  situations that might mean you need a little more help adjusting to the time change: 

HINT: If you have a baby who wakes up really early - before your established wake time - then you are in luck because the natural jump ahead will help to put your baby's schedule back on track. (Good for you!) 

For all of the rest of us including: 

• If you have a sleepyhead - or you are one yourself - and you have trouble waking up in the morning
• If you have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. 
• If you have a job that requires you to be fresh and clear-headed on day one  on time change (what parent does that NOT fit? ) 
• If you are already living in a sleep-deprived environment ( that sounds like most of the parents I know too!) 

Then you might benefit from a

Gradual Transition To The Time Change 

1. Start the transition to an earlier bedtime and an earlier wake-up time TODAY! It is much easier to go to bed early than to wake up early. So, start at your transition to Daylight Saving Time at night.  You can do this by moving your bedtime earlier by 15 minutes each night until you reach the new bedtime. Then stay there until time change catches up with you. You will already be at your earlier bedtime before the time change if you start early enough. 

       2.  Start waking up 15 minutes earlier each day. This is harder to do , but as you transition your night sleep your body will start to adjust. When you get to waking an hour earlier, stay there until the new time change catches up with you. 

        3. On Sunday morning - after the clocks have Sprung Forward one hour- GET UP! This is really important. No matter how sleepy everyone in your household is,  go ahead and get everyone up. This is a key principal in developing good sleep habits. Waking up at the same time every day EVEN if you didn’t sleep well helps your body's natural body clock. Good sleep starts with waking up in the morning.

        4. Keep everyone very active during the day.  Staying very busy will help your child into to get too sleepy prior to their normal naptime, If they are showing signs of being ready for their nap too early, try to hold them off for 15 minutes. Gradually increase that time by 15 more minutes each day until they can make it to their regular naptime without having a meltdown.

         5. Get lots of extra sunlight during the day.  This helps your body to develop sleep and wake hormones at the new time. If you can get outside to play early in the morning this will be especially helpful, but even having breakfast in front of a sunny window will help. Playing and staying active in the sunlight will help your child get to naptime easier too.

         6. Go to bed at the NEW bedtime starting tonight. Don't give in to the temptation to go to bed early because of being too tired. And don't put your child to bed too early either. If your young child just can’t make it to bedtime,  try to hold them off for 15 minutes at a time until they gradually reach the new bedtime.  You want to avoid them being overtired because this makes it even harder to fall asleep. So, don’t force them to stay awake too long. But, falling asleep too early every night can cause them to wake up in the middle of the night or too early in the morning. Help them to gradually make it to the new bedtime. The new schedule is important to stick to if you want to  help your child adjust. 

           7. Each day after the time change, keep to a regular schedule. If your child is just is too tired,  you may need to let them have a short cat nap late in the day. But keep that brief - only 30 min - and wake up before 4:00 pm. You don’t want this nap to be too close to bedtime. Avoid times when your child could accidentally fall asleep  - like in the car or a  stroller or watching tv late in the afternoon.  

            8. Move dinner time earlier in the evening  Our bodies need to work on digestion before we go to sleep. Having a big meal too close to bedtime makes our body have to work when it should be resting.

              9. Avoid those electronics! No more needs to be said about this. (if you skipped ahead and missed the importance of this, go back and read this part!) 

There you have it - an easy plan for transitioning to the time change gradually. 

There have been multiple states pushing to eliminate the time change. I would go for that! Maybe this information will not be needed soon, But the importance of putting good sleep practices into place will never go away and you can definitely use these to help minimize the time change disruption to your family's sleep cycles  We all can use this opportunity to reevaluate our sleep habits to optimize our daily sleep. I don't know very many people who don't talk about how tired they are - especially new parents.

Maximizing your sleep will help you in all areas of parenthood.

There is a certain amount of lost sleep that comes with the territory but being in a constant state of sleep debt, doesn’t have to be the norm.

Putting good sleep habits into place for you and your children - starting this week  - will help you to prioritize good sleep for your whole family. 

If you found this helpful information, then please share this with all the sleepy and friends you have. They might just thank you. 

And, If you realize that your child is struggling more than they should with their sleep habits, DON'T KEEP STRUGGLING!  Let me help you find ways to improve sleep for your entire family in a safe and gentle way with a customized sleep plan.  Hit reply and I will help you get started or visit this link for more information

Happy Sleeping!