2023 Daylight Savings Spring*
Happy Daylight Savings 2023! We are shifting forward = losing an hour.
I’ll tell you right now, I am pro- getting rid of daylight savings. It was put in place to make humans more productive because we all know that once the sun goes down, the day is over and it’s time to wind down.
GUESS WHAT?!
☀️ Our bodies want it that way! We should be waking with the sunrise and sleeping at sunset. 🌙
However, that doesn’t quite track with how we live our lives these days! (Mostly because of our work schedules. 😒)
So! That aside, the least we can do is try to mediate the jet-lag symptoms that are associated with the time change. This goes for our children and us.
A time change confuses our circadian system, our internal clock, and so getting back on track afterwards can be a pain, but the strategies I list below can curb some of that!
Will something bad happen if you don’t do anything?
Absolutely not.
Will there be lasting negative effects if you don’t do anything?
Nope.
Will it make things a little easier on your babe? Yes.
Doing things in gradual steps is always a good option instead of just going cold turkey.
That philosophy definitely applies to getting ready for daylight savings.
Now this method works, because instead of your baby all of
a sudden going to bed 1 hour late and being confused and tired,
they gradually go to bed later and later so they don’t really
notice the difference and BAM, everything is back to normal.
This March 12th 2023, we will be “springing forward” 1 hour (losing one hour),
so here is the game plan if you want to try it.
*I am putting this out early because there are a couple
different options and depending which one you want to do,
you can start a little earlier in the week.*
Plan #1 “Slow and steady start”
This one is gradual, so you could start this 1 week ahead of time.
If you can’t start for another couple days, no worries this can still be
effective if you start at least by Thursday. The plan is:
-you are simply pushing wake time, naps and bedtimes 10 minutes EARLIER every day.
Very small increments each day until you reach your end-goal schedule
by the last day- so when we move forward 1 hour, the next day’s schedule is no problem :)
How much you move each day will depend on how many nights you give yourself.
Wake windows will stay the same.
If you give yourself the whole week… you move bedtime each night by 10 minutes.
Here is an example:
If you give yourself from Wednesday-Sunday instead, you just bump all these times a little bit earlier each night.
Plan #2 “Go with the flow”
This option is great for people with older children and allows you
to forget about the time change and just go with the flow of the new times.
This option only works for some families because it requires a certain level
of schedule flexibility throughout the day. Your child will wake up an
hour later and go to bed an hour later. Here is an example:
This option doesn’t work well with families that have younger children.
Babies and toddlers can get those “second winds” if they stay awake past
that sweet spot bedtime between 7-8pm.
So a more gradual option like Plan #1 works great instead.
Plan #3 “Split the Difference”
This is a faster version of option #1 if you don’t have all week
to gradually move schedules and only want to work over the weekend!
So Saturday you do your normal schedule, Sunday you wake your babe
half an hour early (it’ll look like half an hour later).
Then if you keep wake windows the same, everything else through
the day shifts, with a half an hour earlier bedtime.
Then the next day, you stick to your old schedule times (even though they are an hour later).
This gives your babe some time to adjust but it’s not as drawn out as option #1.
Conclusion -
Again, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t end up doing any of this.
Obviously the jet lag effects don’t last super long, we get used to it and so will your child.
These are just some options if you feel like trying it out.
Message me if you have any questions about any of these options,
I am more than happy to guide you through!
Also, World Sleep Day is in a couple weeks:
March 17th!!! Also St. Patrick’s Day!
Keep an eye out for an announcement with details closer to the day! I’m going to be giving away 3 celebration baskets filled with sleep + celebration items so you can celebrate World Sleep Day along with me at home. 🥳 Items/activities for both kids and parents. 😃
Your Sleep Consultant,
-Marina
