Make 'fall back' sleep schedules a breeze with the Daylight Savings Assistant

Cue the coffee maker: Daylight Savings Time is coming to an end on November 3, which means clocks “fall back” an hour. While resetting the clocks twice a year has some scientific benefits — increasing daylight exposure can help boost mental health and prevent symptoms of seasonal affective disorder, for example — adjusting to the change isn’t exactly a cakewalk, especially for those of us with kids. 

While there’s no option to opt out of Daylight Savings (unless you happen to live in Arizona or Hawaii), a bit of strategic planning can help curb Daylight Savings stress for the whole family. Read on to learn why the time change can wreak havoc on your little one’s sleep — and how you can make the whole thing a little less headache-inducing.

Why the time change is so disruptive 

Daylight Savings Time (DST) starts in the spring when we set our clocks forward an hour (and as a result, the sun rises and sets later on the clock). When DST ends in November, we set our clocks back an hour to standard time, so the sun rises and sets at an earlier time. This change began as a way to help make better use of daylight — but now, it’s more of an inconvenience to most of us.

Changing the clock can seriously mess with our circadian rhythm, the internal clock that makes us tired at night and energized in the morning. The circadian rhythm relies on consistency to function optimally, so experts recommend keeping consistent sleep and wake times. “When you abruptly shift that routine by an hour, which is a lot in just one day’s time, it can really throw things off,” says Angela Holliday-Bell, M.D., a certified clinical sleep health specialist and Hatch medical advisor. 

This change can be especially tough for kids, because Dr. Holliday-Bell says they need more consistency than adults. That’s why, when you change the clock, you might notice your kid waking up earlier than usual, acting irritable, struggling to pay attention in school, or having a hard time settling down for rest. Bedtime battles, she adds, are also a common symptom of clock changes. 

The good news? You can take the edge off these symptoms, and even prevent them, by preparing your child for the clock change ahead of time.

How to make the time change less miserable

The key to curbing sleep-related problems is easing your child into the time change. “Similar to when you’re traveling across time zones, the best thing you can do is slowly adjust your child’s sleep and wake time to the time change,” says Dr. Holliday-Bell. It’s easier for a kid’s brain and body to adjust to small, incremental adjustments rather than one big, disruptive hour change. 

When DST ends, kids are theoretically going to sleep and waking up an hour later. Starting a few days before the clock changes, Dr. Holliday-Bell recommends delaying your child’s bedtime back by about 15 minutes. If you usually put your little one down at 8 PM, put them to sleep at 8:15, then 8:30, 8:45, and 9 (which will become 8 PM when you adjust your clock). Slowly push back the child’s wake time, too. 

This strategy can work for all ages — even grown-ups! — but toddlers and babies, or kids who are sensitive to changes, might benefit from a slower transition. For example, you could push back bedtime and wake-up time by ten minutes over the course of five or six days.

If you need a reminder, Hatch’s Daylight Savings Assistant has you covered. From October 31 to November 2, your child’s sleep routine will automatically shift forward by 15 minutes each day. By Sunday, November 3, they'll be back on track and ready to stick to their regular routine, seamlessly adapting to the end of Daylight Saving Time. Just opt-in on the app.

However you approach the strategy, keep your bedtime routine consistent to help your child’s circadian rhythm adjust. “Consistency helps the child connect the routine to sleep and helps the melatonin release efficiently, which can ease the transition to bed,” says Dr. Holliday-Bell.