How to Get the Kids to Bed Without a Headache When Daylight Saving Ends

Fall has arrived in all its autumnal splendor, and that means the end of Daylight Saving Time isn’t far behind. While your little ones are busy marveling at how great hot chocolate tastes or wondering why the leaves fall off the trees, they certainly aren’t considering the bedtime consequences of turning the clocks back. And, let’s face it: Daylight Saving and baby sleep schedules aren’t exactly friends. 

Luckily for them, you’re considering those consequences right now. And, luckily for you, we’ve got the perfect guide to seamlessly shift your little one’s bedtime so that when the clocks fall back an hour the kiddos won’t even notice. 

The trick behind this method is simple: Gradually moving your baby or toddler’s wake up, nap, and bedtimes up 10 minutes a day, starting a week before the November 5th change. For instance, on October 30th they’ll wake up and go to sleep 10 minutes later than usual.  Continue adding 10 minute increments each day until they’re waking up and going to sleep an hour later than usual. Then, when the time change hits, they’ll be perfectly in sync with their normal baby sleep schedule. Voila, you’ve just out-parented Father Time himself – go you! 

Here’s a handy chart of exactly when your child needs to wake, nap, and sleep for you to follow:

It goes without saying that every family and little one is different, so tailor this guide however you need to to make the most of it. If a week of moving sleep schedules proves too much for them (or you), try moving up their sleep schedule by 15 minutes a day, starting on Wednesday, November 1st. Whichever path you choose, your kids should wake up feeling well rested on Sunday morning, giving them a full day to play and letting you keep your sanity intact. 

Pro Tip: This chart isn’t just for babies – you can use it too, dear tired parents. The end of Daylight Saving Time can be tough on your circadian rhythm, and might even disrupt your sleep for up to a week. Counter this by adjusting your wake up and bed times just like your little ones to be the best rested family on the block Sunday morning. If you’re taking a daily nap, adjust that time, too, and then please tell us your secret for napping with kids in the house! 

If you’re using Hatch sleep devices like a Rest+ 2nd Gen or Rest Go for your baby, or a Restore 2 sunrise alarm clock for yourself, adjusting sleep schedules gets even easier. You can set and adjust bedtime reminders, nighttime sounds, and gentle wake up alarms for all your Hatch devices quickly within the Hatch Sleep app to ensure you’re all on the same page when it comes to defeating the fall “fall back” and staying well rested.