Some kids have no problems sleeping, but for the ones that do, where the parents have worked hard to get them on that perfect schedule with a 6:30am wake-time, November 3rd (when Daylight Savings Ends) is a dreaded day thinking about them waking up at 5:30am instead! There are a few tips that can help with this transition to “Fall Back”.
Some children do just fine with sleeping, and their internal clock will adjust itself (just like ours does), so if you have a little one that doesn’t struggle with sleep and change, you can probably just let them adjust naturally and they’ll be back on the right track in a few days.
Those that have a little more trouble, my best advice is to move up their entire schedule in 15-minute increments for 4 days and for those that really have a hard time with change, move the schedule up even more gradually, like 15 minutes every 2-3 days.
For Instance, the following schedule is an example for a child on 2 naps (anywhere from 8 months-2 years). Besides your sleeping schedule you’ll want to adjust meal times also.
They will still wake up at 6:30 on the 1st day, but you can let them play in their bed for 15 minutes or so, and you’ll just adjust everything (including their meal times) 15 minutes later throughout the day.
| Current Schedule | October 30th | October 31st | November 1st | November 2nd | November 3rd |
| 6:30am Wake-Time | 6:45am Wake-Time | 7:00am Wake-Time | 7:15am Wake-Time | 7:30am Wake-Time | 6:30am Wake-Time |
| 8:30am Nap 1 | 8:45am Nap 1 | 9:00am Nap 1 | 9:15am Nap 1 | 9:30am Nap 1 | 8:30am Nap 1 |
| 1:30pm Nap 2 | 1:45pm Nap 2 | 2:00pm Nap 2 | 2:15pm Nap 2 | 2:30pm Nap 2 | 1:30pm Nap 2 |
| 6:30pm Bedtime | 6:45pm Bed | 7:00pm Bed | 7:15pm Bed | 7:30pm Bed | 6:30pm Bed |
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me! 623-824-5427 or krissy@monkeyroosleep.com
