Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the practice of setting the clocks forward one hour from standard time during the summer months, and back again in the fall, to make better use of natural daylight.
The result is lighter afternoons in spring and summer because, on the clock, the Sun sets an hour later. Unfortunately, this also shifts your baby’s bedtime by an hour, and helping your toddler sleep can prove difficult.
Even though it’s only an hour’s difference, the time change acts like a mini-jetlag that affects your baby’s circadian rhythm, making early risers even earlier or interrupting scheduled sleep times.
Upcoming DST switches in your city
Obviously, you can’t explain to a baby or toddler what Daylight Saving Time is or why it's still light outside at sleep time (or the reverse at the fall time change).
But there are some things you can do ahead of time to make the DST change easier and boost the quality of your baby’s sleep. Here are four sleep tips for your bedtime routine:
Some babies and toddlers are more sensitive to time changes than others. As for adults, switching to and from Daylight Saving Time messes with their circadian rhythm and might interfere with their internal body clock.
Luckily, most kids tend to settle into the time change within a week or two. So remember that switching to or from DST is usually a temporary setback to your baby’s sleep schedule.