It’s that time of the year again! Daylight saving comes around and we’ve all got to set our clocks forward an hour.

Remembering the phrase ‘Spring forward, Fall back’ helps me figure out how to set the clock. It’s way easier than Winston Churchill’s “An extra yawn one morning in the springtime, an extra snooze one night in the autumn is all that we ask in return for dazzling gifts.

We borrow an hour one night in April; we pay it back with golden interest five months later.”  But this rather lewd one from David Letterman is also quite memorable, “Don’t forget it's daylight saving time. You spring forward, then you fall back. It's like Robert Downey Jr. getting out of bed.” 

But in all honesty, the start and end of daylight saving time can be an absolute nightmare for parents. You’ve spent all this time getting your baby’s or toddler’s nap and bedtime routines sorted and then everything changes!

It’s not just the first few nights after the clocks change either, because this sleep pattern disruption can cause havoc for weeks!

Sam the Lamb Sleep trainer Clock pictured

Getting Your Kids Sleeping During Daylight Saving Changes

We’ve put together a great selection of ideas to help your child adjust to daylight savings changes.

• Prepare, prepare! Easy to say and hard to remember, but adjust their bedtime 10 or 15 minutes before or after their normal bedtime (depending on whether it is the start or end of daylight savings time). 
• Keep it dark! Using  Blackout Blinds keeps things nice and dark, helping to encourage sleep. In fact, they are perfect for daytime naps too! Much cheaper than blackout curtains, these blackout blinds are portable and can fit any a huge range of window sizes.
• Teach the time. A  Sleep Trainer Clock helps your child stay in bed until it’s time to get up. Stop those 4am questions of “can I have some breakfast” or “can you turn on the TV” by helping them learn when it’s bedtime and when it’s playtime.
• Breathe deeply. Now this bit of advice is just for parents. It takes time for our kids to adjust their internal body clocks. The extra temper tantrums and grumpiness from our kids is only short lived. So if you get frustrated, just take some calming breaths and remember that in about a week, everything will have sorted itself out.

For some more great tips and ideas on adjusting to the change in daylight savings, make sure you join our Facebook group! We’re a non-judgemental bunch of parents who love helping one another.