With the end of daylight saving time approaching, many look forward to the blissful extra hour of sleep. But for parents of early risers, “falling back” can mean waking up even earlier, as kids adjust to their new schedule, turning those extra z’s into a daily struggle.
Daylight saving time will end on Nov. 3 at 2 a.m. local time, prompting most Canadians to turn their clocks back an hour. However, the Yukon, most of Saskatchewan, and some regions of British Columbia and Quebec will remain on standard time.
This schedule change has the potential to impact not only parents’ sleep but also a child’s overall mood, focus and learning throughout the day, explained Dr. Anya McLaren, a pediatric respirologist and sleep medicine physician at McMaster University in Hamilton.
“For young children who have early wake times sometimes, anywhere between 6 a.m. or 7 a.m., when we go into we transition from daylight savings times to standard time, that can impact their wake time,” McLaren told Global News.
“They end up getting up at their usual time for the first few weeks, and if a child wakes at 6 a.m., then they would be getting up at 5 a.m. And this can obviously impact parental sleep.”
Heather Plante, an Alberta-based sleep consultant, explained that during time changes like the “fall back,” parents may notice their young children becoming more clingy, fussy and frustrated, with more frequent crying than usual.
“For babies younger than a year, they may be less co-ordinated and less able to do the things that they used to do. They don’t enjoy the same things that they did before. That’s just a matter of getting them more sleep,” she said.
Even a one-hour time change can be quite challenging for children, Plante said. Patience is key, as it may take a few weeks for kids to fully adjust.
Here are some tips to help your family better manage the end of daylight saving time.
When the clocks go back an hour on Sunday, it may be tempting to let kids adjust to the schedule all at once. However, Plante recommends a gradual approach, shifting their schedule by just 10 to 15 minutes each day to help ease the transition.
Get weekly health news
Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.
“It’s a slow process because you’re trying to change their circadian rhythm. And their circadian rhythm is a very set time of when they get tired,” Plante said. “So when you try to change that, you can’t do it all at once because you’re pushing them into their second wind.”
When children catch a “second wind,” cortisol levels rise, Plante said, which can take up to an hour to subside, making it harder for them to fall asleep.
By slightly adjusting bedtime, you’ll start to notice in two to three days that they’re gradually adapting.
Delay the early morning wake
Adjusting bedtime is one thing, but your child may still wake up at the crack of dawn, unaware — or unfazed — that the clocks have turned back.
When a child wakes up too early, respond as if it were the middle of the night. Avoid rocking, feeding or any habits that might encourage them to expect the same each time they wake. Instead, gently reassure them, say “I love you,” and encourage them back to sleep, Plante explained.
“But then when it becomes the right time to get up in the morning, if they’re still awake, walk into the room and do a dramatic wake-up, turn the lights on, open the window, say, ‘Hey, good morning sweetheart!’ and then they will be excited to see you will understand it’s time to get up,” she said.
If your child has fallen back asleep, she said, let them sleep until they wake up.
The time adjustment can be a real challenge for parents of early-rising toddlers, especially when it comes to nap schedules. If your little one relies on one, two or even three naps a day, these tips can help you adjust their routine smoothly.
While it might be tempting to adjust your child’s nap schedule to accommodate for the time change, Plante it’s best to stick to their routine. Avoid shortening, lengthening or eliminating naps — and try and keep it as regular as possible.
“You want to tackle naps the same as you do the night, pushing everything forward by 15 minutes every day … getting the nap in during the daytime is very important because if you don’t, then it throws off your bedtime completely.”
To create a dark and calming sleep environment, use blackout curtains or shades. A sound machine with a gentle ocean sound can also help.
The key is to watch for your child’s sleepy cues. Keep track of their wake window and don’t push them past their tiredness point.
“Watching for those cues is very, very important because then you know they’re ready for sleep. If you’re missing that window … they often have a shorter nap and it just creates a vicious cycle,” Plante added.
— with files from Global News’ Katherine Ward
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.