Reminder: Daylight Savings is Ending

Here’s your gentle reminder that Daylight Savings is ending this Sunday. What do you do to help with time change transitions?

It can feel challenging for all of us, especially those of us with young kids, so I wanted to share some tips that I found from Dr. Daniel Lewin, associate director of sleep medicine at Children’s National Health System in Washington, D.C.

These tips are what we’ll be doing in our house—give them a try and report back!

😴 Gradually shift your child’s bedtime and wake time back by 15 minutes everyday this week. This creates less of a shock to the body and is easier to handle than a sudden hour-long shift. This will help us adults, too.

😴 Start to dim lights and turn off electronic screens 30-60 minutes earlier than usual. This helps to disengage the brain from the stimulation the lights cause—it helps your brain to start slowing down.

😴 Stick to a routine. As chaotic as life can feel sometimes, children thrive with structure. Whatever your bedtime routine is, stick with it—just shift it back a little as the week goes on. Our routine includes baths, picking out clothes for the next day, the clean-up game, and you guessed it: cuddling up and reading together before lights out.

💖 Ultimately, Dr. Lewin recommends increasing your patience and your empathy as much as possible in the days after Daylight Savings ends. He also reminds us all to slow down and take care of ourselves as well; pouring from a full cup is easier.

There’s a rumor going around that this time manipulation practice will end in Texas and several other states. Would you rather have summertime daylight hours or wintertime daylight hours?