BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM

Every spring, clocks jump forward by an hour and parents everywhere brace for impact. Daylight saving time has a special talent for disrupting even the most carefully built sleep routines, especially when babies and toddlers are involved.

The challenge isn’t just losing an hour. Young children run on internal body clocks that don’t instantly adjust when the wall clock changes. The result can be early wake-ups, fussy bedtimes, or a few days of puzzling nap schedules.

The encouraging news is that a little planning can make the transition much easier for everyone. With a few small shifts ahead of time, many families can move through the time change with minimal disruption.

Why daylight saving time affects kids more than adults

Adults understand the time change intellectually. We see the clock move forward and adjust accordingly, but this time of year can still be frustrating for our own bodies. Babies and toddlers, on the other hand, rely almost entirely on their internal rhythm.

“Your baby’s internal clock won’t change along with your household clocks,” explained Nicole Johnson, lead sleep consultant and owner of The Baby Sleep Site. “And while we adults can process the time change and still get ourselves up on our normal wake-up time even after we ‘spring ahead,’ your baby or young toddler will not.”

That difference explains why children often feel the shift more intensely. But their routines can adapt fairly quickly when changes happen gradually rather than all at once.

For easygoing sleepers, less intervention may be enough

Some babies and toddlers barely notice the change. If your child tends to adapt well to new routines, you may not need to prepare much at all. According to Johnson, a few slightly off nights can happen, but many children settle back into their usual patterns within several days.

Families with more sensitive sleepers, however, often benefit from adjusting the schedule before the clocks change.

How to ease babies into the time change

For infants and younger babies, the most effective strategy is shifting their routine slowly.

“In general,” Johnson said, “we tend to wait until a day or two before the time changes to start moving a baby’s schedule gradually.”

The idea is simple: adjust daily activities like wake time, naps, feedings, and bedtime by about fifteen minutes at a time. Continue nudging the schedule in small increments until it lines up with the new clock.

“For example,” Johnson explained, “if your baby usually wakes at 6 a.m. and you’d like to keep it that way, work towards having them get up closer to 5 a.m. (and shift everything else back, too).”

After daylight saving time begins, that earlier wake-up time becomes roughly 6 a.m. again. Because the adjustment happened gradually, babies often handle the shift with fewer overtired evenings or disrupted naps.

Helping toddlers adjust without bedtime battles

Toddlers can sometimes need a little more runway before the time change arrives. “Depending on age and flexibility of the child,” Johnson noted, “we sometimes start a week before the time change to change their schedule.”

If you want the smoothest transition, begin three to four days ahead of time. Move naps, meals, and bedtime by about fifteen minutes each day.

“For the smoothest transition,” Johnson said, “start at least three to four days before the time changes and shift your toddler’s schedule starting with nap time by 15 minutes.”

One important detail: change the whole schedule, not just bedtime.

“It’s important not to just move bedtime—that can make a mess,” Johnson explained.

Adjusting meals and naps helps the body clock shift naturally throughout the day rather than forcing a sudden change at night.

What to do about early wake-ups

If your child already wakes very early, daylight saving time may not solve the problem automatically. In fact, it can sometimes amplify it.

Early rising is often linked to overtiredness. Losing an hour of sleep can make that pattern more noticeable.

Johnson suggests watching daytime sleep closely during the transition. A short extra nap, sometimes called a “catnap”, can help prevent overtired evenings.

“See if your baby or toddler will take an extra catnap during the day to take the edge off of the over-tiredness and get her back on track at bedtime,” she said.

Keeping naps consistent and protecting bedtime routines helps children settle into the new schedule more smoothly.

Small adjustments now can save sleep later

Preparing for daylight saving time may feel like extra work, but many parents find the gradual approach easier than dealing with several weeks of disrupted mornings.

“This might sound like a ton of work,” Johnson said, “but in our experience, it’s so much more palatable than not doing anything and continue having her wake way too early.”

A few small schedule shifts spread over several days can make the clock change feel far less dramatic. And once everyone’s internal clock catches up, your child’s familiar sleep rhythm often returns right along with it.

Did this solution stand out? Share it with a friend or support our mission by becoming an Emissary.