Helping Your Child Adjust to Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time (DST) is an adjustment of the clock that occurs twice a year–in the spring and the fall–aimed to make the most of the daylight hours. The switch from daylight to “saving” time can mean drastic changes that can be difficult for children to adjust to, especially those with conditions such as autism.
In some cases, children can experience sleep deprivation as a result of DST. While an hour may not seem like a long time, it can have a huge impact, particularly if the child has difficulty sleeping to begin with. Thankfully, there are a few steps that parents can take to help their children make the time change in a healthy way.
Learning to cope with the time change requires an approach that is both subtle and a little flexible. Small changes to a routine, such as gradually adjusting bedtimes and wake-up times, can help your child become more familiar with the transition period. Having conversations about the clocks changing is key to helping your child understand more clearly when it’s time to start or stop activities. Using visual cues like clocks and calendars can be helpful in creating a better understanding of the new changes.
Explore New Routines and Sleep Strategies
It’s important for parents to build in an extra 30 minutes of down time to their child’s routine before bedtime. If your child has been used to winding down at 7:00 pm, this can gradually be moved up to 6:30 pm. Comfortable activities like reading stories or watching a low-key movie can provide a calming atmosphere for your child and give them time to adjust to the new routine. Routines should be consistent and give your child a sense of predictability to help them adjust better.
Creating an inviting atmosphere for sleep is also crucial for aiding in the adaptation process. Investing in blackout curtains and light-blocking shades can help maintain a consistent, dark sleeping environment and make sure your child is ready for rest. Using noise machines and soft music to block out loud sounds can also help create an inviting environment.
Stress the Importance of Sleep
Sleep is crucial for a healthy body and mind, both in adults and children. Good-quality sleep helps boost cognitive function and reduce the risk of health problems. Letting your child sleep an extra hour when DST begins mid-March can help them adjust to the time change more quickly. This is especially important for children with autism, as lack of sleep leads to negative consequences.
On the other hand, it’s important that your child is not getting too much sleep. This can become a problem if they are over-sleeping until noon or later and becoming overly tired as the day progresses. It’s important to take steps to encourage your child to maintain a healthy sleeping pattern that allows them to be relaxed and energized during the daylight hours.
If your child is having difficulty sleeping, experimenting with different strategies can help create the ideal environment. Experimenting with different bedtimes, naps, diet, and exercise can help your child get the best sleep possible. Staying consistent with your approach and building in extra time for your child to rest can make a huge difference in the way your child feels and functions as they cope with the time change.
Activities to Aide in the Adjustment Process
Encouraging your child to take part in activities that facilitate the adjustment period can make the overall transition easier. Fun activities, such as:
- building paper clocks
- making clocks out of craft materials
- playing games that involve reading the time
- identifying the times of normal activities
can help give children the tools they need to understand Daylight Saving Time. Creating worksheets and having conversations about why the clocks change can also be helpful.
Conclusion
Daylight Saving Time can be a confusing and tiring transition, but with a few simple steps, you can help your child cope. Explaining the concept of DST in a way that’s age-appropriate, providing visual symbols of time, and stressing the importance of sleep can make a big difference in helping your child adjust to the time change.