“We are very pleased to offer this guest post aimed at helping parents and children cope with the effects of the bi-yearly clock changes on their sleep patterns. It is a very, timely, (no pun intended) informative and practical treatment of this subject.” ~ Professor Elkind

“OMG! The time change is coming! What do I need to do?”

This is the message that I’m getting on my voice mail and in emails as well as from moms and dads all across the country. Okay let’s take a deep breath…and remember that we go through this every year. It comes and goes and we get through it just fine. You really don’t need to worry about it.

Daylight saving officially ends the first Sunday in November which this year falls on the 1st. The good news is, we gain an hour. So at 2:00 am November 1st, you will set your clock back one hour.

Who doesn’t love getting an extra hour of sleep? Unfortunately if you are a parent, you will not share the same benefits as your childless peers because your children will be waking one hour earlier.

Well don’t fret, remember we all get through it and forget about it until the next time change and it’s usually not too painful. So, with that said, what adjustments can we make to get through this as quickly and painlessly as possible?

Napping Children:

Naps: Start the naps 1/2 hour earlier than the normal nap time. For example, if your child’s original nap time was 8:30 am, then make it 8:00 am instead.

Bedtime: Since the naps are starting earlier and probably ending earlier, then you will also need to make the bedtime earlier. A 5:00 pm bedtime might be necessary especially for the younger babies taking two naps a day.

Transition Complete: As the wake time inches closer to the original, the nap times will also start occurring at the normal times once again.

Children who are not napping:

Bedtime: make it a little bit earlier, maybe a 1/2 hour if they too are getting up earlier. Once the wake time gets back to normal, so can the bedtime.

Big Kids and/or Pre-teens: Our older children and young adults will benefit from this time change. As it is these kids are at such a deficit of sleep due to early school times and late nights doing homework, any amount of extra sleep will make a difference.

Overall it takes about a week for the older kids and a little more for the younger ones to come together. The only advice for the moms and dads; get yourselves earlier to bed as well. Until next time…

-- Deborah Pedrick, Founder, FamilySleep.com and mother of Soren age 12 Familysleep is a consulting service and informational web site with a roster of experts (all moms) who consult with parents, face to face, over the phone and even via email. Familysleep's philosophy reflects that of renowned sleep expert, Dr. Marc Weissbluth, who was Pedrick's son's pediatrician over a decade ago, and is focused on helping parents become familiar with their child's healthy sleep rhythm and incorporating it as best they can into their schedule. For more info: call 203-559-4674, or visit www.familysleep.com.