While I always appreciate the extra hour of sleep in the Fall, when we “fall back,” that is, we set our clocks back an hour, the one in the Spring doesn’t really bug me that much.  I mean, it’s not like I get enough sleep, anyway, so what’s an hour here or there?

But it does mess with our kids’ schedules.  Depending on the time of year, we find them getting sleepy early, perhaps nodding off during dinner, or running around like…well, non-sleepy children when it’s bedtime.

Daylight Savings is this Saturday/Sunday–earlier than it’s ever been before.  I think it’s upposed to somehowe help the economy if we get extra hours to shop in the daylight–a theory which makes no sense whatsoever, but hey, I just do what they tell me.  Anyway, what can we or should we do for our kids to keep that lost hour from messing things up too badly?

• Nothing.  It’s a little bit inconvenient, but they’ll adjust eventually, within a week or so.  It’s probably more important to keep to a schedule that’s set by the clock, rather than the sun.  If bedtime is 8:00, then it should always be 8:00, whether or not we’ve sprung forward or fallen back.
• Compensate.  A few days ahead of time, perhaps Wednesday or Thursday, get your bedtime routine started 15 or 20 minutes early.  Kids won’t notice it that much, and it won’t put you out that much.  By the time they’ve lost the hour, they’ve accumulated enough extra sleep that it shouldn’t be that big a deal to settle things back at normal bedtimes.
• Take a Nap.  There’s nothing better than a Sunday afternoon nap, anyway, but if you’re missing that hour, stretch out on the couch with a kid snuggled up next to you.  If they don’t take naps anymore, have some quiet time.  They can even make a fort or tent and camp out in their sleeping bags during quiet time.  You’ll be surprised how often even older kids fall asleep if they’re tired enough.

We deal with this in some form twice a year, but still, missed sleep or disturbed sleep patterns can affect our health, our mood, and those of our kids.  It doesn’t hurt to prepare for it and make it as painless as possible.

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