Here’s How to Adjust Your Child’s Sleep Schedule (and Save Your Sanity!) When We Fall Back

Crunchy leaves and a cool, crisp breeze signal the return of the fall season, and with it, the end of Daylight Saving Time. While most people get to celebrate an “extra” hour of sleep, you, intrepid parent, may find this time change to be slightly more challenging. Your baby or toddler won’t get the memo that the clocks are changing, but fear not! With some planning and patience, you may find that gradually shifting your child’s sleep schedule over the course of the week will help to make the “fall back” a breeze.

Read on to learn how.

Sleep experts recommend a slow and gentle approach to making an adjustment to your child’s schedule. In the week leading up to the time change, plan to push your kiddo’s schedule later in 10 minute increments over the course of the week. So, for your child’s first nap, put them down 10 minutes later than usual. The rest of your little one’s sleep schedule (naps and bedtime) will now be 10 minutes later for the first day. Each day, push an additional 10 minutes later for all naps and bedtimes. These gradual shifts should move your child’s wake time later (in the hopes that the dreaded morning isn’t so painful).

You know your child best, so use this guide as a starting point. Is your child sensitive to change? No worries! Try taking it slower and adjusting over the course of 10 minutes every few days. On the flip side, if your child adjusts quickly, you could aim to start mid-week and push back in 15-minute increments up until Sunday. Use this chart to guide your daily adjustments, but feel free to adapt it to your little one's routine, like adding or removing naps or using your regular bedtime as a starting place.

Remember, you’ve got some handy tools in your parenting toolbox with your Hatch Rest: Time-for-Bed to cue your little one for bedtime, and the trusty Time-to-Rise to remind them to stay in bed. And if all else fails, we’ll always have coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.

One more thing! All your Hatch devices will automatically adjust to the new time — it's one less thing to worry about. If you have any questions about what to expect from your Rest when the time changes, head to our help center.

In the meantime, do your parenting community a solid and share this chart far and wide!