The 15-minute Daylight Saving Time hack to keep kids' sleep on track
An easy sleep solution for parents managing Daylight Saving Time changes with young kids
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We give our kids a week to adjust to a new sleep schedule before shifting the clocks for Daylight Saving Time, and it’s a lifesaver. Moving everything forward or back by 15 minutes each day makes all the difference.
The Daylight Saving struggle: Keeping kids on a sleep routine
When we went through our first Daylight Saving Time with the kids, we had just come out of weeks of sleep training — hours spent adhering to a regimen of consistent bedtimes, nap times and techniques to get the kids back to sleep in the middle of the night. Blackout curtains, white noise, sleep swaddles and sacks. It worked wonders. The kids were sleeping straight through the night, for about 12 hours each night, plus consistent naps during the day.
Then, just as we felt like we had conquered this huge step, we got the notification: it was time to change our clocks for Daylight Saving Time.
My first thought was: YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. We hadn’t planned for this. All our hard work down the drain!
But it happens like clockwork, twice a year every year. Our clocks and our sleep get pushed an hour forward or backward, depending on the season, and we do our best to get our bodies and bedtimes on board.
We’re used to it, as much as we can be. But what happens when it’s a baby or toddler and you’ve just spent a ton of time and energy on getting their sleep schedules perfect?
Our simple 15-minute solution for a smooth time change
We found a technique that works great. It's almost no extra work for us and it's an easy adjustment for the babies. And, it turns out, it’s a good method to use on us adults as well.
It’s simple. One week before the time change, start moving bedtime, nap time, and wake time in the opposite direction the clocks will be changing — spring forward, fall back — by increments of 15 minutes each day, until you get to that hour difference.
Here’s an example for the fall time change, where we move our clocks back one hour, using these sample times:
Bedtime: 7:30 p.m.
Wake time: 7:30 a.m.
Nap time: 1:00 p.m.
Starting on Monday the week of the time change, we shift everything forward by 15 minutes. So their 7:30 bedtime and wake time moves to 7:45, and their 1:00 nap time moves to 1:15.
Then, on Tuesday, we shift it by another 15 minutes — 8:00 bedtime and wake time, 1:30 nap time.
Wednesday, another 15 minutes. And by Thursday, you’ve completed the hour.
Once we get to that hour mark, we stick with that schedule for the rest of the week, so that when the weekend time change officially happens, the kids have already settled into their new sleep routine. That later bedtime and wake time falls back to normal.
For the spring time change, follow the same guidelines, but instead of moving things forward in 15-minute intervals, move them back. Then, when the time change happens, you spring forward to normal.
It works amazingly well for us. It feels like no extra work, other than calculating those 15 minutes. And the girls’ sleep doesn't take a hit at all.
We’ve also tried it for ourselves as adults, and found that it made the time shift a little easier. For those who are extra sensitive to the time change, this could be a good strategy to try. It's also a great technique to use when traveling between time zones.
Alternative approaches for a smooth adjustment
We’ve seen some who recommend starting the 15-minute shifts just 4 days before the time change, so that the final shift lines up with the day the clocks change. We don’t love that approach mainly because we like having the whole week to build up to it and having those few extra days at the end for the kids’ bodies to settle in to the new sleep pattern. Plus, if our sleep is disrupted as parents, it's easier to support the kids during their adjustment when we're still on our regular schedule.
Of course, either approach could work depending on your situation, but we’ve found that it’s best for us when we start on a Monday or Tuesday.
If you’re in a pinch, you could try a schedule with fewer days and a larger time-shifting interval. For example, moving the sleep schedule by 20 minutes per day for three days. We’ve always gone with 15, but the extra 5 minutes should be fine!
As with almost everything in parenting, this comes down to what works best for your child(ren) and your family. Sleep is such an important part of the day/night, so whatever works, go with that.
And of course, try not to stress about it. The kids will adjust eventually, even if it takes some extra time. This is just one tip we fall back on to try to make the process a little smoother.
Before we know it, another notification will pop up, reminding us that the clocks are shifting yet again. With just a few days of planning, Daylight Saving Time can be one less obstacle between the kids and a good night’s sleep — and between us and feeling fully rested. And if things don’t go perfectly, remember: you’re not alone! All of us have been in that same groggy boat, just doing our best as the time changes.
Hoping your schedule brings brighter mornings, smoother nights and a little more rest for everyone.
Proud dads of twin daughters, based in Chicago. Their children's book, You Come from Love, is out now. Find daily updates of their family adventures on TikTok and Instagram! Email/DM for inquiries.