For the past few weeks mornings and bedtime have become more and more difficult in my house.  In previous years I don’t remember Sophia really being affected by daylight savings, but for some reason this year it’s painful!  Each morning around 6:30am I hear a faint voice coming from down the hall, “Mom, is it wake-up time yet?”  Suddenly the days of getting ready without the three year old are over.  Then comes bedtime and the battle begins, “Mom, it’s not dark out yet and I’m not sleepy.”

I emailed my friends over at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital who connected me with Dr. John Schuen, who board certified doctor who specializes in sleep medicine.  Here are some words of advice he gave me and any parent who is dreading springing forward this year.

• It’s natural for kids to impacted by the light outside. We are impacted by light. Light enters the brain and effect hormones that influence wakefulness or tiredness.

• Children can typically adjust to one hour difference fairly easy. It does take preparation.

• Parents should try to get their little one to bed a little earlier on Saturday night. Start by backing up. Could start a day or two before.  Depends on how well your child deals with change, do it earlier and smaller increments of ½ hour at a time.

• The time change backs up everything you ordinarily do to get ready for bed, including bathtime, reading books, etc.  So, playing the Wii isn’t a good idea.

• Sleep hygiene is very important, especially at times like daylight savings time, the end of summer vacation, etc. Sleep hygiene is his biggest piece of advice for parents, regardless of a child’s age.
 
• Keep a regular sleep schedule and avoid extremes on weekends. Having a regular bedtime increases the likelihood that kids, including teens, will get optimal sleep.
 
• Create a sleep environment that is cool, quiet, dimly lit and comfortable.
 
• Keep television, video games and other electronics out of the bedroom. Avoid using them within one hour of bedtime.
 
• Eliminate or reduce caffeine before bedtime and make sure your kids are eating well.

Photo courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/h_is_for_home/2460111952/