How to Prep Your Baby for Daylight Savings Time

When the clocks change for Daylight Saving Time (DST), even a one-hour shift can throw off your baby’s delicate sleep rhythm. Because infants rely heavily on light, feeding times, and consistent routines to regulate their internal clocks, that missing (or extra) hour can lead to early wake-ups, bedtime battles, or overtiredness.¹ Here’s how to prepare your baby for the transition using research-backed strategies.

Why Daylight Saving Time Disrupts Baby Sleep

A baby’s circadian rhythm — their internal 24-hour body clock — is strongly influenced by light exposure and timing of daily routines.² When clocks “spring forward” or “fall back,” the external schedule shifts instantly, but your baby’s body clock takes several days to catch up.

A study of infants aged 4–24 months found that DST transitions significantly affected sleep timing and mid-sleep periods, even when total nighttime sleep didn’t drastically change.³ Parents also reported increased stress and difficulty settling their babies during the days surrounding the time change.⁴ Research confirms that light is the strongest cue (zeitgeber) for regulating circadian rhythms after birth, and consistent exposure patterns help realign the infant clock more quickly.⁵

Evidence-Based Tips to Smooth the Transition

1. Shift your schedule gradually.
Start adjusting your baby’s bedtime and wake time 4–6 days before the time change. Move bedtime by 10–15 minutes each day — earlier in spring (“spring forward”) or later in fall (“fall back”) — until your schedule matches the new clock. Studies and pediatric sleep specialists note that gradual shifts reduce overtiredness and make adaptation easier.⁶

2. Use light strategically.
Natural light is your best tool for resetting your baby’s circadian rhythm. After the time change, expose your baby to bright morning light as soon as possible after waking, and keep lights dim in the evening.⁷ During “spring forward,” keep blackout curtains closed until your baby’s normal internal wake time; in “fall back,” open them earlier to help move bedtime later.

3. Keep daytime naps and routines consistent.
Stable nap times, feeding schedules, and bedtime rituals buffer against disruption. Babies who maintain predictable patterns of sleep and wake times adapt faster and experience fewer night wakings.⁸ Avoid introducing new routines during this period — familiarity helps your baby’s brain and body recalibrate.

4. Stay patient and consistent.
Even with preparation, most babies need 3–7 days to adjust fully. In a recent review, pediatric sleep consultants found that infants without schedule preparation took up to two weeks to return to baseline sleep patterns.⁹ Keep your approach steady — overtiredness resolves faster when your baby’s environment and expectations remain consistent.

5. Tailor your plan to your baby’s age.
Younger infants (under six months) are more flexible and often adjust with minor cues, while older babies and toddlers benefit most from gradual schedule shifts and strong environmental consistency.¹⁰

Additional Sleep Help

Daylight Saving Time can challenge even the best sleepers — but with small, intentional adjustments, your baby’s internal clock will soon catch up. If your baby never did sleep 10-12 hours through the night independently, or if your baby experiences a longer sleep regression after DST, consult a baby sleep specialist to help you maximize consistent, uninterrupted and independent sleep for your little one.

Footnotes

1. Nanit Lab Research: Daylight Saving Time and Sleep in Children (4–24 months of age) (2024).
   
   

2. Serón-Ferré M. et al., “Development of Circadian Rhythms in Infants,” Frontiers in Endocrinology (2019).
   
   

3. Sleep Study Abstract: “Daylight Saving Time and Infant Sleep Midpoint Shifts,” Sleep, 2024.
   
   

4. “Parental Stress and Infant Sleep Around DST Changes,” Sleep Supplement, 2024.
   
   

5. PMC Article: “Light as the Major Entrainer of Circadian Rhythm Postnatally” (2018).
   
   

6. TG Health System: “How to Prepare Your Baby for Daylight Saving Time,” 2024.
   
   

7. Huckleberry Care: “Spring Ahead: How Daylight Saving Affects Young Children,” 2024.
   
   

8. Pampers Parenting Science Series: “Adjusting Baby’s Sleep for Daylight Savings Time,” 2024.
   
   

9. TG Health System Review, 2024.
   
   

10. Huckleberry Care: “How Daylight Saving Affects Babies and Toddlers,” 2024.