The start of daylight savings, or “Spring Forward,” is fast approaching!
Even people without young children lament the lost hour of sleep, those of us with children are wondering how much coffee we’ll need to survive the upheaval that is headed our way. And, with twins, there is double the chance they will get even more off-track!
Why haven’t they canceled daylight saving by now anyway? And how can you skate through the time change like a pro?
Here are our 5 strategies to try to minimize the chaos of daylight savings time!
1. Accept the change in schedule
If you’ve had your twins on a by-the-clock schedule since they were very young and they’ve always slept well, one option is to do nothing when the time changes. That is, do nothing but do put them on the new schedule once the time changes.
Sure, they will wake up early on the first day, but stick to their normal nap time(s) and bedtime and give them a few days to adjust just like we do.
2. Plan ahead
Another option is to slowly make a change to your baby’s schedule over time. If your twins are very sensitive to schedule changes, gradually adjust the schedule over the course of a few weeks. Plan approximately 2-3 weeks to make the change.
Move your twins’ schedule in 10-15 minute increments every day or every other day until their schedule has shifted a full hour. With this plan, it won’t take too long to be back on your schedule.
3. Be flexible
If your twins are somewhere in-between or you can’t adjust the schedule over the span of 2-3 weeks, split the difference and adjust the schedule just a few days prior. The time changes on a Sunday, so on Friday night, put them to bed just 15 minutes earlier and then shift all nap times on Saturday by 15 minutes.
Encourage full-length naps as much as possible to get to an earlier bedtime. Once the time changes on Sunday morning, you are only 30 minutes off your normal schedule. Shift again that day and then by Monday or Tuesday, you will be back to your present schedule.
4. Proceed with patience
Whether you adjust ahead of time or not, keep in mind that it takes about a week for anyone’s internal clock to fully adjust to the new time, similar to jet lag.
If one or both of your children begin to wake off-schedule by more than one hour, adjust their bedtime and then try the new schedule again.
5. Adjust your schedule
If your twins are already waking up too early for your taste, consider shifting their schedule before the time change and afterwards! There is no rule saying that you can’t keep going with the schedule adjustments.
The first week will likely be “off” but keeping your twins on the same schedule will be a sanity-saver! If one of your twins is a more sensitive sleeper than the other, have him or her “drive” the schedule the most and let the other adapt to his or her sibling. Following these tips will have all of you back on track in no time!
- 5 Tips for Handling Daylight Savings Time - March 4, 2020
