BTDT Moms - Time Change

smushi

Moms of toddlers who had pretty set sleep schedules, talk to me about time changes.  We're 'falling back' this weekend, and DS at 18 months old goes to bed around 7pm each night and wakes up promptly at 6am (he makes an excellent alarm clock).  I remember we did this last year, but he was much younger and we had that whole 'morning nap' thing to look forward to.

amaniupendo

Our kid (4) has always had an easier time dealing with time changes than us. We just stick with the clock in timing things. Mine is super flexible though and goes to bed at different times every night.

Good Luck.

kynbar5

Mine all go to bed at 8 on week nights and 9 on weekends. Wake at 6 during the week and 7 on weekends. Since the time change is on Sunday this year we'll probably just stick to the schedule and maybe go to bed a little early Sunday night. None of mine usually have a hard time adjusting thankfully.

oceanchild

Ugh all I can say is I hate time changes. We are also driving back and forth between central and eastern time zones this weekend, so that should make things interesting too LOL

cmerribury

We struggle with sleep with our son no matter what. So when the time change happens we actually resort to a 2 week melatonin "reset" at the suggestion of his doctor (he gets the lowest dose possible, only 1 mg). Before doing this we would find him wandering the house alone in the dark. One time he got a black eye from running into a door knob. Poor boy.

oceanchild

@SarahFoley725 beat me to the meme, @smushi - it's on the random thread
My kids will be up extra early. Yaayyyy

kynbar5

Ugh indeed because that makes it so much harder to handle. My in laws are in Ga so I know how you feel with that time change as it is (we drive 15 hrs). I don't think I'd want to add the fall time change on top of it!

oceanchild

Aw @cmerribury poor guy!

ClaireBear90

Never really had an issue with it with either kid. The clock changes, but our schedule doesn't immediately. We all gradually shift to the new time. Little kids do not understand the concept . . . an extra hour of sleep? Who wants that?!

skruhmin

Don't forget that time change night is right after Halloween.  So just let your kid stay up a little extra tomorrow night - like 30 minutes or so.  If you have blackout shades, use them (maybe extra blanket over the window if you don't).  In the past I've worked up to time change starting a week before - just let them go to bed 10 minutes later every night and they adjust automatically.  Didn't think about doing that this week.

maelic

It's going to be sooooo dark Monday morning. The sun's barely coming up at 7 when our daughter wakes up as it is, it's going to feel like the middle of the damn night. Boo.

oceanchild

It's pitch dark already when Ev gets on the bus at 6:15! But I think this means it will be lighter now right? Or am I backwards?

oceanchild

My brain cannot handle all the calculations lmao

kynbar5

It'll be darker. That's the part I hate too. Two of my kids get on the bus at 6:50 and it's dark but you can see the sun barely starting to come up. Not after the time change though.

lcq5504

You all make me soooooo happy to live in AZ right now, we don't use DST \:D/

skruhmin

flowerpower5838

What does BTDT mean? Something about either second+ time moms or toddlers, but I just can't crack the acronym for the life of me.

amaniupendo

I'll be dark early at night and light earlier in the morning.

skruhmin

@flowerpower5838 been there done that

kynbar5

Where I'm at it's gradually darker longer in the morning and gradually darker earlier in the evening (winter generally brings longer nights).
Edited spelling

skruhmin

So the new 7am is like the old 8am - so it is lighter in the mornings and darker at night.  It's so farmers can have more daylight supposedly but really it's the same amount of time.  People also use the explanation that kids won't be walking to buses in the dark.  Spring forward in March is the one where it gets darker in the morning after time change.

kynbar5

@skruhmin thank you. You're explanation was so much easier to understand lol

smushi

Thanks ladies! And yes I saw the 'nothing, you get nothing' meme on fb last night and I howled with laughter. It's so true of weekends too. DH always complains because 'he' doesn't get to 'wake up naturally' anymore - I get up with DS at 6am and let DH sleep til 8am or so. Poor thing, huh?

skruhmin

Speaking of that....both DSs are spending the night at grandma's tonight....we get to sleep in non-interrupted!!

RosyK

Fall back is easier than spring forward IMO. At least they are tired this time around. Spring forward is tough, since they aren't really tired by bed time. We try to really exhaust them for the first few days of spring forward, to quicken the transition!

RosyK

Fall back is easier than spring forward IMO. At least they are tired this time around. Spring forward is tough, since they aren't really tired by bed time. We try to really exhaust them for the first few days of spring forward, to quicken the transition!