I've slept like a baby for over two years now – as well as my daughter would let me, that is. The old truism of sleep when they sleep is true. Whether it's short or long, most parents do sleep like their children, often in shorter quantities. With the upcoming arrival of Daylight Savings Time, there's going to be another kink in the night for a few days, and like most parents, I'm looking for anything to help make sleeping go as smoothly as possible.

Daylight Savings Time
When my daughter was a newborn, my husband and I went through all the typical struggles of parents who don't get enough sleep as we tried to acclimate ourselves and her to a routine sleep pattern. Routines are important to me, and now that my daughter is 2, they are very important to her. So what do I do when something like Daylight Savings Time is going to disrupt that routine we’ve worked so hard to establish?

"The time change in the fall and the spring is very difficult on children, and it can take children [from] a few days to a week to adjust," says Dr. Jodi Mindell, author of Sleeping Through the Night. In general, every child is different and has a particular sleep pattern, which changes with age and development. Time change affects our children because in the spring they are going to bed an hour earlier and in the fall, an hour later.

Transitioning to the New Clock
"During the transition period, parents have to be careful to maintain a strict pattern of how they've handled putting their children to bed before,” says Dr. Mindell. “It's tempting to go in and offer them drinks, lay down with them or add to other bad sleeping habits that they may not have had before. You want to stick by the clock and stick to the bedtime rules. Another piece that is key is wake them up at their normal times – don't let them sleep later to 'make up' for lost sleep from the night before."

After my experiences last year, I plan to get started on preparing my daughter for time change a few days ahead of time. With a small amount of planning, any parent can.

"You can just adjust their bedtime, which means that on Sunday night they will be in bed at 7 to their internal body clock and give them a few days to sort it out. Or you can start on Thursday and drop their bedtime back 15 minutes each day so that when Sunday night comes around, they are ready to go to bed when the table clock says 8 and their body clock still thinks it's 7."

I usually change my clocks Saturday evening before I go to bed. Time change happens at 2 a.m., and unless there's an extraordinary event, I won't be awake for that. It also helps me plan my next day better. If I know the clock says 9 p.m. but it's really 10 p.m., then I know that I may want to go ahead and try to get to bed early myself.

"Time change can benefit some parents, especially those with early risers,” says Dr. Mindell. “It may get them to sleep an hour longer. Just realize ahead of time that it's going to be hard on children – they will be getting less sleep for a short period, and that can lead to crankiness."

Sleep Guidelines
In general, maintaining strong sleep guidelines is the best way to handle events of change such as traveling, time change and illness. According to experts, there are three important things to remember.

First is having a set bedtime. Kids have a very strong internal clock, and if it peaks for them to sleep at 8 p.m. and you don't put them to sleep at that time regularly, you may miss the moment and have a harder time getting them to sleep.

Second, you want a bedtime routine that's consistent and done in the same order each night. Children thrive on routines. According to the National Sleep Foundation, routines before bed help children sleep soundly. They suggest taking a bath, listening to soft music and reading to your child. "When you read to your child before bed, always read the same story last each night so they know when that story is done, it's time for sleep," says Dr. Mindell.

Finally, you want your children to fall asleep independently. "On average a toddler wakes two to six times a night," says Dr. Mindell. "If you rock them to sleep each night, you will find that you may end up having to rock them to sleep each time they wake up. How you put your children to bed each night establishes the routine."

So as we prepare for our time change, make a checklist of things you can do to help your children adjust:

• Gradually move their bedtime back 15 minutes each night starting on Thursday before the time change.
• Develop good sleep habits so that adjustment is easier.
• Utilize the same routine for bedtime after the time change as before.
• Remember, it can take children up to a week to adjust after the time change.
• Be prepared to wake them at normal times in the morning – don't let them “sleep in,” and wake them from their nap time at a normal time as well.

Becoming familiar with the routines and needs of your children will not only help them get a good night’s sleep during time changes, but you as well.

Want to see more?

• A 25-Hour Day? Children and Circadian Rhythms
• Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and Your Child
• Not so Silent Night: Children and Snoring
• Talk about it!