March 3, 2026, 8:35 a.m.
The second Sunday in March marks the annual change from standard time to daylight saving time. Unfortunately, that means losing an hour of sleep. Kendra Krietsch, PhD, WashU Medicine Pediatric specialist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, offers tips to help your kids “spring forward” with ease.
- Springing forward causes the body’s internal clock to run one hour earlier than the clock on your phone.
- A bedtime of 8 p.m. will feel like 7 p.m., while a wake time of 6 a.m. feels like 5 a.m. It also means that mornings will be darker, and evenings will have more daylight.
- Adjusting to the time change is easier for young children and harder for teens. For some kids, it takes several weeks to adjust.
- To ease the transition, have your kids avoid late-night sleepover and all-nighters the weekend before “spring forward.”
- In the week leading up to spring forward, pull rise times, naptimes, and bedtimes 10 minutes earlier.
- Keep rise times consistent and early, even on the weekends.
- Be intentional about your child’s light exposure: bright days, dim evenings, and dark nights.
- First thing in the morning, turn on the lights, open the blinds, and go outside.
- Help your kids spend extra time outdoors moving their bodies.
- In the evening, dim the house lights and avoid screens at least one hour before bedtime.
