It’s almost time to spring forward with the start of daylight saving time. And every year, the same question pops up:
When we spring forward, do we lose or gain an hour of sleep?
Technically, yes — this is when we lose an hour.
BUT I challenge you to NOT lose an hour of sleep.
Instead, let’s lose an hour of doing something else — and I’ll show you exactly how.
With a little planning, you can get through the spring forward time change without sacrificing sleep for you or your little one.
Why Daylight Saving Time Hits Parents Differently
If you’re a parent, you already know this: Daylight saving time does not work the same way for families as it does for non-parents.
In theory:
Fall back → gain an hour of sleep
Spring forward → lose an hour of sleep
But in real life? Especially with little ones? It doesn’t exactly play out that way.
In the fall, when we’re supposed to gain an hour, our little ones don’t suddenly sleep in. They don’t wake up by an alarm clock — they wake up by their internal body clocks. And those clocks do not get the memo about time changes.
So while you’re thinking,
“When my clock says 6am tomorrow, it’ll really be 5am, and I’ll just roll over and sleep another hour,”
Your little one is already standing next to your bed saying,
“Mommmmmmy, it’s time to get up!”
Now your clock says 5am… and somehow, you’ve still lost an hour. Bedtime gets messy, your little one is falling asleep at dinner, and Monday morning comes way too fast.
Sound familiar?
The Good News About Spring Forward
Now here’s the part I actually love about spring daylight saving time.
When we spring forward, your little one’s body still thinks it’s earlier than the clock says. That means when you wake up Sunday morning and the clock reads 6am, your little one’s body still feels like it’s 5am.
And guess what?
They’re probably still sleeping.
Which means you can go back to sleep too. YES.
So instead of losing an hour of sleep, let’s lose an hour of doing something else.
My Simple Plan So You Don’t Lose Sleep This Weekend
This Sunday, when daylight saving time starts, I recommend doing three simple things:
1. Don’t Make Early Morning Plans
Wake up at the time you normally would — according to the clock.
If you usually wake up at 6am, let yourself sleep until the clock says 7am. Yes, your morning might feel a little tighter. But you’ll still get your full night of sleep, which is way more important.
2. Spend Tons of Time Outside
Natural light helps reset your internal clock faster than anything else.
So get outside early and often on Sunday.
Even if it’s cloudy.
Even if it’s chilly.
Bundle up, take a walk, let your little one run around, soak in that daylight. This helps everyone adjust more smoothly to the time change.
3. Stick to Normal Bedtime (By the Clock)
This part is key.
Have your little one go to bed at their usual bedtime according to the clock.
So if bedtime is normally 7pm, still aim for 7pm — even if their body doesn’t totally feel ready yet. Same goes for you. If you push bedtime later, you’ll just delay that lost hour of sleep to the next night.
A longer wind-down routine on Sunday night can help a lot here. Start calming the house down at least two hours before bedtime. Dim the lights, turn off the chaos, and aim for a quiet, cozy evening. Sunday night is not the night for big plans and high-energy activities. Think calm, slow, and soothing instead. (You can read more about wind down periods in one of my previous blogs)
And just like that… no sleep lost.
If you already have plans that require an early morning or late night this weekend, simply plan ahead and go to bed earlier Saturday night. Protecting your sleep is always worth it.
Because let’s be real-
Sleep is too important to miss out on!
Lose an hour of laundry.
Lose an hour of scrolling.
Lose an hour of chores.
But don’t lose sleep.
What If My Little One Struggles With the Change?
If you’re worried your little one might have a tough time adjusting, you can always ease into the shift gradually over a few days. I explain that approach in more detail in a Romper article, but honestly?
Spring forward is usually the easier of the two time changes for little ones.
Most families can jump right into the new schedule Sunday without any major sleep setbacks.
So instead of asking,
“With spring forward, do we lose or gain an hour of sleep?”
Try asking yourself:
“What will I lose an hour of doing instead — so I don’t lose sleep?”
This year, I’m giving up an hour of laundry. 💜🧸