Remember when daylight savings in the fall meant you got an extra hour of sleep?  If you’re a parent with young children, you’re probably reminiscing about those good old days.  Now that I’ve reminded you that daylight savings is around the corner, you’re likely also dreading a potential 5am wakeup from your little monkeys.

Thankfully, I can help you avoid this catastrophe.  Here are 3 tips to help make this clock change as pain-free as possible.

1) Begin moving your child’s bedtime forward by 15 minutes each night, starting on the Thursday prior to daylight savings. Your child’s whole daily schedule moves back those 15 minutes the day after. This way, you will have shifted your child’s schedule ahead by one hour by the time daylight savings arrives, and he or she will be able to go to sleep right away at his usual time.

2) Keep your child’s room dark so that daylight changes don’t interfere with his/her sleep.  If lots of sunlight tends to shine into your child’s room first thing in the morning, you can tape garbage bags or tin foil to the windows to block it out- I know this might not coordinate well with the room’s décor, but it works!

3) Continue with your regular bedtime and naptime routines.  Ensure you keep to your child’s schedule as closely as possible.  Remember that consistency is key!

Keep in mind that it can still take children up to a week to adjust after the time change.  As long as your children have healthy sleep habits, the time change won’t be as dreadful as you think.