Cold and Flu Season: The Preschool Parent's Game Plan

Fall Back Without the 5 a.m. Wake Up

The clocks go back early Sunday morning, November 1. For most of us that means an extra hour of sleep. For parents of preschoolers, it usually means a small person wide awake at 5 a.m., ready to start the day while it is still dark outside.

Kids do not reset the way clocks do. Their bodies run on habit, light, and hunger, not on what the clock on the wall says. So when the time shifts, their wake up shifts with it, just an hour earlier than you wanted. The good news is you can soften the landing with a few small moves in the days before.

Start shifting bedtime a little later

You do not need to overhaul the whole routine. Starting tonight, push bedtime back by about 30 minutes later by Saturday night. Same for naps, if your child still takes one. By Saturday night, bedtime is close to an hour later on the old clock, which lines up much better with the new one. Meals can shift the same way, a little later each day. It is a gentle nudge, not a big production, and it gives their internal clock time to catch up.

Use light in the morning, dim it at night

Light is the strongest signal for a child's body clock. In the morning, open the curtains and get outside if you can, even for a few minutes. At night, keep things dim in the last hour before bed. Screens off, lights low, voices calm. Blackout curtains in the bedroom help too, since the sun will be up earlier on the new clock and that light sneaking in is often what wakes them.

When they still wake up early anyway

Even with the shift, plenty of kids will still pop up early for a few days. That is normal, and it passes. Keep the room dark and quiet when they wake. A calm voice, a drink of water, and a quiet toy or book in bed can buy you time without starting the whole day at 5. Try not to turn on bright lights or start breakfast right away, because that tells their body the day really has started. Most kids settle back into their usual wake time within a week.

A note for the grownups

You will probably be tired for a few days too, and that is fine. The shift is short. Keep your own bedtime steady, get morning light yourself, and give it a week before you decide anything is broken. It almost never is.

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At Fontainebleau Children's Academy, healthy sleep routines are part of every day, from calm nap times to consistent schedules that help little ones feel secure. Come see it in action. Schedule a tour at any of our three locations:
Mandeville (985-276-4022),
Baton Rouge (225-275-6272), or
Mid City (225-346-8921),
or visit fontainebleauchildrensacademy.com.