Health

How To Prepare Your Kids And Pets To Fall Back

At a Glance

Adjusting sleep and wake-up times in the days before a time change can help.
Pets can feel the effects, too.
Most people in the U.S. support year-round daylight saving time.

Sign up for the Morning Brief email newsletter to get weekday updates from The Weather Channel and our meteorologists.

It's that time of year when households across the United States tThe annual "spring forward" that happens Sunday and the "fall back" in November can throw off natural body rhythms, including sleep cycles and eating schedules. That can make it hard for adults, babies and pets to adjust.

The annual "spring forward" that happens Sunday and the "fall back" in November can throw off natural body rhythms, including sleep cycles and eating schedules. That can make it hard for adults, babies and pets to adjust.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, or AASM, and other experts say there are some things people can do to make the transition to DST smoother. Here are some of their tips:

Slowly adjust your bedtime 15 to 20 minutes earlier in the days before the time changes.

Change clocks before going to bed on Saturday night. Then, get up at your usual time on Sunday morning.

This illustration photo shows a clock in the background of a smartphone showing the time after daylight saving time was implemented in Los Angeles, California, on March 15, 2022. - The US Senate advanced a bill on March 15 that would bring an end to the twice-yearly changing of clocks, in favor of a "new, permanent standard time" that would mean brighter winter evenings. (Photo by Chris DELMAS / AFP) (Photo by CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images) — This illustration photo shows a clock in the background of a smartphone showing the time after the daylight saving switch in Los Angeles, California, on March 15, 2022.
(CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)

For babies and young children, some experts recommend shifting the sleep cycle about 15 minutes each day in the week prior to the spring time change. Expose your baby to natural light and, if weather allows, spend some time outside the day of the change - but be mindful of sun exposure, especially in the midday hours.

For adults, adjusting the first light of day can also help. The ASSM advises getting outside for some sunlight on the morning you spring forward, and dimming lights in the evening. This can help regulate your body clock, and in turn help with the timing of feeling sleepy or feeling alert.

Getting plenty of sleep is also a good idea, no matter what time of year it is.

And when it comes to pets, similar advice applies, including gradually changing meal times and walk schedules.

The ASSM says standard time is more in tune with natural circadian rhythms, and recommends the U.S. switch to it year-round and eliminate DST altogether. Surveys show most people in the U.S. agree with getting rid of the twice-yearly time changes and support year-round DST.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM

-Here Comes Daylight Saving Time

-Pain Sufferers Say Weather Forecasts Could Help

-New Research Shows Links Between Eczema And Climate Change

Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives.