If bedtime has felt off at your house this week, you are not imagining it. The clocks fell back on November 1, and it does not take much to throw a little one's internal clock out of sync. Add in how early it gets dark around Rexburg this time of year, and a lot of families are wondering whether their child is getting enough sleep at all.
Here is what the research actually says, and a few simple ways to help everyone settle back into a good rhythm.
How much sleep little ones need
According to the CDC, these are the recommended amounts of sleep in a 24 hour period, including naps:
- Infants (4 to 12 months): 12 to 16 hours
- Toddlers (1 to 2 years): 11 to 14 hours
- Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): 10 to 13 hours
- School age children (6 to 12 years): 9 to 12 hours
These are ranges, not a single magic number. Some children do fine on the lower end and others genuinely need the upper end to feel and act like themselves. The best way to know if your child is getting enough is not the clock, it is how they act during the day.
Signs your child may not be getting enough
A child who is not sleeping enough does not always look sleepy. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, poor sleep in young children can show up as:
- Trouble with focus or following directions
- Big emotional reactions to small things
- Increased hyperactivity, which can look the opposite of tired
- Getting sick more often, since sleep supports the immune system
- A harder time at drop off or during transitions
If any of this sounds familiar, an earlier bedtime is often the simplest fix, even before changing anything else about the routine.
Getting back on track after the time change
The good news is that most children adjust within a week or two once their schedule stabilizes. A few things that help along the way:
- Keep the schedule steady by the clock, not by how it feels. Stick to your child's usual nap time, mealtimes and bedtime on the new clock, even if it feels early or late for a few days.
- Use light to your advantage. Morning light helps reset the body's internal clock, so open the curtains as soon as your child wakes up. In the evening, dim the lights and lower the noise an hour before bed to help signal that sleep is coming.
- Protect the bedtime routine. The same few steps every night, bath, pajamas, books, lights out, cue the body that sleep is next, whether the clock on the wall says 7:00 or 7:30.
- Expect a few off days. An extra fussy evening or an early wake up is normal during the adjustment. It usually is not a sign that something is wrong.
If sleep struggles last more than a couple of weeks, or your child is showing ongoing signs of being overtired, it is worth bringing up at your next pediatrician visit. A doctor who knows your child's history is the right person to help sort out whether something more is going on.
Why naps still matter
For toddlers and preschoolers, naps are not just a break for parents, they are part of that total sleep number above. A child who skips a nap does not usually make it up by sleeping later that morning or going to bed much earlier that night, which is part of why missed naps so often lead to a rough afternoon and evening.
As daylight gets shorter here in Eastern Idaho, it can be tempting to let naps slide or push bedtime later to get more time together after work. A short, protected nap and a consistent bedtime tend to make for a calmer, more cooperative child than a few extra awake hours ever do.
Sleep is one of those things that is easy to overlook until it goes sideways, and then it affects everything else, mood, appetite, patience and how the whole day feels. A little attention to your child's sleep now, especially while everyone is adjusting to the new clock, can make the next few weeks a lot smoother for your whole family.
Sources: CDC, About Sleep; HealthyChildren.org, Sleep and Health: Why Rest Matters for Your Child, and Your Whole Family
