daylight savings time Archives - Mothering in the Middle

Daylight Saving Time is a Waste of My Time

by Nicholas D'Ambra

Throughout most of my adult life Daylight Saving Time meant nothing to me, save for the fact that every fall I got an extra hour of sleep. I was only mildly annoyed that I lost that same hour every spring. That was the case…until I had kids. Our daughter was born in June. Sleepless nights were the joy of our summer this year.

Having a five year old boy running around (reminding us that he doesn’t nap anymore) only made that fuzzy glow around each day that much fuzzier. There were no “nap when she naps.” By the end of September she was finally sleeping through the night. Some parents have looked at us in awe over this. Let me be clear, it was no easy feat.

We aren’t the “cry it out” parents so the Furber method was out. We are not those “extremely patient” parents so the letting-the-child-decide-when-they-are-ready-to-sleep method was out as well. […]

Sweet Dreams at Daylight Savings Time

by Peg O'Neill, M.D.

Sleep is a hot topic in my world.

As a pediatrician, I spend a good part of my time talking to people about it; whether I am helping parents of newborns hang in there during those early sleep-deprived days, or talking to teenagers about why it’s so important to get as much shuteye as possible, whether it’s a well visit or a sick visit, the subject of sleep is usually lurking somewhere in the conversation about staying physically and emotionally healthy. The importance of good sleep is a constant across all age categories. The more you sleep the better. The less you sleep, the more likely you are to feel crummy, whether you are a sleep-deprived fussy infant or a cranky toddler who needs a nap, or an ornery, stressed adolescent who doesn’t get to bed early enough. If you are sleep deprived, whether you are a kid or a parent, you are more likely to be crabby. If you are sleep deprived, you are more vulnerable to illness. There are studies which back this up. The less you sleep, the lousier you feel, in general. And the more you sleep, the better you feel. […]