Norton Children’s Hospital doctors talk daylight saving time and children

Doctors at Norton Children’s Hospital met Monday to talk to families about how Daylight Saving Time can affect children.

Dr. Katy Hopkins, medical director for pediatric integrated behavioral health at Norton Children’s Hospital, discussed the potential impacts of sleep loss on kids.

She says that while the time change may be a minor inconvenience for adults, the sudden lost sleeping time can be disruptive for children — and can affect their behavior and their routines.

“The more consistent you are with going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time, the more quickly someone will adjust. So within a week, your body will adjust, your sleep will adjust, you’ll find yourself getting tired at the time you should be getting tired,” said Dr. Hopkins.

Dr. Hopkins says it’s beneficial to establish sleep routines for children and to create comfortable sleeping environments for them.