Helping Kids with ADHD Adjust to Daylight Savings Time: 4 Expert Tips from an Educational Therapist

When Daylight Savings Time rolls around, families with kids, from toddlers to teens, often notice the ripple effects: tougher mornings, late-night energy bursts, and routines that suddenly feel out of sync. For children with ADHD, these challenges can be even more intense. Their brains depend on predictable structure to stay regulated and focused. A one-hour shift can lead to big changes in mood, attention, and behavior.

Here are four strategies to help your child with ADHD navigate the time change with less stress and more success.

1. Protect Predictability, Adjust Gradually

Children with ADHD thrive on consistency. Sudden changes in sleep and daily routines can make them feel disorganized or overstimulated.

Try this:

• Shift bedtime and wake-up times by 10–15 minutes per day in the days before the time change.

• Keep morning and evening routines in the same order

  
  

Educational therapist insight: Predictable routines help your child’s executive functioning skills (the part of the brain responsible for planning, attention, and self-control stay steady) even when external schedules change.

2. Use Morning Light to Help Kids with ADHD Focus and Regulate Their Brain

Morning sunlight is one of the best tools for resetting the circadian rhythm. Many children with ADHD already experience delayed sleep cycles, so exposure to natural light helps their brains know it’s time to wake up.

Try this:

• Get 10–15 minutes of sunlight within the first 30 minutes of waking.

• Combine light exposure with movement: a walk, jumping jacks, or dancing.

  
  

Educational therapist insight: Light + movement boosts dopamine and serotonin, key neurotransmitters that support attention, focus, and emotional balance.

3. Talk About What’s Happening in Their Brain

Kids with ADHD benefit from understanding what’s happening inside their bodies: a process called metacognition (thinking about thinking).

Try this: Say something like:

“Your body clock is a little confused this week because the time changed. You might feel tired or grumpy, that’s normal. Let’s use some strategies to help your brain catch up.”

Then brainstorm together: stretching, deep breathing, or quiet reading before bed.

Educational therapist insight: When children can label what they’re feeling (“I’m tired,” “I’m frustrated”), they can learn to self-regulate, instead of reacting impulsively.

4. Prioritize Sleep and Soothing Routines

Sleep deprivation amplifies ADHD symptoms like impulsivity and distractibility. The week after the time change, make rest your family’s top priority.

Try this:

• Start a calming, screen-free wind-down routine 30–45 minutes before bedtime.

• Keep lights dim, use soft background sounds, and avoid stimulating play.

  
  

Educational therapist insight: A consistent bedtime ritual helps the brain associate certain cues (dim light, quiet voices, bedtime stories) with rest. The result? Easier transitions and smoother mornings.

Daylight Savings Time may only shift the clock by an hour, but for children with ADHD, that small change can ripple through their routines. By focusing on structure, light exposure, sleep, and self-awareness, parents can turn this temporary challenge into a valuable lesson in self-regulation and resilience.

Remember: the goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress, patience, and helping your child learn how their unique brain works best.