How to Help Your Teen Adjust After Daylight Saving Time Ends
Helping Your Teen Recover from Sleep Disruptions
and Mood Swings After Daylight Saving Time
Daylight saving time (DST) has officially ended, but if your teen is still feeling exhausted, moody, or struggling to focus, they’re not alone.
Even though we lose an hour in the spring, the sudden shift in daylight can disrupt sleep schedules, mood regulation, and energy levels—especially for teens who already struggle with anxiety, stress, or difficulty sleeping.
Why does this happen?
⏰ Disrupts circadian rhythm – Their internal clock needs time to adjust to earlier sunsets and morning wake-ups.
😴 Sleep patterns get thrown off – Teens may have trouble falling asleep or waking up, even if they get enough hours.
🌥 Seasonal mood dips – Shorter daylight hours can impact mood and motivation, increasing stress and irritability.
Luckily, there are simple, effective ways to help your teen reset their sleep and mood after the time change.
5 Ways to Help Your Teen Adjust After Daylight Saving Time Ends
✔ Reset Their Sleep Routine
Even after the time change, their body may still be on "old time," leading to grogginess in the morning and late-night restlessness.
Encourage them to stick to a consistent bedtime and wake-up time—even on weekends!
Avoid long naps, which can make falling asleep harder at night.
✔ Boost Their Energy
Help your teen feel more awake in the morning starts with small changes to signal their body that it's time to start the day.
Open the blinds as soon as they wake up!
Gentle stretching or light movement signals to the body that it's time to wake up.
✔ Limit Screens Before Bed
Blue light from phones and laptops tricks the brain into thinking it's still daytime, making it harder to fall asleep.
Encourage screen-free wind-down time at least 30-60 minutes before bed.
Try swapping screen time for reading, journaling, or listening to calming music.
✔ Help Them Recognize Seasonal Mood Changes
Shorter days can impact energy levels, mood, and motivation. If your teen seems more irritable, stressed, or withdrawn, they might be feeling the effects of less sunlight and disrupted sleep.
Check in with them about how they’re feeling and validate their experience.
Encourage mood-boosting activities like exercise, social time, or light therapy.
✔ Teach Them Stress-Reduction Strategies
Anxiety and stress can make sleep issues worse. Helping your teen manage stress effectively can ease the transition after daylight saving time.
Deep breathing & relaxation techniques before bed.
Journaling or brain dumps to release anxious thoughts.
Therapy or guided mindfulness exercises to help with seasonal stress.
When Sleep Disruptions & Stress Stick Around, Therapy Can Help
If your teen is still struggling with exhaustion, mood swings, or anxiety weeks after the time change, it might not just be about sleep—it could be seasonal stress or anxiety taking a toll.
Therapy can help teens:
✔ Regulate their sleep and stress levels after seasonal changes.
✔ Learn healthy coping strategies for mood shifts.
✔ Feel more in control of their energy, emotions, and routines.
If your teen is still struggling with stress, anxiety, or trouble winding down after the time change, guided visualization can be a powerful tool to help them reset and relax. One simple yet effective technique is the Light Beam Visualization, which helps calm racing thoughts and promote better sleep. Watch the video below to learn how to guide your teen through this practice!
