We change our clocks tonight as we spring forward to Daylight Saving Time.

Losing one hour in daily schedules can sometimes be tough on families with young children, especially when that hour means less sleep.

Jo-Anne Dalton, executive director at Steinbach Family Resource Centre, says a lot of grace, and patience, can go a long way in dealing with sleep loss.

“Sleep really does impact behaviour,” she says. “So, a little bit of extra patience, a little bit of extra time for transition, (extra time for) getting out the door. Give yourself some time to prepare and breathe through it.”

While planning ahead and offering additional transition time can be helpful, it is not always realistic.

In those cases, Dalton recommends extra coffee and more grace.

“Extra self-care for you, a little bit more patience for your kids," she says. "Those things can go a long way when we’re struggling with sleep, struggling with some of those extra regulation things around lack of sleep.”

Daylight Saving Time ends on November 6.