This year, Daylight Savings is on Sunday November 4th. Which means 7pm will be 6pm and 7am will be 6am. Waking up an hour earlier in the complete dark doesn’t sound good does it? It actually means that your child will wake up at 5 am instead of 6 am. Whaaaat? That’s early, too early… which is obviously no fun for you.

Because of our internal clock, it takes a few days for our body to get used to the new time. It’s a little bit like when we travel and are jet lagged: we often need to adjust to the new time zone. It takes a few days and we are good to go.

But fear not! Lullaby Sleep Consultant is here! The following tips are things you can do to prepare your baby and yourself to go through this transition smoothly.

1) Later bedtime

One week prior to the switch, put your baby to bed 10 minutes later each night. On Saturday November 3^rd, keep your baby up 15 minute later than normal. So, let’s say your baby usually goes to bed at 7:30pm, you will put them down at 7:40 on Monday October 29^th and so on.

2) Later morning wake-up

You also want to wake or get your baby from his/her room 10 minutes later each morning during the week leading up to the switch. By increasing the time you are getting your baby out of bed, they will slowly get used to waking up later and later.

3) Adjust the day schedule

If you choose to do the gradual time change by 10-minute increments, make sure you do it not only for bedtime, but also for naps so your child is not overtired. Move the mealtime a little later as well. Make sure your child’s last nap doesn’t end too late in the afternoon.

4) Dealing with unpredictable naps

If your child’s nap is unpredictable, continue to nap as normal. Which means your baby is probably napping according to their last nap. In other words, adjust the schedule as the day goes by. If your baby has predictable naps, shift the nap earlier by 10 minutes each day of the week leading to the daylight savings.

5) Toddler care

If you have a toddler, use a toddler clock. I like the “Ok to wake” clock. It turns green when your child is allowed to get out of bed. It is not only good for daytime savings, but it can also help you train an early riser not to wake up too early in the morning and may help with bedtime battles. If you do not know what a ‘toddler clock’ is, contact me and I can recommend and guide you to select the best options.

6) Go with the flow

If you are trying the get your baby to adjust to the new time without much success, and you find your baby’s sleep cycle is all over the place the week after, don’t panic! Stick to your usual schedule and stay strong, your child will adjust. Our internal body clock really likes routine and consistency. Don’t let Daylight Savings stress you out. If your child is well rested, they will adapt to the time change easily. If they are affected by the time change, do your best to stick with your normal schedule. Within a week or so, your baby should be back on track!

7) Cold Turkey Adjusting to Daylight Savings

No time to mess around! Go for it: adjust your child’s schedule to the new time, the day of the Daylight Savings. Some parents prefer not to get ready prior to the big day or don’t want to deal with the headache of planning the naps and wake times. This is an option too. If you decide to wing it, leave your little one a bit longer in their bed before getting them in the morning. Their body will eventually adapt to the new time.

The good news is that your baby will eventually adjust to the time change naturally. Daylight Savings is something that we all have to go through, babies, toddlers and parents included! Choose the option that fits your child’s temperament best and try to stick to the required amount of sleep for your child’s age.

Twice a year we have to adjust our babies schedule, and it’s out of our control. Let’s go with the flow and prepare as much as possible while being aware of the up coming change.

As Always, Sleeping Babies = Happy families

Much Love,

Eve