How to avoid the clock ruining your child’s sleep
Have you ever heard the quote “Change is the only constant in life”?
This is especially true with babies and toddlers. Just when you thought you found the sweet spot for your child’s routine, some kind of disturbing factor knocks at your door, whether it’s a winter bug, a nap transition or a sleep regression, what took you so long to achieve goes straight out the window…. Does this sound familiar?
Clocks changing or daylight savings can be one of these disturbing factors happening twice a year, the last Sunday of October and the last Sunday of May. It’s just around the corner!
What before, having kids meant an extra hour in bed (clocks will go back an hour at 2am on 30th Sunday) now, with little ones in the house it could be nerve wrecking situation.
Let me present you with different strategies to help you overcome this little bump on the road :)
Option 1: 1 week before clock’s changing start the morning 10 minutes later each day until you reach the new time. This approach can really help if your child is sensitive to change. This way if your child wakes up at 7am you will gradually move this to 7:10am, 7:20am, 7:30am, 7:40am, 7:50am and then finally 8am, so by Sunday you’ll be back to 7am wake up with the new time.
Option 2: Keep your routine the same :) On Sunday, simply follow your usual routine adjusted to the new time. This option is great if your child is flexible, adaptable and happy to go with the flow.
With both options you can expect approximately one week of adjustment, either the week prior or the week after. So, what can you do to support your child adjusting?
Use lightness and darkness to support your child’s body clock. Get up in the morning and enjoy a nice walk and fresh air, and create a cozy dark environment for naps and nighttime.
Maintain consistency…. while being flexible! If your child is used to having a nap at 1pm and the first day's nap time is 15 minutes earlier that’s totally fine, just make sure the nap is over accordingly to protect the rest of their day's sleep and bedtime.
If after a week your child is still struggling, why not reach out to have a chat and work together on getting your child sleeping soundly?
Good luck!
