The clocks are changing! Argh! What do I do!?
Daylight Savings is approaching. So, how are you going to tackle it?
As the beginning of daylight savings approaches here in Australia, many parents are excited by the thought of an extra hour of sleep! But for other parts of the world, the clock is falling back an hour and they’ll be losing an hour of sleep.
Daylight savings can have a really big effect on children, especially those that are used to going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day.
So…What’s the best way to prepare?
There are THREE approaches to handling Daylight Savings:
The Slow Approach
The Reaction Approach
The Do Nothing Approach
If your little one is highly sensitive and thrives on their current routine, I suggest selecting approach 1 or 2. If your little one is more easy going and goes with the flow, then you might find ‘Doing Nothing’ is absolutely fine.
THE SLOW APPROACH
Four days before the clocks change, so Wednesday, change your little one’s entire day by 15 minutes. This includes wake up, meals, naps and bedtime.
If you are Springing Forward into Daylight Savings, adjust the day by 15 minutes forward.
For example:
Usual Routine Times | | Adjusted Routine Times |
7:00am 7:30am 10:00am 12:00pm 2:00pm 5:00pm 7:00pm | Wake Up Breakfast Nap 1 Lunch Nap 2 Dinner Bedtime | 7:15am 7:45am 10:15am 12:15pm 2:15pm 5:15pm 7:15pm |
Everyday, move the whole routine an additional 15 minutes back. You are then on Daylight Savings time and ready to keep going back to your usual wake up time and routine from Sunday morning.
Example bedtimes would be:
Springing Forward into Daylight Savings
Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
6:45pm | 6:30pm | 6:15pm | 6:00pm |
Falling Back out of Daylight Savings
Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
7:15pm | 7:30pm | 7:45pm | 8:00pm |
THE REACTION APPROACH
Two days before the clocks change, so on Friday, shift your little one’s ENTIRE routine by 30 minutes each day. This includes wake up, meals, naps and bedtime. By the time the clocks change on Sunday, your little one will be on the new time.
Usual Routine Times | | Adjusted Routine Times |
7:00am 7:30am 10:00am 12:00pm 2:00pm 5:00pm 7:00pm | Wake Up Breakfast Nap 1 Lunch Nap 2 Dinner Bedtime | 7:30am 8:00am 10:30am 12:30pm 2:30pm 5:30pm 7:30pm |
Each day, move the whole routine an additional 30 minutes. You are then on Daylight Savings time and ready to keep going back to your usual wake up time and routine from Sunday morning.
Example bedtimes, for a usual 7:00pm bedtime, would be:
Springing Forward into Daylight Savings
Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
7:00pm | 7:30pm | 8:00pm |
Falling Back out of Daylight Savings
Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
7:00pm | 6:30pm | 6:00pm |
THE DO NOTHING APPROACH
Don’t change a thing, at all! Babies and children are smart, sometimes we don’t need to worry about something that might not even be an issue. They might surprise you and just roll with it.
If your little one DOES wake early, keep your normal nap times. Your little one may be slightly off for a couple of days, just wait for them to adjust naturally.
This approach works best for Easy Going, adaptable little ones.
TOP TIPS:
If you're going to change your little one’s routine, change their ENTIRE daytime routine, not just their sleep routine.
Ensure your little one naps for at least one hour for each nap, except the 3rd catnap.
If you don’t already have any, used black out blinds. WIth the time changes your little one may be woken early or struggle to fall asleep due to the light.
Ensure bub is getting enough daytime calories.
If your little one wakes early, keep them in a dark/dim, low stimulation environment until their ideal awake time.
When it’s time to wake up, do a big wake up and feed in the light.
Expose to lots of natural sunlight to help reset their circadian rhythm.
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