Daylight Saving Time with kids... such fun. We move the clock ahead an hour this Sunday, March 8, 2020. Here are a few helpful tips to surviving it.
May the force be with you!
Little Intro... Kim is the brains behind Babes & Beyond Pediatric Sleep Consulting and she specializes in infant and children's sleep in Ottawa, Canada. I'll link her website & social handles at the end of the blog. With no further ado, here's Kim....
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Spring Daylight Savings is just around the corner and you may be thinking to yourself "Great, something else that is going to mess up my child's sleeping schedule". Clocks may go ahead one hour but by having a game plan ready, will make the transition into Daylight Savings a breeze!
There are two methods to get your baby on the new daylight routine!
1) Slow Transition. This avenue will help the time sensitive child gradually adjust to the new time change. By starting a few days before the time change actually occurs, you can limit the impact the hour is going to have on your child. If your child's normal wake time for the day is 7:00 am, change it to 6:45 am on the first day. Slowly increase the wake time by using 15 minute intervals until you have reached the desired time. By doing this BEFORE the time change occurs, your child will be already used to the new timing with little disruption. Ideally, you want to shift your child’s entire daytime schedule by 15 minutes.
2) Do Nothing. This avenue would be for a child that is not time sensitive and is able to handle the time change with ease. For families that are happy with their child’s sleep schedule, simply keep morning wake up and bedtime the same using the new adjusted time. You will want to wake your child at their usual time the next morning (Sunday) and carry on the day as you would normally. It may take a few days for your child to adjust but they will.
Extra Tips:
Sunlight is so important to help regulate the body's internal clock, so make sure you expose you and your child to as much sunlight as possible first thing in the morning.
Be flexible. The first few days of the transition may be a little rough at bedtime. If your child normally goes to bed at 7:30 pm, after the time change, according to their body, they are going to sleep at 6:30 pm. This may result in bedtime battles due to your child not being tired at bedtime. Help your child settle for the night by dimming the lights and keeping noise low.
Black-out Curtains help block out the bright sunshine.
Noise Machine can help drown out the early morning noises..
Children do not really understand what is going on so the time change can make everyone's day feel a little "off". Not to worry! Everyone will adjust in a few days.
Yeah Spring and happy sleeping!!!!
Kim Davis -Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant
WEB: https://www.babesandbeyond.com
