March 22, 2023
Hands up if you’re hoping the clock change doesn’t mess with your baby’s sleep pattern? I’m delighted to have a guest post from Katie at Happy Little Dreamers sharing her best tips to help the transition. Katie is an experienced sleep coach and has been supporting and teaching parents sleep techniques to get their little ones sleeping through the night for the last 8 years. As a Mum herself of two children, and with hundreds of babies now sleeping through the night thanks to her coaching, she is in a great place to help you transition your babies to British Summer Time.
Over to you Katie.
Most parents don’t mind it so much in the autumn when they gain an extra hour, but it sends fear through many people’s bones when they hear they are going to have to lose an hour of sleep in the spring! There are always TONS of questions asking for the best way to handle daylight savings time and children’s sleep, so here is my advice for this weekend when the clocks change…
The clocks changing doesn’t only affect children’s sleep patterns, but adults too. Did you know there is an 8% increase in traffic accidents the Monday after daylight savings time kicks in? It has an affect on all of us and can certainly increase our sleep debt – especially in children, who tend to be much more structured with going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning. That is usually why parents notice more disruption to their child’s sleep. So what is the best way to handle it…?
Firstly, DO NOT change the time on your clocks until you get up on Sunday morning! Just get up at your usual time and start the day. After your cup of coffee and a bit of breakfast, then you can go around changing the clocks.
If, for example, your little one usually takes a morning nap around 9:30am, you will adjust this to 10:00am for the three days after the clocks change. (This will FEEL like 9am to your child). This will mean that your baby is going into the cot a little earlier than the normal wait between sleeps, but again it’s not so much so that it’s going to interfere with their schedule too much. Do the same for the afternoon nap. It may take them a bit more time to fall asleep since they may not be as tired, but in a week’s time they will be back on track again.
With regards to bedtime, we do exactly the same. If your child usually goes to bed at 7 pm, I recommend putting them to bed at 7:30pm for the first three days following the time change. (This will FEEL like 6:30pm to your child.)
On the fourth night, just get back in line with the new time so your little one is back to going to bed when the clock says 7pm. Also, adjust naps to the correct time from day four. It takes everybody’s body roughly one week to adjust any kind of change in sleeping habits and this will be the same for your child with daylight savings.
Give it time…remember that your little one will be back on track in a week (worse case scenario two! However if you find the transition proves difficult, or you are having sleepless nights due to other problems with your little ones sleep habits, I am available to help and I offer a free 15 minute consultation.
For more information visit www.happylittledreams.co.uk or give me a call 07949 052215.
Happy Dreaming!
Katie x
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