Here we are … the time is changing AGAIN. Life with little ones can be crazy enough without dealing with the lost hour. A few of SlumberPod’s Sleep Consultant partners have some great tips to make the transition easier.
Do nothing until the time actually changes
Christine Stevens of Sleep Solutions by Christine recommends waiting until the first night of the time change (Sunday) to do anything. Her advice for adjusting the schedule is based on the age of your little one. For babies under 12 months, she says to move their schedule by 15 minutes every few days, and for toddlers — move their schedule by 30 minutes every few days. Blackout curtains are very helpful when transitioning.
Kelly Murray of Kelly Murray Sleep Consulting wrote a timeless blog on the topic of Daylight Savings Time Sleep Tips and agrees with Christine about waiting until Sunday to start the adjustment. “… wake-up, drink your coffee (if you’re lucky), eat breakfast and then adjust the clocks. That way your family will gradually adjust to the new time throughout the day as opposed to being smacked in the face by it on Sunday morning.”
Molly Leighton of Expect to Sleep Again suggests taking your little one’s temperament into consideration when developing your time-change strategy.
- If your child is flexible with their schedule: Do Nothing - yes, Nothing! Wake up Sunday and immediately follow the clock for their schedule.
- If your child is sensitive to schedule changes, adjust the change gradually. Start waking your little one 10-15 minutes earlier every day. By slowing adjusting their schedules forward by 15 minutes, their internal clock will have adjusted accordingly.
Perfect time to adjust early morning wakeups
Good news for those parents with little ones who are naturally early risers: Kelly Murray reminds us that when the clock springs ahead, your child is now sleeping an hour later according to the clock. In her second blog on the topic of dealing with the time change, she outlines a plan to stop early rising once and for all.
Be consistent and patient
Lindsay Weinstock of Dream Come True Sleep Consulting reminds us to remain as consistent as possible with your little one's daily routine. With some children, it can take up to a week to fully adjust. Making sure their room is dark and cave-like all year makes transitioning during time change much easier.
Resources and tools
If you appreciate having visual directions and tracking, you’ll love the charts created by Ashley Fricker of Mountains of Sleep. Her beautifully designed templates — Gradual Transition, Split the Difference, and Cold Turkey — give you three transition options from which to choose.
Elizabeth King of Sleep Baby Consulting offers a short video guide, “Follow the Clock,” for dealing with the time change with kids. Elizabeth provides great tips and reminders for happily maneuvering the transition with your little one.
We hope you enjoy having more light during your late afternoons and evenings and that you find these tips helpful. And remember to think of SlumberPod for creating a blackout dark space as you are transitioning.
Here's to more nighty nights!
Lou & Katy
Co-founders, SlumberPod
