End of Daylight Savings

Clocks Go Back

Daylight Saving will come to an end in New South Wales (NSW), Victoria, South Australia (SA), Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory on Sunday, April 4 at 3 am. Queensland, Northern Territory, and Western Australia are not affected by daylight saving time. Many of the tips listed below can be used by parents to help their child adjust to a new sleeping schedule.

Why is it Important?

I knew that the beginning of daylight saving would disrupt my son’s sleeping patterns. It’s difficult to maintain the same bedtime when the sun is still shining. The impact of the end to daylight saving was not apparent until my son’s 6.30 am wake-up time changed to 5.30 am. This is a full hour that everyone in my house needed.

The baby sleep site explains, “While adults can adjust to the time change and remain in bed until their normal wake-up times even after they ‘fall back,’ a young child or toddler cannot do this. This is because the end of daylight saving time makes children wake up earlier. They then have trouble sleeping and adjusting to bedtime.

How to Prepare Your Children for School

Early Start

Start making small adjustments to your child’s sleep schedule at least a couple of days before the clocks are set back. You can help your child adjust to the new schedule by moving their wake-up, nap, and bedtime 10 to 15 minutes each day or every other day. “For instance, if you want to keep your baby’s 6 am wake-up time, try to have her rise closer to 7 am. Also, shift all other times forward,” suggests The Baby Sleep Site.

Digital from Save Our Sleep says that the transition can be made in as little as three days before daylight saving ends. The main thing is to give your children some time to adapt. It may take some time, but it is important to gradually transition the child or baby rather than expecting that they will cope with the change all at once. She writes that everything should be fine within a week.

Your Whole Routine Should be Adjusted

Keep in mind that sleep and feeding are often linked with young children. It is important to remember that the time change can affect not only sleep patterns but also feeding or meal times.

Check Your Sleep Environment

BellaLuna’s sleep suggests that you change the environment in which your child sleeps to make it dark. Blackout curtains can be used to block out the morning sun, helping children fall back to sleep or stay asleep until it’s time to wake up.

Be Patient

Take it slowly, and eventually, the new routine will be in place. Hopefully, before the first Sunday of October, when daylight saving returns!

How to Help Kids Adjust to Daylight Saving Time

Many children may have difficulty falling asleep as they adjust their body clocks to daylight saving time.

A child needs more than just one night of a new schedule to become accustomed to it. Many parents and caretakers miss the opportunity to “gain an hour.” Children can perceive a 7-a.m. alarm as 8-a.m., and this is beneficial to teenagers that struggle with waking up early in the morning. Listening to your body and putting away devices can make you feel better after a few days.

You may feel the urge to get up earlier if you are an early riser. If they believe that it is time to sleep at nine o’clock, then you may feel tired sooner. Children may be grumpy, unable to sleep or waken too early. Their circadian clocks can also feel “off.” What can you do to help your child quickly adapt to the new time zone?

Decide whether to start small. Start the process as soon as daylight saving time ends. Play a game with your child if their bedtime is 7 pm. The experts agree that a regular bedtime routine can be very beneficial. It is important to have a consistent bedtime routine. This will help your brain relax and get ready for sleep.

Create a Relaxing Bedtime Ritual

It’s never too early to establish a regular sleep schedule for your child, whether they are an infant or teenager. The team has five tips to help children adjust to daylight saving time now and prevent sleep problems when we restart it in spring.

Consistency is Key

Good bedtime routines should be consistent and start at the same time every night. It’s fine to change the bedtime routine occasionally, such as on weekends when you might want to spend more time outdoors before bed. But if it is changed by more than 45 minutes, your child may find it hard to fall asleep and stay asleep. Allowing your teenager or child to sleep in on the weekends may make it harder for them on weekdays to get to sleep at a reasonable time.

Limit Screen Time Before Bed

Children must stop using electronic devices, such as smartphones, tablets with backlights, computers, TVs, and video games, at least 30 minutes before the start of their bedtime routine. These devices may disrupt the production of melatonin in the brain, which regulates sleep. This can interfere with the child’s sleep pattern.

Keep it short and sweet. Bedtime routines should not exceed 20-30 minutes (40 if you include a bath) and should include activities that your child finds relaxing and enjoyable. A bath may be stimulating for some toddlers, and not soothing. Reading independently before bedtime can be frustrating for kids who struggle to learn to read. Instead, find activities that your children enjoy and include them in your routine.

Move Towards the Bedroom

A bath upstairs, a bottle or snack downstairs, books upstairs, and back to the bathroom for teeth brushing — moving too much can disrupt your routine. You and your child should move toward the bedroom at all times.

Help Kids Develop Healthy Sleep Associations

Try to always put your child to bed awake. It is best to feed your baby before bedtime to prevent him from falling asleep before bedtime. It is important to create sleep associations with your child that will last throughout the night. It is not recommended to use a mobile or a nightlight that automatically turns off after 45 minutes unless your child knows how to turn it back on.

If you have a regular bedtime routine, your child will adjust to daylight saving time in a few weeks. If it takes longer, ask your child’s doctor if it is time to consult a sleep expert.

When is the Best Time to Start?

You can deal with Daylight Saving in two ways: you can prepare your child’s clock before the time change or wait until the Daylight Saving Weekend to make changes.

To make the sleep adjustment for your child as simple and as realistic as possible, I will use the second method. We will wait until the Daylight Saving weekend before taking action.

As with most life changes, the key to a baby’s good sleep is having the right attitude. We reset the clocks when we gain an extra hour of sleep or “fall back” to our normal schedule. You should not do it. You may be upset or disappointed to see your child awake an hour earlier. The majority of clocks are set to automatically adjust. So, don’t check the time for a few hours after you wake up. ).

Start your day at the usual time on Sunday. It could be 5:00 am, but your body will feel like it is 6:00 am. Grab a cup of coffee or your favorite beverage! Only when you feel mentally and physically ready can you change the clock? It will be much more pleasant this way.

Babies aged 4-13 Months

Adjusting Naps

For 3 days, move your child’s nap time earlier (Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays). If your child usually has a nap at 9:30 am or later, move it to 9 am the first three times. This will be a stretch for your child (since it’s 10:00 am in his mind), but you won’t have to do much to change their schedule. The second and third naps of the day will be moved up to 30 minutes in the first three days.

After the three-day period has passed, all naps will be offered at the “old time” starting on Wednesday. Your 9:30 am nap is now offered at 9:30 am.

Bedtime Adjustment

You will apply the same principle for bedtime as you would when taking a nap. If your child normally goes to sleep at at7.30 pm, I would recommend that you put him to bed by 77:00 on the first three nights (Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays). It feels like 8:00 pm to him.

How Long Will it Last?

It usually takes adults and children about a week to adjust to the time change. For the first 3 days, make any adjustments that are needed. After three days, your child’s body clock should have had enough time to adjust to “old” sleeping times.

Toddlers

Toddlers are more tolerant of Daylight Saving than babies. You can use the Mirari OK to Wake clock if your child is older than two years old. Clock, or Hatch Rest. Set it half an hour later during the adjustment period and allow them to get up earlier. By the end of the week, their bodies will be adjusted, and they can sleep until their usual wake-up time.

By the third night (Wednesday), your child’s clock will be accustomed to the new time. Move naps to the new time.

Preschoolers, School-Aged Children

Kids 3 years and older will have no problem adjusting to the time change. For the first three nights after the time shift, if your child is consistently good at sleeping, you may only need to put him to bed a little earlier. This could be as simple as 20 minutes. Many school-aged kids adapt to the time shift without changing their bedtime. However, it is normal for them to wake up an hour earlier in the first few days of Daylight Saving. Encourage them to remain in bed for a few minutes longer after they wake up to allow their body clocks to adjust to the new time.

Conclusion