End of Daylight Savings: Tips to Help Young Children Adapt
It is important to remember that sleep is something no parent should take for granted. This includes parents with babies and young children. We have some tips to help ease your child into 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 savings 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 that “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 savings 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 savings 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 savings returns!
How to Help Kids Adjust to Daylight Saving Time
As daylight savings time ends, many children will experience a period of difficulty sleeping as their bodies adjust to the new time.
It takes a child more than one night to get used to a new routine. This means that many parents and caregivers miss out on the “gain of an hour.” A 7 a.m. wake-up feels like 8 am to children. It can be beneficial for teenagers who are naturally tired and have trouble waking up in the morning. After a few nights, teenagers who listen to their bodies and put away their devices may feel much better.
If you have children who are early risers, you may feel like you need to wake up even earlier. They may also feel more tired earlier if they think it’s time to go to bed at 9 p.m.
The time change can cause grumpy children who can’t sleep, wake up too early, or have a circadian clock that is “off.”.
How can you help your children quickly adjust to the new time?
Start small. It is up to your family whether they want to begin the process before daylight savings time. If your child has a bedtime of 7 p.m., you might try to encourage them to stay up 15 to 30 minutes longer the first night by playing a game.
Dr. Beck, along with the sleep psychologists of CHOP’s Sleep Center, agree that it is important to stick to a consistent routine at bedtime. A bedtime routine that you do every night tells your brain to relax and prepare for sleep, regardless of what the clock says.
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 savings 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 savings time in a few weeks. If it takes longer, ask your child’s doctor if it is time to consult a sleep expert.
How to Adjust Your Child’s Sleep Schedule for Daylight Savings Time
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 Savings 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 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 Savings 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.
