Tips for Surviving Daylights Savings Time: Spring Edition
It’s finally that time of year! Time to get excited for longer, warmer days. Time to bust out the grill, refresh your garden, and get your floaties for the pool! But first, you might want to make sure that daylights savings time doesn’t wreak havoc on your baby’s sleep routines!
The best advice that I can give you off the bat is to PREPARE for losing an hour of sleep 1-2 weeks before the clocks officially spring forward. This doesn’t just mean that you’re adapting your child’s sleep schedule, but also your own mind about the time change.
Think back to before you had kids. You’d probably just sleep in later to catch up on the hour you lost, right? Well, those days are long gone and if you don’t prepare your child for these changes, their internal clocks are going to go haywire.
If you have a well-adjusted baby, it may only take 3 days, give or take, to adjust their circadian rhythm, but if you have a baby that is reluctant to change it is going to take some work. If you choose not to prepare for this change, you may deal with early wake up times (who wants to get up at 4am?!), frequent night wake up’s, off-schedule naps and even developing new sleep prop associations that will become new habits to break.
Now you may be wondering how you can tell if your baby is easy going or if he’s a little more reluctant to change. Here’s a few things to consider:
- How does your baby act if he misses a nap?
- How does your baby act during a growth spurt?
- How does your baby act during a leap?
If you answered, “cranky, clingy and extra needy” then you are going to want to take the time change process slowly and use 7-14 days to get your baby acclimated. If your baby is easy going and doesn’t typically get fussy, then you can go ahead and help them make the shift over the course of 5-7 days.
Here are the steps you need to take to make for a smooth adjustment:
- Maintain your daily routines
- Shift your daily schedule by 15 minutes (ex. instead of waking your baby at 7am, wake him up at 6:45am). Push the rest of the day 15 minutes earlier as well.
- Let your baby’s body adjust to the 15 minute change for 2-3 days before changing it again.
- Repeat steps 2 & 3 until you’re a full hour behind. By the time the clocks change, you’ll be back on the adjusted time.
Important things to remember:
If your baby is having a hard time pushing his schedule 15 minutes earlier, give him a few extra days to adjust before you increase it by another 15 minutes. It’s important to read your baby’s sleep cues and let your baby take the lead. Extra fussiness isn’t good for anyone, so give it extra time if you need to!
Sticking to your normal schedule throughout the day and at night will help maintain your baby’s sleep cues. Babies learn schedules from early on in life, so sticking to your routine will help your baby adjust to daylights savings time.
The sun is a major sleep cue. In the summertime, the sun might wake your baby up earlier in the morning and keep your baby up later in the evening. This is the number one reason why I always recommend that my clients invest in BlackoutEZ window covers. I have them in my son’s room and even if it’s the brightest, most beautiful sunny day outside, it’s pitch black midnight in his room! He has no clue when the sun comes up or goes down so these have been a GREAT help in adjusting to daylights savings time.
Go with the flow and expect a few bumps in the road. Maintaining your consistency will go a long way. Some babies will adjust quicker than others, but if all else fails and you need some help, let’s set up a time to chat! Some things to think about when deciding when you want to start sleep training your baby/toddler:
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- Ensure it’s the proper timing- make sure your baby isn’t sick, you aren’t traveling, or you don’t have any big life changes coming (new baby, moving, switching jobs/childcare, etc.).
- Be prepared to put in the work. Consistency will pay off in the long run. Sleep training isn’t overnight success; it takes many nights and dedication to help your baby learn to sleep.
Create a plan, or invest in a sleep consultant. If you choose to work with me, I will assess your baby’s sleep habits and write a customized step by step sleep plan for your baby. No two plans are the same, just as no two babies are the same. My sleep plans are based on your child’s temperament, age, parental preference and so much more! My sleep packages also come with unlimited support for the duration of your purchase- you can ask me anything and share every triumph and victory!
Create a plan, or invest in a sleep consultant. If you choose to work with me, I will assess your baby’s sleep habits and write a customized step by step sleep plan for your baby. No two plans are the same, just as no two babies are the same. My sleep plans are based on your child’s temperament, age, parental preference and so much more! My sleep packages also come with unlimited support for the duration of your purchase- you can ask me anything and share every triumph and victory!
Sweet Dreams!
Missy Yandow
