Navigating the end of Daylight Savings with ease!
Are you proactive or reactive?
Sadly, summer is over for another year! The sun is setting sooner and our days are cooling off.
On Sunday 4 April 2021 daylight savings ends and our clocks go back one hour. Many parents of little ones think all of their hard work will go out the window and be left with a child that wakes even earlier than normal!
It is virtually impossible to change your body clock in one night. When we try to we are out of sync i.e. our external time does not match our internal time resulting in the feeling of jet lag. Just like adults, the changing of times can interfere with your little one’s body clock and add extra challenges to naps and bedtime!
So, what does this mean for our little ones?
It means making a plan and adjusting your little one’s routine slowly!
If we do not make any changes to our little one’s routine they will essentially lose an hour’s sleep resulting in sleep debt and grumpy kids!
Babies need time to adjust and this is why I recommend the process be done gradually over seven days. Whether you are proactive (the week before) or reactive (the week after) is entirely up to you. My personal preference is a proactive approach as the transition for your little one is more consistent. A reactive approach can often take longer for your little one to adjust to and overtiredness begins to creep in.
Our internal body clock (circadian rhythm) is entrained by food, light and social interaction, also known as Zeitgibers. In order to shift our body clocks we need to re-entrain our bodies with all three of these cues. The aim is to gradually move these Zeitgibers in small increments over seven days to get to the new time.
Start the process by adjusting your little one’s routine by 15 minute increments every two days. This means resettling/waking your little one, shifting naps, feeds and meal times throughout the day and settling them 15 minutes later than usual for naps and bedtime. Then every two days adjust by a further 15 minutes and so on so by the end of the seven days – voila you will be at the new time! Most families make the common mistake of only shifting bedtime rather than naps, feeds and meal times as well.
Download a copy of my ultimate guide for navigating the end of daylight savings with ease.
Important points to remember:-
Work with your little one’s tired signs.
Stick with your usual bedtime wind down routine.
Make sure your little one’s sleep environment is conducive to efficient settling and good sleep, i.e. dark room, ideal temperature of 18 - 20 degrees and white noise (if age appropriate).
Follow an age appropriate routine/awake times to ensure your little one is in their “sweet spot” for falling asleep.
Exposure to sunlight makes our bodies produce serotonin which is then converted to melatonin (the sleep hormone) in darkness. Melatonin helps our bodies relax and become ready for sleep. Get your little one out and about in the sunshine during the day and late afternoon to tank up on serotonin (of course being sun smart in the process) as this will do wonders for night time settling and early morning wake ups! The more serotonin their little bodies produce, the more that is converted to melatonin at sleep time.
Most importantly stay consistent with your usual settling approach and avoid using negative sleep associations as a quick fix!
If you need a re-settling technique or help with daylight savings ending, schedule a Free 15 Minute Consultation at a time that suits you and we will give you a call then.