Daylight Savings - Spring Forward is coming up, and we need to be prepared. Obviously, we all get a little bummed about losing an hour of sleep; however, as parents, there is a a perk. The Spring Forward transition is a little easier to handle as compared to Fall Back. Here are my favorite tips that you should know to make the transition easier.
How to Handle Daylight Savings: Spring Forward like a Boss!
1. Don’t change the clocks until Sunday: Do not change the clocks before you go to bed on Saturday. Just get up at your usual time on Sunday and start the day. Wait until after your cup of coffee and a bit of breakfast to change the clocks. It will feel much better this way, trust me!
2. Naps: Put your child down for their naps 30 minutes LATER than the normal time for 3 days. So, if your little one usually takes a morning nap around 9:30 am, you will adjust this to 10:00 am. Do the same for both morning and afternoon naps. On day 4, you can get put your kiddo down again at the normal time of 9:30 am. This allows your child’s body and circadian rhythm time to adjust to the change in small increments.
3. Bedtime: Same as naps. Put your child to bed 30 minutes Later than their normal time for 3 days. For example, if he typically goes down at 7:30, put him down at 8:00 pm. (This will FEEL like 7:00 pm to your child’s circadian rhythm). Your child may struggle to fall asleep at first but be consistent with your normal bedtime strategies. On night 4, you can put him down at his normal bedtime of 7:30 pm.
4. Black-Out Curtains: Make sure your child’s room is DARK for bedtime and naps. Now that the days will be getting longer, we need to make sure your child is not struggling to down or waking early because of unwanted light in their bedroom. Invest in some good black out curtains. Not just blinds, but curtains! Use some 3M tape to adhere the curtains to the window sill if needed. It should be so dark that you can’t see your hand in front of your face.
5. Ok to Wake Clock: My favorite tool for toddler/children that are no longer in cribs is the OK to Wake Clock. This is a darling little clock that will light up when it is finally time for them to wake up. You can set this for whatever time you’d like. There are several on the market; however, this is my favorite as the clock stays dark the entire night to ensure a dark sleeping environment.
6. Collaborate with Daycare Providers: Make sure you discuss your time-change transition with your daycare provider so they can help you manage naps.
Allow your child at least a week to adjust to the new time change. If you are still struggling after two weeks feel free to call me for a Free 15-Minute Sleep Assessment!
Cheers to warmer weather and longer days!
