I can't believe it is already time for Daylights Savings this weekend!! I know this weekend means 1 hour of less sleep but for all of you parent who have early risers - I know you are looking forward to this weekend!! I do find it best to jump in and deal with the time change on the Sunday morning and give your child a few days after the time change to full adjust. (I simply find it to hard to adjust ahead of time when the rest of the world is still working on the current time). Tips to Spring Ahead: On Saturday night, move your clock ahead by 1 hour. On Sunday morning, if your little early-bird is up at his regular time of 5:00am (old clock), ta-da - magically he is now up at 6:00am (with the new clock). Get up, grab a cup a coffee and start your day!! If you child isn't typically an early bird, it will be tempting to let your baby sleep in but I recommend only letting him sleep in an extra 30 minutes maximum. If your baby's regular wakeup time is 6:30am, this is really 7:30am with the new clock so only let him "sleep in" until 7:00am as per the new clock (really 6:00am as per the old time). Wake your child to start the day. Your little one may be a bit groggy from a bit of a shorter night's sleep but don't worry he will adjust and so will you!! Keep on schedule with the new clock for the rest of the day. The social cues of playtime outside, mealtimes and naptime at the new clock will help re-set your child's internal clock. Try to ensure that both naptime and bedtime are on the new clock. Remember given that we have "sprung ahead", your child may simply not be tired at his regular naptime quite yet (not letting your child sleep in will help with this). If your naptime is normally at 1:00pm, remember this is really only 12:00pm based on the old clock. If your child truly isn't tired, try pushing naptime a bit later to 1:30pm for example for the first few days and then adjust back to 1:00pm regular naptime mid-week. If bedtime is normally 7:00pm, and your child isn't quite tired yet, push bedtime a bit later to 7:30pm based on the new clock for a few days and then return back to 7:00pm regular bedtime mid-week. It may be difficult for your child to get to sleep at naptime or bedtime on the first few days but do your best and stay committed. Don't allow your child to nap any longer than he usually does. Remember, your child may very well take up to a full week to be fully adjusted to the new time, so just be patient! A few other tips: Remember to go to bed a bit earlier yourself on Saturday night so you don't feel the loss of an hour of sleep as much!! Ensure your little one's room has black out blinds or heavy curtains to prevent early morning rising with the early morning sun as we head into the spring and summer months. Be conscious to burn off energy during your child's wake time to ensure he is tired when it comes to naptime and bedtime. Lots of physical playtime and fresh air will do wonders for a child's sleep. Research has indicated that exposing children to sunlight in the early afternoon actually boosts their melatonin production. Consider some backyard time or a walk before dinner to get in some of that melatonin-inducing sunshine to help keep on track with a regular bedtime. Even though the days are going to be nicer and more daylight is to be enjoyed, please don't keep your child up past his bedtime. Your child will become over-tired and your will miss the optimal sleep window when melatonin levels are at their peak. I hope these tips help to ensure your child's sleep stays on track with the time change. Happy sleeping!:-) Donna
