Spring Forward: Navigating the time change for your baby or toddler and their sleep success
The time of the year that I look forward to most... SPRING!
As much as I enjoy some parts of winter, I cannot wait for spring to arrive! It means we are that much closer to nice weather, longer daylight hours and all of the fun that summer brings.
With Spring also comes daylight savings. Unlike the dreaded ‘fall back,’ the ‘spring ahead’ is a lot easier to manage for us parents.
For those with early risers, the ‘spring ahead’ can help with this issue. Instead of your little one waking up at 5:00am, it will now be 6:00am, which is fantastic! But, it can still mean that families need to make small adjustments. I am here to help!
I have Four different options for you when it comes to dealing with the daylight saving this spring.
Option One: Do Nothing!
If your child is on a good schedule and adapts well then you can do nothing! This means waking your child up at their regular time then continuing on with the day by the clock with their nap(s) and bedtime. This does mean you will be waking your child up 1 hour earlier than they normally would, then continue on with the day as normal.
If they are really tired you can move nap up by 5-15 minutes and bedtime up by 15-30 minutes then get back to normal schedule the next day.
Option Two: Make Changes In One Day
If your child adjusts well to changes but waking them up 1 hour early is too much, make these small changes throughout the day instead. You will wake them up 30 minutes early and move nap(s) and bedtime up as well, so their wake windows will be shorter than normal. The time you move up nap(s) and bedtime will depend on how many naps they have but roughly 10-30 minutes. They may struggle a bit but it should be easier when you get them back to their normal schedule the following day.
Examples:
*Adjust these schedules based on your child’s wake up time and schedule
One Nap:
Normal schedule:
Wake up: 7:00am
Nap: 12:00 - 2:30pm (2.5 hour nap)
Bedtime: 7:00pm
Sunday:
Wake up: 7:30am (feels like 6:30am to them)
Nap: 12:15- 2:45pm (putting them down 15 minutes early because they woke up early. Keeping the same 2.5 hour nap)
Bedtime: 7:15pm ( same wake window from after nap of 4.5 hours)
The next day wake them up at their normal time of 7am and continue your day as normal
Two Naps:
Normal Schedule:
Wake up: 7:00am
Nap: 9:15 - 10:45pm
Nap: 1:45 - 3:30pm
Bedtime: 7:00pm
Sunday:
Wake up: 7:30am
Nap: 9:30 - 11:00
Nap: 2:00 - 3:45pm
Bedtime: 7:15
*You can also shorten the second nap a bit and keep to a 7:00pm bedtime if you want.
Three Naps or More naps: Follow wake windows
Wake them up 30 minutes early. So if their normal wake up is 7am then wake them up at 7:30am, if their normal wake up time is 6:30am, then wake them up at 7am.
Shorten the first wake window by 5-15 minutes because you woke them up early, watch tired cues. Then follow their normal wake windows throughout the day. Then aim for bedtime to be around their normal time, but no later than 30 minutes past their normal bedtime.
On Monday, wake them up at their normal wake up time.
Option Three: Gradual Change
This is great for babies and children who have a hard time with changes and need more of a gradual change. To do this you will wake your child up 15 minutes early and adjust the entire schedule by 15 minutes, keeping wake windows the same. You will do this for 4 days until you are back to your normal schedule. This works great for babies that are on 2 or more naps.
Example:
Two Naps:
Normal Schedule:
Wake up: 7:00am
Nap: 9:15 - 10: 45pm
Nap: 1:45 - 3:30pm
Bedtime: 7:00pm
Sunday:
Wake up: 7:45am
Nap: 10:00 - 11:30am
Nap: 2:30 - 4:15pm
Bedtime: 7:45pm
Wake up 15 minutes early, then keep all the wake windows the same. Continue moving the schedule up by 15 minutes until you are back to the 7am - 7pm schedule.
Option Four: Change Your Schedule
This means if you had a 7am - 7pm schedule, with the time change it will make it a 8am - 8pm schedule. Some people like to have a later schedule in the summertime, as there is more daylight and fun activities happening.
This is a great option for children who wake up early, helping to shift the schedule a bit later.
If this works for you, that is great! You do not have to do a single thing other than change the times of the schedule by 1 hour to work with this new schedule.
Unfortunately, this option is not possible for all families if you have school, work and other things you have to be up early in the morning for.
If your child’s bedtime is already 8pm, I would not suggest using this option as it would then move bedtime to 9pm which is too late for a bedtime. Most children have a sweet spot for their bedtime, around 6:30-8pm, after that they usually catch a second wind and become over-tired. This can lead to them having a hard time falling asleep, multiple wake ups in the night and even early morning wake ups.
Early Risers:
If you have a child that wakes up early, let them sleep the extra hour, then follow the schedule they should be on, do not move nap time up and get them to bed at regular time.
Example: If they are waking up at 5-6am, but you want them getting up at 7am. Leave them in their crib until 7am (new time) then keep with the normal schedule they should be on with that wake up time.. If they are on one nap that nap would be at 12:00pm - 2:30pm then get them to bed at 7pm. Continue to push them to sleep until 7am each morning or as closely as you can. Check out my blog on early morning wake ups if you are struggling.
Helpful Tips:
Choose a method that works best for your family and your child. No matter which method you choose you may have an off day but things will go back to normal.
Make sure to have the ideal room environment so your child will sleep well and not wake up early due to the light. Make sure the room is PITCH BLACK, not allowing any light in that can wake them up. This also helps to let the body know it needs to produce melatonin which helps the body sleep.
Get outside! This will help to reset the circadian rhythm (your body's natural clock.) Exposing your child to light helps them to stop producing melatonin and produce serotonin which will help them to be happier and let the body know that it is time to be awake. This will also help the body to produce melatonin at night which will help them to sleep better and get used to the new wake up time and bedtime.
Keep your child busy, help them to burn their energy so they will be nice and tired for naps and bedtime.
One on one time in the day will help fill their cup, help them to feel secure and happy which will help them to sleep better.
If your baby or toddler is struggling with their naps, know that this is normal because their body clock is off. You can help your child fall back to sleep by rocking them and even hold them for their nap to get back on track with their sleep. This will ensure that they get enough daytime sleep and prevent them from getting overtired.
Move bedtime as needed. If they are tired and didn’t nap as well, move up bedtime by 15-30 minutes allowing them to sleep more at night to make up for lost sleep in the day. If they napped well but are not quite tired, move bedtime back by 15 minutes and wake them up at normal time the next morning to get back on track.
Remember to enjoy your day and don’t stress the small stuff.
If you are struggling with your little one’s sleep, don’t hesitate to message me or book a 30 or 60 minute strategy call through my website to get your little one back on track and sleeping well! I am here to help you and your family sleep again! :)