Daylight Savings time changes are a fairly minor part of our everyday lives, however, for such a seemingly small change, they can really set our family's sleep schedules way off track!
Sabrina Meyers from Sleep & Thrive sleep consultancy has provided us with her top tips for preparing and dealing with the upcoming time change to help you and your family maintain rhythm and a good night’s sleep.
Daylight Savings ends on Sunday April 5, 2020. Sunrise & sunset will therefore be ONE HOUR EARLIER than it is now. On Sunday 5 April move your clock backwards one hour at 3am (iPhone's, Apple watches and connected devices usually do this automatically). For our Australian mammas, this will apply to New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory.
During this transition, there is a high chance of "early rising" as the sun rises earlier meaning it is LIGHTER much earlier than children or babies are normally used to. Make sure the bedroom is completely dark (10/10) and white noise is playing early, to block those chirping bird sounds out.
Cooler temperatures can also have an effect on baby leading into winter and the cold months, which means cooler mornings and evenings. Ensure baby is dressed adequately for these change in temperature - a cold baby won’t sleep, neither will a hot baby. Silk is perfect for babies as it is an all-climate fabric; warm and cosy in winter and comfortably cool in summer (creating a sleep-safe environment for bub, it’s important to ensure they don’t overheat). Shop our range of Sleep for Baby here.
In order to transition your family into the time change, instead of simply winding the clock back, make the change GRADUAL and give them time to adapt. This will help minimise sleep interruptions or regressions.
Below is a table to help you transition (based on a 7pm bedtime - simply adjust to your baby/kid's bedtime with the same transition blocks each day):
Wednesday 1st April | Daytime Routine as Normal | Bedtime 7pm |
Thursday 2nd April | Naps and Meals 15 mins later than usual |
Bedtime 7:15pm |
Friday 3rd April | Naps and Meals 30 mins later than usual |
Bedtime 7:30pm |
Saturday 4th April | Naps and Meals 45 mins later than usual |
Bedtime 7:45pm |
Sunday 5th April (Daylight Savings Ends) | Daytime Routine as Normal | Bedtime 7pm as normal |
Of course this is just a guide. You can respond reactively and make changes once daylight savings happens or just see how your little one goes. We also know many of you are in the US or UK and will be transitioning on different days and timezones. The same formula still applies! If you are BEGINNING Daylight Savings instead of ending, just reverse the process by bringing naps, meals and bed-times earlier instead of later each day in the lead-up to the time change.
For more information contact Sabrina at Sleep and Thrive Sleep Consultancy.
Sweet dreams x