How to Spring Forward – Daylight Savings Time
Daylight Saving Time “Spring Forward” and Your Baby’s Routine
Daylight Saving Time is this Sunday. The “spring forward” time change is when we move all of our clocks forward one hour. So what does this mean for babies and kids and their routines? For those of us with early risers, it means it’s time to celebrate an extra hour of sleep! But, here are a few tips to help everyone keep their sleep schedules on track and to minimize interruptions:
Stay on schedule. One of the best parts of “spring forward” is that you don’t have to do any (or minimal) tweaking to your child’s sleep schedule! If you child takes one nap a day, you can stick to your child’s normal schedule at the same times by the clock. If your child is taking two naps a day, you can either go “cold turkey” or, if you have a very schedule sensitive child, you can start by bringing their first nap back 30 minutes earlier for the first 2-3 days then finish the transition by moving it the full hour.tips to help everyone keep their sleep schedules on track and to minimize interruptions:
Make sleep environment conducive to sleep. With the longer hours of daylight there will be more sun shining through your child’s room each day at bedtime. This is a great time to invest in some black out curtains to block out some of the light and also a white noise machine since those birds may be chirping earlier than we’d like to have our little one’s awake. The additional sunlight may also increase the temperature in your child’s room. The temperature should remain around 68-70 degrees fahrenheit for an optimal sleeping environment.
Social cues can help with the change. Consistency in daily routines serve as strong cues to our children about what to expect during the day. Keeping the same order of your day to day routines will help your child ease into the time change.
Be consistent and patient. Within a few days to a week, your child will adjust to the new times. During any transition, patience and consistency will help everyone through the process. Soon enough we will all be enjoying more sunshine and warmer weather!!
