Top 3 Tips for Spring Clock Change
The clocks are going forward by one hour on 31st March at 1am for Daylight Savings Time.
Essentially we “lose” an hour of sleep. This is the start of Spring, lighter mornings, lighter evenings, it might even start warming up a bit.
But what does this mean for your baby’s sleep schedule?
Are you stressed about it?
What do you mean we’re losing even more sleep?
I know! We’re sleep deprived parents, the idea of losing an hour of sleep is not a good one. BUT, there is some good news. If you have an early riser who loves a 5am start - that 5am is about to become 6am. Much more manageable.
If you are worried about the clock change throwing off your child’s schedule (I get it, you work hard to nail it and then this happens) I have three strategies for you:
Gradually Change Their Schedule
If you have a baby who takes multiple naps a day or you have a little one who loves their routine and can be sensitive to change this is a great option for a gentle shift over a few days. You need to wake them up slightly earlier - 10-15 minutes - in the 4 days prior to the clocks moving forward. This means that by the time the clock changes their schedule will have aligned with the clocks and they will be right on track. When you wake them up earlier, their naps will also move slightly earlier too.
Do Nothing
This is also fine. If you aren’t worried about it and your child is of a more relaxed temperament then do nothing. Within a few days their body clock will adjust to the new bedtime and nap times. You might just have a few nights of slightly later bedtimes - just gradually bring it forward.
Accept a Later Bedtime
Some families prefer to not change anything and allow their children to have a later bedtime in the Spring/Summer months. When it’s lighter in the evening it can be nice to enjoy more time outside to play or spend time with family and friends. It’s really down to whatever suits your family.
A Few Helpful Science Bits
Daylight impacts the Circadian Rhythm: When it is lighter in the mornings and evenings in the Spring/Summer months this can impact when your child sleeps. The CR (aka body clock) signals to the brain when it’s time to sleep and exposure to light impacts when these signals are released.
Melatonin: this is the hormone that signals it’s time to sleep. It is produced when your body is exposed to darkness. Dimming the lights or using blackout blinds in the Summer can help with melatonin production and can help prevent early waking when the sun is coming up really early and lighting up their bedroom. My favourite blackout blind is a lifesaver for early waking.
Wake up time: when trying to reset the body clock it’s important to keep the same wake up time each morning. It can be tempting to let your child sleep in when the clocks change to get back that lost hour but that will keep them up even later at bedtime!
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