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Helpful Tips to To Manage The Fall Time Change 2018 for babies, toddlers and children
Helpful Tips babies, toddler and children for Fall Time Change 2018
The Fall 2018 time change is on November 4, 2018. If you have a baby, toddler or child, you will want to watch this video for some tips and tricks to be prepared for the time change.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl_oZ-v9Pag&w=560&h=315]
Get ready! The end of daylight-saving time will fall on Sunday. Nov. 4, 2018 in the United States and Canada. We will “fall back” by setting our clocks back an hour.
The good news is that you will get a “bonus hour” of overall sleep and a “bonus hour” of light in the morning, so waking up will definitely be easier. In the evening, it will be darker one hour earlier, so often the day feels really short. You will find yourself wanting to “get cozy” and you and the kids will likely get drowsy earlier—and therefore bedtime will hopefully be easier.
To get ready, see my video above to learn strategies for the fall time change for children 6 months-5 yrs of age. Please know it can take up to 2 weeks for a child to make the transition to the new time change, so be patient and mindful of your child’s sleepy cues.
Be proactive and begin making changes to your routine 3-7 days prior to the time change for children 6mo.-6yrs
Making incremental changes prior to November 4th is best for children that tend to be early risers or children that tend to be sensitive to schedule changes. These children usually benefit from gradually changing their schedule on the days leading up to the time change.
How Make Incremental changes:
Start putting your child to bed 10-15 minutes later than his or her normal naptime or bedtime and of course, make similar changes to the nap schedule and meal schedule.
Every other day/night, try to “bump up” naptime/bedtime by 10-15 minutes. Do this until the night of the time change.
The goal is to complete shifting your child’s bedtime schedule up by an hour by the time the clock changes. For example: your child’s normal nap time is 8:45am, bump it to 9am and do this for 2 days and then, bump to 9:15am for 2 days and so on. If you would rather “work” the bedtime angle than if bedtime is normally 7pm. During the days leading up to the time change, push bedtime to 7:15, 7:30, 7:45, 8pm…then when the time change happens, the 8pm bedtime will “FALL BACK” to 7pm and your child will already be in the mode for the new bedtime.
If you try this method and your child starts waking before 6am, then STOP and go back to your old schedule. You will need to adjust to new time change in the “Just in time” method.
If you don’t have the time or inclination to plan ahead, then you can simply respond to your child’s needs once the time change has happened on November 4, 2018.
This means that all naps, meals and bedtime will automatically switch to the new time. This might also mean your child may wake earlier in the morning for the first week or so, but soon things will normalize.
Use the “Just in Time” option: Sync with new clock times on November 4, 2018.
If your child starts to wake before 6am, (which is considered early rising) than it is imperative that you attend to this early rising or else it will persist.
If you experience early rising, go to your child’s room, remind him or her it is still time for sleeping and try to soothe him or her back to sleep. (can use a tot clock for children 2.5 yrs of age and older)
If the child does not go back to sleep, then use this strategy to make it “morning:” keep the room dark until 6am, then exit the room for 10-20 seconds, then re-enter the room and turn on the lights and open shades and then get your child out of bed.
In this way, you will not be reinforcing early rising and eventually your child’s circadian rhythm will get back on track. If you have ongoing issues with early rising after 10-14 days after the time change, then I highly recommend reading my post on early rising.
In either case, it is important for children to get their daily dose of Vitamin D with morning light exposure. Turn on the lights, open your shades and, most importantly, try to give your child morning sunlight for at least 20-30 minutes a day during that first 7-10 days of the time change. This will help to reset your child’s circadian rhythm.
It’s also important to protect your sleep! Here are my time change tips for adults:
Since you are gaining an hour of sleep, it is often easier just to go to sleep at your normal time on Saturday night and then allow yourself to sleep in on Sunday morning. Then for the first couple of days, please know that your body will be busy regulating to the new time change, so light exposure in the morning will really help your body adjust.
Like jet lag, time changes take about a week to resolve and so it is wise to be patient and try to adhere to a flexible schedule and you will begin to see it all normalize. Happy Fall!!
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Getting Ready to SPRING FOWARD!! Tips and Tricks!
Spring Forward: March 11, 2018: Tips and Tricks to Ease the Transition.
Getting Ready for the Spring 2018 Time Change: Tips and Tricks to Ease the Transition
It’s that time again: the “Spring Forward” 2018 Time change. In the US, we will turn our clocks ahead one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 11th, 2017.
I am looking forward to the extra daylight and a dose of Vitamin D from the sunshine. As with all time changes, the family should be prepared and expect some sleep disruptions and have tips and strategies on how to tackle it all.
If you employ these tips, it will be easier for your to support your little ones through their own transition
Tips for Parents:
Eliminate all caffeine after 1:30 p.m. the week of March 5 in order to make it easier to go to bed earlier.
If possible, also avoid alcohol the weekend of March 10/11 which negatively affects sleep.
Go to bed 15 minutes earlier than usual on the Thursday 3/8/18
On Friday 3/9/18 go to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual.
On Saturday try to go to bed 45 minutes earlier than your usual bedtime (notice a pattern?).
This time change can often be very difficult for children. After all, imagine being used to a 7pm bedtime and now it’s been moved to what your body feels is 6pm!.
Be patient as it does take the body 7-9 days for the natural circadian rhythm to get back on track.
To make the transition easier, I have outlined some tips to help your baby or toddler make a gentle change. Don’t worry. There are a couple of ways to tackle this transition and you can choose the one that suits your style and your child’s needs the best.
Before the time change…be diligent that your child is getting adequate naps so that they aren’t overtired.
Be prepared for your baby’s bedtime to feel earlier, since it actually is earlier. Remember, we’re jumping ahead a full hour, so what used to be 6:00 p.m. is now 7:00 p.m. (but it will still feel like 6:00 p.m. to your baby).
Exposure to morning light can help the body “reset” the circadian rhythm. If it’s too cold, open the windows and let in some natural light. Try to get at least thirty minutes of sunlight first thing in the morning for that initial week to help your body tune into the time change.
I recommend that you choose between two transition methods for Daylight Savings Time.
Transition Method 1: Pretend that Nothing Has Changed.
Best Method for Families with children with “early rising” tendencies (up before 6am)
Best Method for busy Parents who already feel “rushed” at bedtime.
If you have a child that actually wakes up before 6am, then this may be the right method for you. This method is probably the easiest for most families, as you will follow your daily routine according to the clock, but everything will be pushed ahead one hour.
If you choose this method do the following:
Move your clock ahead an hour on Saturday night, and proceed with your normal day Sunday.
Note: be aware that following this “do nothing approach” means your child will lose an hour, which has the potential to create a struggle at bedtime, because bedtime will be a full hour earlier than it was last night.
Because your baby or toddler is not aware that the time has changed, they will wake up at their normal time (hopefully), but instead of 6:00 a.m., it will be 7:00 a.m. (see what I mean about solving that pesky early rising issue?).
However, don't let your child sleep past 7:30 or 8am or else bedtime will be harder.
Proceed with your normal day, and be sure that your meals and naps, and bedtime are at the appropriate time (you may have to watch the clock).
Remember that your baby will be going to bed at their “regular time”. For example, if your baby is used to a 7:00 p.m. bedtime, put them to bed at the NEW 7:00 p.m. (which was previously 6:00 p.m.). It is very possible that meals and naps will fall into place naturally with this method, but be prepared that your child may not actually be tired at bedtime yet. Remember, they don’t understand why they’ve lost an hour, and it’s suddenly still light out at bedtime, so you may have to be a bit flexible or now might be the time to install those room darkening shades.
This method of adjustment seldom takes more than a week!
Transition Method 2: Make DAILY adjustments
Best for families that know the time change will be hard on their kiddo
Best for families who feel more secure when they “plan in advance”
About 5-7 days before the time change, begin putting your child to bed 10-20 minutes earlier, moving the time back every day or few days until you reach a full hour. So, if your child has a 7:00 p.m. bedtime, you want to begin with bedtime at 6:40 p.m. ,then 6:20 p.m., then 6:00 p.m.
Be consistent as possible with your baby’s food and sleep schedule. This means that you need to shift all meals, snacks, and naps a half hour earlier as well.
Watch the clock to stay on the new schedule of 30 minutes earlier.
Don’t forget to wake your child a bit earlier to help with this transition schedule.
After about a week, your child should be back at their 7:00 p.m. bedtime.
Adjust all meals, snacks, and naps to fit the “new” schedule on the same day that you shift to your child’s new, fully-adjusted bedtime.
Here is an example: If your baby or toddler’s bedtime is 7 pm, it will look like this:
Tuesday 3/6/17 : 6:50 pm bedtime
Wednesday 3/7/17 : 6:40 pm bedtime
Thursday 3/8/17: 6:30 pm bedtime
Friday: 3/9/17 6:20 pm bedtime
Saturday 3/10/17: 6:10 pm bedtime
Sunday 3/11/17: 7 pm bedtime (new time—old time will be 6 pm)
Keep in mind that the goal is to be back to your baby’s normal bedtime (and routine) in just a few days (some children may take a bit longer, so don’t fret if your child takes a week or so).
Whichever method you choose, it’s important to remember that your baby’s internal clock is used to Standard Time. You may need to revert to some sleep training methods for a few days to help ease the time change. “Springing forward” also means that nights are shorter, which may be an issue for some children who are used to dark winter nights. Remember, every child is different, and your little one will adjust, but don’t fret if it’s not overnight (some toddlers can take a few weeks to adjust!). Prepare for the transition to take a few days, and watch for those sleep cues that will tell you when your child is tired and ready to sleep!
Overview On How To Handle Daylight Saving Time:
Decide which Daylight Savings sleep transition method you want to use to help your child adjust.
Take your baby’s internal clock into account and watch for sleepy cues.
Check to see if light is an issue, and consider purchasing room-darkening shades for bedtime, but also expose them to morning light in that first week to “reset” their internal clock.
Most importantly, be flexible and patient. A time change is often hard on kids and adults alike. Readjustment can take about 5-7 days. Just be mindful of the clock and your schedule.
Keep evening plans calm and watch for sleepy cues. Dim the lights in house and avoid screen-time that can be too stimulating.
If needed, use your preferred sleep training method to help encourage sleep and help your baby get the rest he/she needs.
Solve your child’s sleep struggles once and for all — so everyone finally sleeps again.
I help sleep-deprived families get where they need to be: well-rested.
There Is No Need To "Cry-It-Out"
I Offer Guilt-Free, Gentle Sleep Coaching
Easy and calm bedtimes, quiet, peaceful nights, reliable naps and confident parenting are yours.
With proven, evidence-based methods, an expert, signature process, and full-service support,
I help you tenderly teach the “skills of sleep” to your child.
I’ve Helped Over 800 Families Sleep Through The Night.
That’s More Than 2,400 Family Members Now Sleeping Better.
Let Me Help Your Whole Family Sleep Better, Too.
Click the button below to schedule a live 45 minute Sleep Strategy Session where you can gain expert insights into how to tackle the sleep struggles once and for all! (small fee applies)