In advance of the clocks going forward on Sunday March 29th it is a good idea for parents of young children to be aware of a few strategies that can help prevent sleep disturbance. It can take a few days (and as long as a week) for the body to adjust to changes in natural light caused by the clocks going forward and the fact that our body clock is being challenged.
 
Firstly, ensure that your child is well rested in the run up to this particular weekend. Achieving good naps (if age appropriate) and uninterrupted night time sleep will ensure that their body is optimally rested in advance.Then you can consider one of the following approaches:
  1. Do nothing. You and your child can immediately follow the time once the clock changes. If your child usually wakes at 7am and goes to bed around 7pm, the day the clock changes it will say 8am, but it is no different to the day before. Stick to the same schedule and put him to bed when the clock says 7pm. Babies and toddlers who are highly adaptable will adjust within a few days and re-settle into the same schedule they were on before the time changed.
  2. The second option is to slowly change your child’s schedule over the course of a few days before the actual time change. For example, on Wednesday 25th March 4 days prior to the time change, put your child to bed 15 earlier than normal in the hope that he wakes 15 earlier the next morning. This is determined by our internal clock, so may not always happen. Also, offer his naps 15 minutes earlier. For the next few days put him to bed 15 minutes earlier each night until the night of the time change and you will be back to your normal timetable and no further adjustment is required.  You will know your own child best and if typically they are “slow to adapt” this gradual approach may be the preferred option for you.
  3. Finally, you could consider sticking to your normal schedule up until the time change and once it kicks in, be flexible and alter the schedule as much as your child can handle. I often find that splitting the difference between the 'old' time and the 'new' time works well. On the first night they would go to bed at 7pm, which would have been 6.30pm the day before and so, 30 minutes before their typical bedtime. Then adjust the rest of their schedule accordingly.
Whatever you decide to do, acknowledge that it can take about a week for the body to get used to any kind of change in sleeping habits and as a result, you can expect your days and potentially your nights to be a little off.
 
Some important points:
  • Decide on which option suits your family unit and child’s temperament best to help with this transition
  • The time change can have a more significant impact, regardless of the strategy on children who are not well-rested to begin with, resulting in crankiness, early morning waking, night waking and short naps
  • Continue to pay attention to your child’s tired signals and act accordingly, even if this means an earlier bedtime than normal
  • Ensure that the room is dark enough at bedtime, wake-up time and naps. You may need to use black-out blinds if you are not already
  • Have a consistent response if they are struggling to sleep and avoid introducing inappropriate sleeping habits that you may need to address in the future.
Paediatric Sleep Consultant

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