We’re sleep experts – five methods to make sure your kids still go to bed on time as the clock spring forward
THE CLOCKS are changing this weekend – and it means we’re all going to get an hour less kip.
But it also means the days are going to get longer and might spell disaster for getting your children to stick to their usual sleep routine.
Fortunately, parenting journalist Cat Cubie and baby sleep expert Sarah Carpenter reveal to Fabulous the five-step routine to ensure your children still go to bed on time no matter your parenting method.
They say: “There is no right or wrong way to deal with the clock change for babies or young children, simply what works best for you.
“So, before you jump in with both feet and tip your week with worry about what’s going to happen when we spring forward, think about where you’d like to fall.”
A consistent environment
With the clocks going forward and warmer weather approaching, it can be difficult to keep the environment the same.
But doing so can help your child settle in for the night without even realising the sun is still out.
The experts say
“Even though the clocks are changing aim to not let the environment change.
“This can be particularly hard as we head into lighter evenings and mornings.
“Aim to keep the room as dark as possible, or consistently light by keeping a light outside the room so when it changes from light to dark and back it doesn’t change the room too much.
“Keep the temperature as consistent as possible and keep your bedtime and wake-up routine exactly the same as normal.”
The 30-minute buffer
For those who like to stick with routine but don’t want a regimented order then the 30-minute buffer should work a charm.
The sleep mums reveal that this middle ground will provide flexibility for parents while not messing with your child’s routine too much by starting the bedtime routine half an hour earlier than you usually would.
The experts say
“If you feel like a happy middle ground would work better for you, you can tap into The Sleep Mums 30-minute Buffer.
“This is the idea that any routine timings have a cushion of 30 minutes on either side to allow you and your little one flexibility within the consistency of a routine.
“It also means you can read your baby or child’s needs, as none of us are robots.”
Do nothing
That’s right – if you aren’t sure where to start with getting your child’s routine to fit the clock then go on as normal and figure it out after.
Both Cat and Sarah, who run the Instagram account @thesleepmums reveal that not changing the routine won’t lead to the world’s end.
The experts say
“Put your baby or child to bed at your normal time on Saturday and see what time they wake on Sunday.
“If it is pre 6am treat it as a nighttime wake and use the settling techniques you normally would.
“You can then adjust naps or bedtimes on the subsequent days if you feel like your little one is struggling with the time difference.”
Starting after
If you miss the window to switch the routine before the clocks change, then you still have time to get them settled into a new routine.
The experts say
“If you or your child is sensitive to changes in routine or prone to overtiredness, smaller time adjustments may work better for you.
“Four days after the clock change you can start to adjust your schedule by 10-15 min each day, if you opt for this adjust everything in their routine, not just bedtime.
“It’s such a gradual change over several days so you (or baby) don’t really feel it.
“So, if bedtime is 7pm, on Sunday, you pop your child to bed at 6.45, Monday, it’s 6.30 and then magically when you put your little one to bed on Thursday at 6pm, it magically becomes 7pm on Monday.”
Playing catch-up
Even if you try one of the above, sometimes your child just isn’t going to switch to a new routine straight away, and that’s okay.
The experts say
“If things don’t go exactly to plan in the run-up or night of the clock change try not to worry too much.
“You can always slightly adjust your timings in the days after, but even if you do nothing at all, you’ll be surprised how quickly you can get back on track afterward.”