So...in theory we should all be getting an extra hour in bed but chances are your little one won't have got that memo so now what do you do?
You have two options when trying to manage the ridicuous phenomenon that is the clock change and I'm going to talk you through each option.
The first option and the one that I usually go for is the 'do nothing' option. This is not because my children are fabulous sleepers. It is much more to do with the fact that I often forget about it so by the time I've realised it's actually the day it's changed. Most kids will adapt pretty well, yes it may take a few days but often worrying about it causes more drama than the actual clock change itself.
A few things that you can do to make sure bedtime is as smooth as possible is to
- Expose your child to as much
natural day light as possible and
avoid long naps in the dark.
- Being
active during the day and slowing
down before bedtime can also help.
- Keep the room as dark as possible at
night and in the morning before the
required waking up time. You can use
black out blinds, or even sellotape cardboard to the windows!
The next option is to gradually shift your whole routine by 15 minutes later every day starting 3 days before the clocks change. By whole routine, I mean wake up, meals, snacks, naps...everything. This is really important as you are aiming to re-set your child's circadian rhythm gradually.
If you are currently stuck with a bedtime that is later than you would like, you could just take advantage of this change to force an earlier bedtime but don't forget that this will impact on your little ones wake up time in the morning.
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