time change Archives - Parenting Foundations

Daylight Savings: Coming to an End!

by Brenda McSween | Child Sleep, Infant, Newborn, Parenting

Daylight Savings is coming to an end on November 2, 2020, at 2:00 am. The clocks will fall back.

We will get to sleep in for an hour!!!

Back to reality…Before I had a child, I got to sleep in. Now it just messes with our lovely schedule 🙁

There are a few different ways you can handle the time change.

1. Do absolutely nothing leading up to the day

Put the time change on ignore until it happens. Then once it occurs you may have to adjust bedtime and nap time so your child does not get overtired. If your child typically naps at 12:30 he will be ready for a nap at 11:30.

Every 3 to 4 days you can push your child’s nap later by 15 minutes until you reach the desired nap time. You will have to do the same with bedtime.

2. Push sleep times later in 15-minute increments leading up to the change

7 to 10 days before the time change you can push your child’s sleep times ahead by 15 minutes. Every 3 days add an additional 15 minutes to the sleep times until you reach the desired 1 hour later sleep time. When the time change occurs you child’s sleep times will be back on his previous schedule.

3. Use it to your advantage

If your child is waking up around 8:00 am and going to bed past 8:00/8:30 pm they will automatically be switched to a 7:00 am wake up and a bedtime of 7/7:30 pm.

4. Change your clocks after you have had your coffee

There is nothing worse than looking at the clock while it reads 6 am when you are used to it reading 7 am. Postpone changing the clocks as long as you need. I will be waiting until after I have had my morning coffee!

All the best with the time change! Here’s to hoping someday soon there will be no more time changes!!!

Time Change Coming

by Brenda McSween | Baby Sleep, Child Sleep, Newborn, Parenting

Yippee (sarcasm inserted here) we have a time change this weekend! We will find ourselves moving our clocks ahead an hour. So if your child usually wakes up at 7 am the clock will say 8 am!!! You will look at the clock and smile but realistically it does not mean much 🙁

There are a few things you can do; however, you first have to decide if you are okay with the morning wake time.

If you are happy with the new wake time then do the following:

1. Naps will occur after the proper amount of wake time. This will make it seem like naps are now on hour later then they were the day before the time change. It is the clock playing tricks on you.

2. Bedtime will be one hour later then usual.

3. Maintain this new schedule.

If you are not okay with the new wake time then do the following:

1. Wake your child at the desired wake time. Expect your child to take a few days to adjust to being woken up.

2. Naps at the proper amount of wake time.

3. Plan for bedtime to be a the regular time which may feel like an hour earlier to your child. It will take time to adapt.

4. Be patient as this will take at least a week for your child to adapt to the time change.

The third thing you can do is go with the flow and adjust with your child as their bodies adapt.

This is most likely what we will do. I will put on my big girl panties and by patient with the little man while he gets used to the clock changes.

The final and most important thing is that you do not stress out!!

As with everything related to children, the calmer you can be the easier the transition is.

Take Care and Happy Sleeping!!

Time Change – Reduce the Impact on Your Child’s Sleep

by Brenda McSween | Child Sleep, Parenting Tools

Spring forward! This Sunday, March 8, 2015, the clocks will Spring Forward!!! I can hear all the parents of early risers rejoicing now! I can also hear the panic in some people’s voices. Arghh Time Change.

Often the time change can impact your child’s sleep. This time change usually has more of a positive impact than negative impact. The biggest change that we will see is more daylight. Blackout blinds will be your friend.

How do you prepare for the time change?

The best thing you can do is carry on like you usually do and make sure your child’s room is quite dark.

How will this time change impact your child’s sleep?

Your child may sleep in longer! (Yippee!!)

How do you get their sleep back on track?

If you want to keep your child on their current schedule you could wake them up at their usual wake time. I would suggest that you do this as naturally as possible as children waking up are not happy. By naturally, I mean open up the black out blinds or curtains, turn off their white noise, turn on the hall light and open their door.

If you choose not to wake your child up (this is the one I will choose), I suggest that you keep in mind that child may not be ready for sleep at their regular time. They will naturally be ready for sleep an hour later than their regular sleep time. You can start to get them back to their regular schedule by moving their bedtime and naps 15 minutes back.

For example: Our son usually goes to sleep at 7:00 PM this Sunday he may not be ready for sleep until 8:00 PM. We will have his bedtime (lights out) at 7:45 PM. Then every few days we will move the back another 15 minutes until we get to the desired time.

Another thing you can do to reduce the effect this time change has on your child’s sleep is to take advantage of the outside and get your child moving lots. This will increase their ability to go to sleep “early” on Sunday which really will be their regular sleep time.

Have fun and enjoy the weekend!

Happy sleeping, everyone!

Arghh, Time Change!

by Brenda McSween | Parenting Tools

Time change is often a hard adjustment and even more difficult if you have children. Lots of people start to worry that their little ones sleep schedules will be negatively impacted by any time change. There is a reason to be concerned; however, it can be a short-lived issue.

Tonight the clocks will move ahead an hour. I will love this tomorrow morning when I wake up to a clock that says 8:00 AM instead of 7:00 AM. Tomorrow night will be more of a challenge as my 2.5-year-old will not be ready for bed at 7:30 pm as his body will think it is 6:30 PM.

Here are the things I will be doing:

Be patient
Darkness I will make sure his black out curtains are working well. If it is bright when he is going to sleep, it will take longer for him to fall asleep. The darkness naturally promotes an increase in his production of melatonin which will help him sleep.
Physical activity On Sunday we will be getting as much fresh air as possible!! He will be kept busy. If you live in our area you will see us out walking a great deal! This will hopefully cause him to get tired a bit earlier. He will not be ready for sleep until 8:30 PM but we will put him to bed around 8:00 PM.
Sleep Time He will not be ready for sleep until 8:30 PM but we will put him to bed around 8:00 PM. Then I will move his sleep to his regular sleep time in 15 minute increments over a few days.

I hope this time change is a smooth transition for everyone.

Happy sleeping!

Time Change is Fast Approaching

by Brenda McSween | Child Sleep, Parenting Tools

Lots of people start to worry that their little ones sleep schedules will be negatively impacted by any time change. There are reasons to be concerned; however, preparation is key.

Tomorrow the clocks will move back an hour. I use to love this time change as I loved the extra hour of sleep. But now I need to convince my two-year-old that it is not time to get up when he rises at 5:45 AM instead of 6:45 AM. This will take time, but I will get him back to his regular wake up.

Here are the things I will be doing:

1. Be patient. I have a tendency to get frustrated easily when I am sleep deprived, so I will remind myself regularly that I need to remain calm and patient. (Easier said than done.)

2. Ensure a dark sleeping environment. I will make sure his black out curtains are working well. If he wakes up to a bright window, he is awake for the day. If it is bright when going to sleep, it takes longer for him to fall asleep. The darkness naturally promotes an increase in his production of melatonin which helps him sleep.

3. Watch his sleep cues. On Sunday evening he will be tired at 6:30 PM as his body will think it is 7:30 PM. I will keep him up until 7:00 PM, which I know he can handle without getting over tired. This is key. An overtired child will wake up earlier than “normal.”

4. Move his sleep to his regular sleep time in 15-minute increments. Over the few days following the time change, I will increase his awake time in 15-minute increments until it returns to his regular sleep time of 7:30 PM.

5. Be as awake as possible when he wakes up. The early morning wake ups should reduce as his sleep time is moved back to his regular sleep time. I may have to drink an extra cup of coffee for a few days until he is back on track, but I will remind myself that it is not his fault for waking up early if he does.