Daylight Savings: some people love it, some people (mainly parents of little kids!) hate it! It may only be a change of an hour, but it can be a huge adjustment period for many families. Here’s a few tips to help make that adjustment a little less stressful, both when changing to daylight savings and then back to normal time!

Generally speaking, a small baby won’t be as affected by the time change, it is more toddlers and small children who have a routine in place.

Darken the Bedroom – Make sure you have some lovely dark blockout curtains in your child’s room so they won’t be bothered that it’s still light outside when they go to bed. This will help when going back to normal time at the end of daylight savings too, so the kids don’t get up in the morning too early!

Stick to Routine – Try and stick as close to your child’s normal sleep routine as possible. Make sure you have a settling period such as milk, quiet time, reading a story, brush teeth etc and don’t deviate from it!

Make it Gradual – Don’t expect your kids to make the adjustment to the full hour time change immediately! Adjust their bedtimes by about 10 to 15 mins every couple of nights over a week and then it should be a much easier transition.

Overtiredness – Bear in mind that until your kids are used to the time change, they will most likely be tired and cranky due to the routine change. Ensure they have their day naps as usual and plenty of rest.

Early Morning Play – Some sleep experts say that to help with the time adjustment when daylight savings starts, that children should be encouraged to play outside between 6am and 9am as this helps the body to “wake up” and suppresses the sleep hormone called melatonin. That way melatonin is more likely to return to full strength in the evening (when it’s supposed to!)

That’s really all you can do to help the changeover – after about a week or so, your kids will have adjusted and all will be fine!

Do you have any other suggestions to help with daylight savings transition? Let us know!