Time Changes and Your Child's Sleeping Schedule

Your child's usual sleeping patterns may get thrown off when the clocks change. In the srping, the clocks go forward one hour. This means that if you usually put your child to bed at 7:30, it will really be 6:30 when you lay him down for the night. Nobody is ready to go to bed at 6:30 and most likely, your baby will not be ready either. More than likely, if you lay your child down for the night this early it will take him a long time to get to sleep because he is simply not tired. The best thing to do is keep him on his schedule and lay him down for the night at his usual bedtime. To help your child make the transition more quickly, keep waking him up at his normal wake time rather than letting him sleep in to make up for lost sleep. You might notice that your child is somewhat cranky from being tired. The crankiness should only last a day or two while his body adjusts to the new schedule. In the fall, the clocks get moved back. What used to be 7:30 is now 8:30 and bedtime should not be a problem. Your child should be tired and ready to go down for the night at his normal bedtime. However, most parents find that their child wakes up to early in the mornings after a time change in the fall. If your child normally gets up at 6, he will be waking at 5 to get the day started. Your child's body will work itself out with time and withink a week, everything will be back to normal. Remember to stick to his normal bedtime and wake time to help your child adjust faster.

Along with the clocks changing, your child might be affected by the longer days and shorter nights throughout the summer months. The further north you live, the more noticeable the change will be. During the summer months, it is still bright and sunny outside well into the evening hours. It may feel odd putting your child to bed around 7:30 because it is still so light outside. Because your child needs her sleep, you should continue to keep her sleeping schedule consistent. If the light from outside bothers your child, get room-darkening shades or drape a dark sheet or comforter over her window to conceal the light. Luckily, babies and children are used to sleeping during the day for naps when it is light outside. If your child can sleep at naptime when it is light outside, she can sleep at bedtime while it is light outside.

Continue to be consistent for the fastest adaptation. Fortunately, children are flexible and adapt easily. If your child is having a hard time adjusting, try to change their napping schedule to make bedtime and wake time easier. Most parents have a harder time dealing with the time change than their babies and young children do!