‘The baby’s going to wake up even EARLIER’
‘What time should I put my child down to sleep in the evening?’
‘What will happen with naps?’
We know it’s going to happen yet for some parents it can cause mild panic at the thought of the disruption to their child’s sleep patterns. First of all, try not to panic!
A few different approaches to the impending hour change…
- Starting this Tuesday, 25 October, put your child to bed 15 minutes later than normal at bedtime, shifting nap times 15 minutes later too. Keep moving bedtime and nap times 15 minutes later every few days until you get to the hour later. This will help them adapt gradually to the hour change.
- Move bedtime half an hour later for a few nights before the hour change and after the hour change, return to the original bedtime.
- From Monday, 31 October, switch immediately to the new time and keep naps at the same time. For example, if you usually put your child down for a nap at 9am, on Monday morning, put your child down at 9am, new time.
- Ensure your child has playtime outside in the afternoon as production of melatonin, the natural sleep hormone is triggered by sunlight.
Your child may wake up a little earlier or later for a few days but it doesn’t take long for children to adjust to the new time.
As with all elements of encouraging good sleep habits, staying consistent is the key.
