Saturday October 30 is the end of daylight saving time, and we all have to turn the clocks back an hour to standard time. This means we can enjoy an extra hour of sleep, unless our children decide otherwise... 😉 Some children are really upset by the change in their sleeping pattern, while others don’t notice a thing. Our tips may help you adjust your baby’s or toddler’s internal clock.

What can you do in the days leading up to the end of daylight saving time?

1. Make sure your baby gets enough sleep during the day.
2. Start making tiny adjustments to your baby’s schedule. Start planning daily rituals such as feeds and bedtimes a bit later a few days in advance. If you delay these by fifteen minutes every day, your baby will be accustomed to the new schedule in no time!
3. Get your child to play outdoors more during the day. Fresh air and natural light stimulate a good night’s sleep. Children can also get rid of their energy better outdoors.
4. Do not postpone bedtime unnecessarily. If your child is simply super tired, just put him or her to bed, and do not wait or try to stretch time. Children who are overtired can easily get hyperactive and overexcited. And overtired children find it harder to fall asleep than usual.
5. As it gets colder, keep an eye on the room temperature. For babies up to age 1, 20°C is ideal, but if they are over the age of 1, keep the sleeping temperature at 18°C. Try to air the room at least 10 minutes every day.
6. Avoid blue light (tablets, tv, smartphones...) in the hour before bedtime. This light can disrupt the production of melatonin, a hormone that makes you sleepy.
7. Follow your daily bedtime routine. This gives your child something to hold onto, is soothing and clearly let him or her know that it is time to go to sleep.

What you can do after the clock has been turned back:

• In winter, the mornings are darker for longer. This stimulates the production of melatonin, and that causes us to find it harder to get up in the morning. Make sure your child is exposed to light as soon as possible after waking. Soft lighting such as the Yumi Yay night lights are a great way to wake up.
• A sleep trainer can also be a useful tool to let your toddler know when it is time to get up.
• Keep a good eye on the signs of tiredness.
• Try to stay calm yourself as well and make sure you are prepared yourself! Children can feel it when you’re stressed, and this makes them stressed too.