You’ve worked so hard to get your child into a bedtime routine and then the clocks only go and change! Daylight saving time changes happen twice a year in the UK with the clocks going forward an hour in spring and back in the winter.
It’s easier said than done to convince babies and toddlers to change their routine. To top it all off, daylight saving time change starts this year on Mother’s Day, Sunday 31st March 2019. Fingers crossed that Dad gets up in the morning and you still get a lie in.
Here are some top tips on how to help your children adjust to the time change.
Sneaky Change
Rather than enforcing a sudden hour change, try adjusting bedtime by a little each day in the run up to the time change. If you’re reading this a couple of days before, you can still try the adjustment gradually before and after the change.
Plunge In
Forget the slowly slowly and just change bedtime by an hour. Keep to your usual routine and hope for the best.
Black Out Blinds
Lighter days can make it tricky to convince little ones to stay in bed. Try black out blinds to keep their room dark. They come in useful during the summer when it stays light until well after bedtime too.
Avoid Screen Time
Many bedtime routines involve a little screen time. The artificial light confuses our internal body clock and can affect sleep. Try to cut this out before bedtime and enjoy a bath and curl up with a bedtime story.
Meal Times
Don’t forget that it’s not just bedtime and wake up that are affected by the time change. You’ll need to adjust mealtimes too.
If it all goes to pot, stay calm and when they’re finally asleep you can pour yourself a cool, refreshing G&T!
Good Luck
