It’s that time of year when everyone gets just-a-little-bit confused about what time it is. Did I oversleep? Have
I woken up too early? It can catch adults out and the majority of us are able to tell the time! Just imagine how
confusing it can be for children! With that in mind, I wanted to offer some tips on how you can help your little
ones to adjust.
First things first, let’s simplify things. You’ve most likely heard of the ‘gradual adjustment’ technique, and
whilst it works well for some, it can become quite confusing for others. It takes a long time for children to
adjust to a new schedule and the technique is not necessarily of much benefit to the child. The gradual
approach works by moving your child’s bedtime in 15 minute increments over the four days prior to the clock
change:
Wednesday night bedtime is 7.15pm
Thursday night bedtime is 7.30pm
Friday night bedtime is 7.45pm
Saturday night bedtime is 8pm. (Then the clocks go back in the middle of the night)
Sunday night bedtime is the new 7pm
My recommendation is instead to go for an immediate switch to the new time, and save a week’s worth of
confusing bedtime routines. For example, if your child’s bedtime is normally 7pm, on Saturday night try to
keep your child up for an extra hour and, for one night only, give them an 8pm bedtime. Remember that the
clocks change overnight and you gain an hour, so ideally your child will wake at their usual time (i.e 7am) by
the new clock time. They’ve had their usual amount of sleep, you’ve adjusted to the time difference,
everyone’s happy, and on Sunday night just continue with your 7pm bedtime by the new clock time.
Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Some little ones will struggle to make it to 8pm on the Saturday, which could make
things difficult. Over-tired, grumpy little ones can lead to night wakings or an unusually early start for mummy
and daddy. If you suspect this might happen to your child, here’s some suggestions.
• If your child is still taking regular naps, add in an extra mid-afternoon catnap.
• If he doesn’t take naps, add in a short, one-off nap in the afternoon.
The alternative is to try my Split the Difference approach:
Splitting the difference means just that- take the extra hour and split it in half. This means putting your little
one to bed at 7:30pm rather than stretching it out to 8pm. It may mean he wakes a little early (by the new
clock time) but that will soon iron itself out when you return to a 7pm bedtime on Sunday.
With the clock change, the amount of light in your child’s room will also change which can affect their
melatonin levels (melatonin is a hormone associated with the onset of sleep.) Make sure they get plenty of
daylight and fresh air first thing in the morning to regulate their melatonin levels and suppress that sleepy
hormone. Blackout blinds can also be a huge help so the new, lighter mornings don’t confuse them further!
Above all, make sure all those bedtime cues (such as bath time and story time) remain the same, as the
familiarity of these will ensure that any adjustment is made with the minimum amount of fuss.
Many children are not affected by a small difference in time so it is simpler and perhaps easier to make a
quick adjustment by doing the immediate shift. Ultimately, you know your child best so you’ll be able to
identify which plan will work best for you- all I suggest is make sure you have a plan in place to avoid a
horribly early wake up call on Sunday morning!
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