We spring forward again on Sunday, March 9 at 2:00 am. I know it seems like we just turned the clocks back. Many of us struggled with early wake ups and cranky babes who had trouble making it to a 6:00 pm bedtime. But, fear not! The spring time change is easier on parents and babies. While we technically lose one hour of sleep, our clocks push forward and make for an easier time change. Even though we lose an hour, our clocks will read 7 instead of 6 when we wake up on Sunday morning, and as any parent knows, making it to 7:00 is sometimes a really big deal. Here are some tips to help you with the time change in your family.
Turn your clocks ahead one hour before bed on Saturday night. Don’t forget to change your smoke detector batteries, too!
1. Stick to your schedule. How you handle this time change depends on your family and child, but most do best by just keeping all routines and naps and bedtimes the same. Yes, your child will be getting one hour less of sleep, but this will not affect them greatly because it is temporary. If you want to prepare ahead of time, you can put your child to bed 15 minutes earlier for a few days before Sunday and then your child will be adjusted to the new times on Sunday. If you have a child that wakes early and goes to bed early, it can be tempting to start putting them to bed later in the hopes that they will wake later. You can try this, but it often does not work because light, hunger, and daily routines all affect our daily alertness and drowsiness, and it can be hard to change all of those considering factors to fit the new time change.
2. Use blackout shades. The sun will be rising earlier and setting later, which means it may be lighter in your child’s bedroom. This could make it difficult to fall asleep at night (here in Texas it can get dark as late as 9:00) when the sun is setting and encourage earlier waking in the morning. Blackout shades are a great way to darken your child’s room (and even your own) and to help your child sleep until a more desirable wake up time. They can be expensive., so if you need some quick fixes, black trash bags and painters tape are a great alternative. You can also purchase temporary paper blackout shades from your local hardware store or attach blackout backing to your existing curtains.
3. Use white noise. The birds may start chirping much earlier as we move into spring. A white noise machine is a great tool for blocking out environmental noises as well as other sounds in your home. White noise is non-habit forming and allows the brain to sleep deeply because the sound is constant. Choose white noise over music because the dynamic changes in music do not allow the brain to achieve deep, restorative sleep.
4. Earlier to bed means later to rise. We all remember the days when we used to sleep in before we had kids. Is your child an early riser? You might need to use an earlier bedtime to keep your child from becoming overtired, which often results in earlier wakings. For older children, consider using a clock to signal when it’s okay to get out of bed even if they wake early.
5. Parents need to sleep, too! It’s just as important for parents to pay attention to their sleep environment and routines. Make sure your bedrooms are clear of clutter and are only used for sleep. Give yourself enough time to carry out your own relaxing bedtime routine each night. Turn off all screens at least an hour before bedtime so that you can allow your brain to release the hormones that naturally make you drowsy at night. Parents need to take care of themselves so they can take care of their children.
Enjoy these days of “sleeping in”. If you need assistance for sleep issues that may not be fixed as we spring forward, working with a certified sleep consultant may be a solution for your family.