Whether it comes to keeping sleep steady in Spring or dealing with the clocks going forward, sleep coach Jade Zammit, who works with baby brand Nuby, is on hand to help
As well as it being Mother’s Day, this Sunday will see the clocks move forward by an hour. And when it comes to young children, it can be difficult to know what to do when it comes to their bedtime routines.
“As we welcome Spring, we also welcome the changing of clocks this weekend,” said Jade Zammit, Sleep Coach at Beyond The Stars. “For parents, what does this mean? This can be the tougher clock change to plan because we are trying to get them to sleep earlier than usual in the lead up to the clocks changing and it is hard to make a little one sleep when they just are not ready for it.”
Jade, who works with baby brand Nuby, has these four tips to help your child adjust to the new timings without causing too much disruption…
READ MORE: Experts warn against common mistakes to give your baby the safest sleep
1. Start your preparation today
“Move everything including bedtime, naps and mealtimes 15 minutes forward each day in the lead-up to the clocks going forward,” says Jade. “This works well for babies and those on multiple naps. It is important to adjust mealtimes as well as sleep as our body clocks are massively impacted by this. It can also take them up to a week to fully adjust, so give it some time too.
2. Meet in the middle
Move your child’s naps, wake-up time and bedtime by 30 minutes on the day of the clock change and again by 30 minutes the day after. This way you’re meeting in the middle rather than trying to move their sleep schedule by a whole hour on the day of the clock change. This works well for toddlers.
3. Cut naps short
If your baby or toddler is still napping, then you have an advantage. You can cap their naps to prevent them from sleeping too much during the day, making them more tired at night and more likely to want to go to sleep early.
4. Don’t do anything
Don’t panic, if you don’t want to make any changes to your baby or toddler’s bedtime routine then don’t. You can leave things as they are and let it sort itself out. Remember, you can always make tweaks on the other side.”
As we head into spring, evenings will get lighter for longer, which can suppress melatonin production, the hormone responsible for regulating the body’s sleep-wake cycle. This can make it harder for children to go to sleep but Nuby’s expert Jade has these handy hints…
Keep the room dark when it’s still light outside
“The most effective way to help your baby or toddler adjust is by keeping their room dark, even when it’s still bright outside. A blackout blind or blackout curtains will block out natural light and create an ideal sleep environment. If your child usually sleeps with a night light, you can still use it.
Make the most of the lighter evenings
Longer daylight hours mean more time outside, which can help tire your baby or toddler out before bed. For babies try an evening walk with your pram or outdoor playtime for toddlers.
Keep them at the right temperature
With spring comes warmer weather, so it’s important to dress your baby appropriately for sleep. The ideal room temperature for a baby is 16-20°C. At this temperature, as a guide they should wear a 2.5 tog sleep bag, vest and sleepsuit, however, adjust this if they show signs of feeling too hot or too cold. Use a baby room thermometer to monitor the temperature of their room.
Use a sleep aid if they wake up
Unfortunately, there’s no magic trick to stop your baby from waking up when the nights get lighter. However, a sleep aid can help them settle back to sleep. Look for cry-activated sleep aids that play soothing sounds such as lullabies, heartbeat noises or white noise to help calm them.”
