Preparing for wintertime

Winter clock change:

how to prepare your child and yourself

Each year wintertime starts on the last Sunday of October. In the night from Saturday to Sunday, the clocks are set back one hour. And it means we gain an hour and we can sleep one hour longer! But how will it affect the sleep-wake cycle of your little one? Will it be disrupted too? Well, it doesn't have to be.

In this blog, Janine from The New Sleepcoach shares tips to make the transition to wintertime as smooth as possible.

Changing from summertime to wintertime

To make the transition from winter time as smooth as possible, you can start adjusting the bedtime and wake up schedule a week before the clock changes. With a few small changes, your child (and yourself) will be less affected by the transition and you can get used to the new rhythm faster.

How do you do it?

Start adjusting your child’s schedule by moving up all activities, including naps, meals and the bedtime ritual, 10 minutes each day in a week advance.

For example, if your child normally goes to bed at 7 p.m., move up the bedtime ritual 10 minutes each day until you are at 8 p.m. This allows your little one to adjust slowly, without too much disruption to sleep.

Note: Make sure your child does not suddenly go to bed a full hour later. This can lead to early awakenings and restless nights.

If your child does wake up before 6 a.m., try to leave him or her until it's 6 a.m. This way you prevent your child from getting used to waking up earlier. Anything before 6 a.m. is considered nighttime.

Make use of natural light to set your child's biological clock. Turn on the light after 6 a.m. and start the day actively. Get outside as much as possible in the morning.