The clocks will be springing forward an hour this Sunday, 29th March. Which is also Mother’s Day incidentally.
This means a couple of things; first of all, it’s almost summertime! Second of all, your baby may be awake an hour later, and up an hour later. So if your little one normally goes to sleep at 6pm, they may be awake till 7pm, and if they normally wake at 7am, they may not wake up until 8am.
While this can be good news for many parents, it may not be for those babies who need to be up at certain times for crèche or minders etc.
It is worth noting that the clocks going forward won’t have much effect on newborn babies or babies who wake frequently during the night as they're sleep patterns are not strictly established.
There are some things that parents can do to minimise the effects of the time change in your baby’s sleep pattern. After all, if a pattern has only recently been established, the idea of a disruption may be stressful for parents.
Here are some tips that will hopefully make the adjustment seamless:
- If your baby normally goes to sleep at 6pm, slowly but steadily put them to bed 10-15 mins earlier in the run up to the day the clocks go forward.
- Because your baby’s bedtime is now a few minutes earlier, this means the whole day must too be a few minutes earlier. This means mealtimes, naptimes, bath times etc.
- Try to have an energetic day with your baby on Sunday to ensure they are tired when you put them to bed at that earlier time.
- Darken the room earlier than you generally would. Get rid of any stimulating material that may cause them to be alert. Do whatever you normally would do to get your baby to sleep whether it be rocking or listening to some soft music or reading.
- In the morning your baby may not be awake at the usual time so if time allows, let them to awaken naturally. Perhaps slightly open the blinds/curtains so they can see it is bright out.
Of course, many busy parents will not have the time to ensure their baby's day can be pushed forward by a few minutes. However, that is not to worry, your baby’s sleep pattern will settle down after a few days.
