When the clocks go back: sleep coach Douina's tips for your child
When the clocks go back for winter time, a child who used to get up at 6:00 is standing next to your bed at 5:00. Sleep coach Douina advises preparing the routine three days in advance: move the afternoon nap and bedtime a quarter of an hour later each day, so that on the Sunday the clocks change you land back on the old clock times. Get outside a lot during the day to help the body clock, and always keep watching your child's sleep cues. Douina explains it herself below.
Why is winter time hard for children?
It is that time again, winter is on its way. That means not only that it gets dark and cold earlier, but also that the clocks go back an hour. Without children, that is an hour's extra sleep. If you have children, and an early bird at that, this is not your favourite moment: you are not getting up at 6:00 but at 5:00. A time no parent is happy about.
I always describe winter time as a jet lag. The body is confused and often needs time to get back into its “normal” rhythm. So your little one does not just wake up an hour earlier, but can also react to it mentally:
- being more sensitive, getting angry more quickly or testing boundaries;
- getting tired sooner;
- getting hungry at the old times.
All things you can allow for as a parent, and that explain why your little one may be a bit more sensitive over the coming week. Be kind to yourself, but also to your child. Winter time is not equally easy for every child.
How do you prepare the sleep routine for winter time?
There are two ways to approach winter time. You do nothing and take your little one straight into the new time: no preparation, you see how the next few days go. Or you do some preparatory work and hope that way your child will not wake up too early and will cope a little more smoothly with the change.
If you choose to prepare, you start adjusting the routine three days in advance, by moving everything a quarter of an hour later each day. The example below assumes a child who still has an afternoon nap around 12:30 and goes to bed at 19:00.
Example schedule: shifting the routine over three days
- Thursday: afternoon nap at 12:45, bed at 19:15.
- Friday: afternoon nap at 13:00, bed at 19:30.
- Saturday: afternoon nap at 13:15, bed at 19:45.
- Sunday, once winter time has started: afternoon nap at 12:30, bed at 19:00.
So on Sunday you go back to your old bedtimes, the ones you kept before winter time too. As a parent you often know yourself what your child thrives on best. Besides adjusting the routine, you can help the process by getting outside a lot during the day; that helps the body clock a little.
What do you watch out for during the transition?
I hope you find the tips useful and that the transition goes more smoothly this way. Of course, always keep watching your child and stay alert to sleep cues. Do not keep your child awake and do not stick rigidly to this schedule if your child is really tired.
Want to know more from our sleep expert Douina? Get in touch via Instagram: Douina.slaapdeskundige.
Summary
- Winter time works like a jet lag: your child wakes up an hour too early and may be more sensitive, tired sooner or hungry at the old times.
- Start three days in advance and move the nap and bedtime a quarter of an hour later each day.
- On the Sunday the clocks go back, you return to the old times.
- Plenty of time outside during the day helps the body clock.
- Keep watching for sleep cues and do not keep your child awake if they are really tired.
Frequently asked questions
When do you start preparing for winter time?
Three days in advance, shifting the afternoon nap and bedtime by a quarter of an hour each day.
Do you have to adjust the routine at all?
No. You can also take your child straight into the new time and wait to see how it goes. Preparing increases the chance that your child will not wake up too early and that the transition goes more smoothly.
