It is that dreadful time of the year again… TIME CHANGE.

Parents it is time to fall back and change our clocks, gain an hour of sleep, if we are lucky, and put all the steps into place to ensure our great sleepers have all the right tools to endure the change.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the Time Change approaching? I remember my first little one’s time change. I was frantically googling WHAT THE HECK DO I DO!! If this is you, take a deep breath, grab a coffee and dive deep into the blog to get all the tips on conquering DST and keeping your good sleeper.

There are MANY different ways to approach the DST process. I want to give you three different scenarios that you can choose from. Who doesn’t love options?

FIRST THINGS FIRST:

Before we begin diving deep into the DST tips I want you to enter your child’s room, turn off the lights, and sit down. Pull out your phones camera and begin recording. From ceiling to wall, wall to floor, floor to door until all angles are covered.

Exit the room.

Replay that video. Do you see any light? IF so, get it covered!

No matter which scenario you may be using below be sure that your child’s routine is still in place. Your little one should have a bedtime routine that they do each and every night to cue their brains that bedtime is approaching. So, now that we are aware that bedtime routine is approaching let’s see which scenario best fits our schedule, or our parenting.

Scenario 1:

I like to call this scenario the TYPE A Scenario. This scenario is for my moms and dads who love to execute a plan way in advance.

No matter if your little one is on a nap or not:
- If you want to keep them on the same schedule as they are on then, you will follow the process below.
  - Sunday Oct 30, you will begin pushing their wake window by 15 mins each night.
    - Monday Oct 31, you will push their bedtime back 15 minutes more totally a 30 minute difference from their previous schedule.
    - Oct 30, usually in bed at 8pm (now 8:15) and waking them at 8:15am the next morning.
    - Oct 31, usually in bed by 8pm (now 8:30) and waking them at 8:30am the next morning.
- You continue this process until you hit the designated wake time you are trying to reach. You will adjust your little ones nap schedule to meet the 12 hours of day and the 12 hours of night.
  - Wake at 7am Wake at 8:00
  - Nap 1: 9:30-11 Nap 1: 10:30-12
  - Nap 2: 2-3:30 Nap 2: 3-4:30
  - Bedtime 7 Bedtime: 8:00

Scenario 2:

This is for my mamas and dads who totally forgot about DST and need a quick fix… so, this is the last minute quick fix scenario.

Thursday, Nov 3, the weekend of DST you will begin your process.
- On a nap: if your little one is on a nap then, you will lengthen that last nap of the day by 20 minutes and lay your little one down 20 minutes later. And guess what…. the next morning wake them 20 minutes later.
  - Example: Nap usually ends at 3:30 you will now lengthen it by 20 minutes meaning 3:50pm.
- Follow this process of pulling bedtime up 20 more minutes each night.
  - Saturday night you should be laying them down at 9pm, if their usual bedtime was 8pm.
- Not on a nap: Push bedtime back by 20 minutes Thursday and get them up 20 minutes later the next morning, bedtime back 40 minutes later Friday and wake them 40 minutes later Saturday and lay them down 60 minutes later. This will mean the following morning they will wake up at 9am which really is the new 8am.
  - GET OUTSIDE AND PLAY SO FREAKING HARD.
  - No tv 2 hours before bedtime.
  - Plan playdates up until bath time.

Scenario 3:

THE GO WITH THE FLOW.

To my mamas, who go with the flow, I envy you.

But, What you are going to do…. is breathe.

Step 1: Have and off day Saturday. Enjoy the day do whatever you want to do. That night you will want to do an early bedtime.

Hope that they wake at the designated wake time.
If not, keep their day normal.
Early bedtime.
Stay on track for 3-4 days.

If you have troubles after DST hop on a call with me and let’s get you back on track.

If DST is the least of your worries because your little one already struggles getting to sleep, staying asleep or waking early, book a FREE call with me.

Your Sleep Coach,

Brooke

PS, Daylight Savings Time brings on brighter mornings. Make sure you downloaded the FREE Early Morning Riser Guide below.