Your Baby’s Sleep and Daylight Savings 2009
Posted by Nicole on October 22nd, 2009The end of daylight savings is upon us when we will change our clocks back one hour. In Europe, the clocks change this weekend and for the United States (most of them), they will change on November 1st. For most people this means a baby, toddler, or child who wakes up a dreaded one hour earlier. This is especially painful when your child is already getting up at the crack of dawn! Most people don’t even get why we even have to change the clocks (Note: Nowadays, it’s to save energy).
You have three options when it comes to your child’s sleep and the end of the daylight savings. This year, I’ve had the pleasure to summarize your options on WorkingMother.com in Time Change Sleeping Tips. If you’d like more detail about how to handle daylight savings, please head over to MomCentral.com and read Saving Your Baby’s Sleep During the Time Change. Please take a moment to read over your options and feel free to post questions in the comments below.
How will you handle your child’s sleep when the time changes?
Tags: daylight savings, shift schedule, time change
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October 22nd, 2009
When the time change means the kids sleep in an extra hour, we love it. Unfortunately, it usually wears off within a week or two.
When we fall back an hour and the kids wake up an hour earlier, we try to start putting them to bed a little later, usually adjusting that time in 15 minute increments as the days go by until the kids readjust to the new schedule.
When all else fails, we just start living in the new time and they adjust within a week or so.
Joe – DadsGuideToTwins.com´s last blog ..Why you don’t need high chairs for your twins
October 22nd, 2009
I’ve already moved my 8-month-old son’s schedule ahead an hour in 15 minute increments. He was sleeping 6pm to 6am – so I was NOT interested in him doing a 5-to-5 schedule!
So now we’re at 7pm to 7/7:30am, though he’s waking up at 5am and having a hard time soothing himself unless I pick him up and take him to our bed. But he’s also not feeling well, so that could be part of it.
After DST ends, I’m going to move his schedule ahead again to try and maintain that 7-to-7 schedule. We’re finding that 6-to-6 is just too early on several counts.
October 22nd, 2009
My daugther always woke up between 6 and 6:30 and I was really dreading the time change because I didn’t want to start getting up with her at 5 or 5:30. So my husband and I started moving her bedtime back at 15 minute increments at the beginning of October, moving it 15 minutes a week. It was 7:30 and she has nicely adjusted to 8:30 and now wakes up 7 or 7:30 in the morning. I am thinking after the actual time change we will move it back even more because I am enjoying “sleeping in” in the mornings:) I think 8:30 is a great betime for her, it works for our family:) I was going to start scheduling naps but I am now planning to wait until after the time change so we don’t get all messed up, I want her naps to coincide with her having to go to daycare at noon and the other little boy’s nap which is currently at 2. My daughter will be 6 months old in 3 days!
October 28th, 2009
Thankfully, our 11 month old has started sleeping in on her own, and is waking closer to 8 than to 7. I think it’s because it’s still dark until 8. So, we’re letting her, and hoping the transition will be smooth, and she’ll be back to her normal 7 am after this weekend. She’ll have her first trick or treat the night we switch back, so perhaps will be extra tired!
October 29th, 2009
My 8 month old seems to wake up at the same time, despite when he goes to bed.
Right now, he falls asleep around 7:30, and wakes up at 6/6:30. I’ve tried to bump his bedtime to 8pm, but he still wakes up at 6 / 6:30
Hopefully he’ll change gradually. I am not looking forward to a 5am wakeup, although I will have plenty of time for coffee and a nice breakfast before work.
October 30th, 2009
My 10-month old seems to wake up between 5 and 6 no matter what time he goes to bed. When I tried to move his 7pm bed time to later, he was still up between 5 and 6. I’d rather he get the sleep, so bedtime is back to 7. I’m dreading this time change. However, since 8 months he’s been waking up pretty consistently between 2 and 3a and being difficult to get back down, so who knows, maybe this change will help with that? One can only hope….
October 30th, 2009
@Joe Thanks for commenting! Good tips for twins, too. We went straight to booster with my youngest, too. Saves room in the eating area, too!
@Jennifer I used to be a morning person and 6am is just too early for me, too! I hope you can get to a 7-to-7 schedule after the time changes. It’s sooo much nicer!
@Jenny Sounds like you’re doing great! We have later bedtimes, too. It’s nice when everyone can find what works for their family, rather than what’s in a book.
@Shauna Good luck! I hope the time change goes well. I am enjoying the darkness in the morning, too!
@Stephanie Yeah, some kids have a much stronger internal clock. I, personally, don’t even need an alarm clock most of the time because (besides the fact I have kids and sleeping in is a novel idea, now) my internal clock is so strong that it’s hard for me to sleep too late, even before kids! Ugh! One mistake people make when trying a later schedule is only moving bedtime. Try moving naps and even meals, sometimes. Good luck!
@Sarah I hope the time change goes okay for you! I will repeat what I said to Stephanie that you should make sure you move the whole schedule, not just bedtime. Good luck!