Written by: Amanda Snedden, Founder of Little Ones & Paediatric Sleep Specialist Wohoo summer is almost here for some parts of the world! That means it's time to change the clocks forward. Surely that also means that 6 AM wake-up won't be so bad now because it'll be 7 AM right?!? So will your baby just naturally adjust if you wake them at the new 7 AM? Unfortunately it's not quite that simple, as their own body clock will still need to be adjusted from the old time to the new, so if you have an older baby, moving their whole day may make them not want to settle for sleep at night and you can end up with an overtired baby. The changeover for summer isn't as hard as the other way heading towards winter. But if you want to be super prepared, here is how to do it... The concept is quite simple; essentially every second day you wake them in the morning 15 minutes EARLIER than the usual time and continue to run the rest of the day 15 minutes earlier as well with feeds, naptimes and bedtime 15 minutes earlier. By the end of the week your baby's whole routine will have shifted forwards by an hour. For example, if we prepare the week before (this is assuming you have a 7 PM bedtime): Morning wake All naps and feeds/meals Bed time Monday & Tuesday 6.45 AM 15 minutes earlier than normal 6.45 PM Wednesday & Thursday 6.30 AM 30 minutes earlier than normal 6.30 PM Friday & Saturday 6.15 AM 45 minutes earlier than normal 6.15 PM Sunday 7.00 AM!! (the old 6 AM) Continue as normal 7.00 PM If you have hit daylight savings and hadn't changed your wee one's sleep in preparation, don't worry! You can adjust their times afterwards over the course of the next week in this way: Morning wake All naps and feeds/meals Bed time Monday & Tuesday 7.45 AM (the old 6.45 AM) 15 minutes earlier than normal 7.45 PM (the old 6.45 PM) Wednesday & Thursday 7.30 AM 30 minutes earlier than normal 7.30 PM Friday & Saturday 7.15 AM 45 minutes earlier than normal 7.15 PM Sunday 7.00 AM!! Continue as normal 7.00 PM This shift in nap/bed times will be a lot easier if your baby/toddler is already in a good, predictable pattern to their day. If you would like any help with structuring your child’s day in this way, please see our Baby Sleep Programs for downloadable plans to guide you through your day. ___________ CLICK HERE to download your FREE Baby Sleep Journey Chart! Download our FREE Baby Sleep App:
