I have a 2.5 year old that is an awesome sleeper and a 4.5 month old that isn't quite there yet. I work full time and we have to be out of the house by 7 am every morning.
We usually put the liitle one down just before 8 and the toddler down around 8:30 and everyone has to be up and eating breakfast etc by 6:30. This time change thing was never an issue for my oldest, but he will sleep no matter what.
What do you do to help your children sleep better during the time change transition?
I don't transition them. (is that bad?)
Just put them down at the new time, wake them up at the new time and if sleepy, we just bear it for the week. by the next week they are usually back on track.
Keep them busy and tired. Do the same bedtime routine you always do...they don't look at clocks (but then, I do the same routine all the time and that soothes/winds them down). But also, you can play and insure they're tired and ready for bed by the time it gets there. They might not go to sleep immediately, but that's ok. It's not been an issue for my 2....but that's not to say it's not an issue for others. I've just been blessed with some sleepers, maybe?
3 nights before hand, start putting them to bed 15 minutes earlier. That way, on the night of the time change, they will technically be going to bed at their normal bed time.
Or, in my case, put them to bed at the same time so they go to bed earlier every night and wake earlier!
I always read that you should just put them to bed with the clock as they go more off social cues than the time - so you're eating dinner at a different hour, doing everything in your routine at a different hour and they shouldn't notice much. We are moving clocks back, right? You could consider for the baby to just put him/her down when her body thinks it's bedtime - which will then be more like 7 pm by the clock. This really is an appropriate time anyway for that small an infant to go to sleep, so you may find this good timing to get her to bed at a time that may be more conducive to turning her into a great sleeper. Just a suggestion, good luck!
you can adjust their sleep time by 10-15 mintues a day until the time change - but I never was all that together to consicously make that transition. Basically we always just had a tough first week after the time change and I drank an extra cup of coffee. This working for a living stuff is miserable. Moms were never intended to work outside the house when their children are small.
And BTW - mine at now teens and the transition isn't any better!
I don't usually transition them. If for some reason they get tired sooner they will fall asleep and I will put them to bed.
I will usually try to adjust their schedules by 15 minutes each day like 3 days leading up to it, so its no big deal and no one notices!
I have always completely ignored it. When is it? DS is 5-1/2 and it has never been an issue. Besides, it should be easy in the Fall since they get an extra hour of sleep the first day.
when is the time change
