spring into action
After what feels like a long winter, springtime is just around the corner, the flowers are growing, the ground is thawing, the sheep are lambing and we’re ready for some sunny garden weather. This also means a clock change is on the horizon for us all and it can cause some disruption for your little ones sleep and in turn yours too! Thankfully we can help you turn the clock change from a ‘Nightmare’ into ‘Sweet Dreams’, by following our simple steps leading up to the big day!
As the famous saying goes we ‘Spring forward, Fall back’, therefore, on Sunday 28th March, the clocks will move forward one hour at 1am. Losing this hour may sound trivial, however, what it does mean is that we start to have lighter evenings, so it’s crucial to be consistent in your already perfected bedtime routine. Your routine will indicate to your little one that bedtime is on the horizon whatever the light is doing outside. One way around the lighter sky is to invest in a blackout blind/curtain; by blocking out as much of the light in their room, you are sending bedtime signals to your little bundle of joy.
For those parents who have children with strong inner body clocks that may not be so easily fooled by a blackout blind, and let’s face it we all seem to have at least one of these little treasures in our brood, moving bedtime forward by 15 minute increments each night, around four days before the clock change, can be a great way of adjusting your child without too much disruption. Just be mindful that any daytime routines should be adjusted in line with the new sleep time, so getting up 15 minutes earlier to compensate for the earlier bedtime; and having breakfast, lunch and tea slightly earlier, will all help to ease the gradual change, making it less of a shock to the body clock!
Another great way to help little ones settle off to sleep is to simply tire them out in the daytime! Lots of active sensory play for babies and energetic games for toddlers will help them drift off easier, whatever the bedtime. Using our daily exercise time during any regional lockdowns is a great time to burn some energy. Getting out in the sunlight also reinforces awake time, so lots of games in your garden will do wonders come bedtime.
Children are great adapters, so it should only take around three days or so after the clocks change for everything to return to normal. If you try using some of our tips, both you and your little ones should be dreaming sweetly by bedtime, awaking refreshed and full of beans, ready to enjoy our great British Summer Time!
