Preparing your baby to "fall back"
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Fall is in the air! The days are feeling shorter, the sun is setting sooner, and things are cozier all around! And with the changing seasons, comes another change... the time change! I find this is something we all dread – not only because it means Summer is officially over, but because “falling back” often affects our mood and our sleep. And if it affects us as adults, you can understand how and why it would affect babies too!
As a Pediatric Sleep Coach, I help my clients and their babies adjust to time changes, address sleep regressions, and tackle any other major sleep issues. I find the easiest way to do this is to create a plan that you can execute with confidence.
So rather than losing an hour of sleep, I'm here to share some pro-tips and make this dreaded time change a easier on all of you!
Realistically, there are two ways to approach the time change set for November 3rd. One option is to start adjusting your baby's sleep schedule a few days prior, while the other is to adjust your baby's schedule after. Whichever approach you choose, patience and consistency are going to be key!
The process is pretty simple – you'll adjust your child's daytime and nighttime schedule gradually for at least 3 days prior or 3 days after the time change itself. Depending on the age of your child you can do this by 10, 15 or 30 minute increments. Babies younger than 6 months may find it difficult to have their schedule adjusted by more than 10 or 15 minutes, so it can be helpful to give yourself up to 7 days to make these changes. The most important thing is to keep an eye on your little one's sleepy cues and if he or she can't make the adjustments in the time frame you’ve set, slow the process down a bit.
Once you start the process, you'll continue adjusting the times until you reach your child’s new bed time.
For example:
If your 4 month old baby goes to bed every night at 6:30, you'll slowly inch bedtime later by 10 minute increments. So night one, you'll put baby down at 6:40, night two at 6:50, and so on, until you get to 7:30pm. That way, when the time change occurs your baby's bedtime will still be 6:30pm. You will likely have to adjust naps by 10-15 minute increments as well so you're giving your baby plenty of time to build up the sleep pressure before bedtime.
If your 13 month old baby goes to bed every night at 7:00, you can push bedtime back by 30 minutes two nights in a row. Again, your baby's new bedtime would be 8:00pm but once the time change occurs, it will be 7:00 and back to normal.
Make sense?
The process is the same if you start the schedule adjustments after the time change occurs, but the times themselves will just be different.
Other key things to remember when helping your baby or toddler adjust to different sleep schedules:
Invest in some great blackout curtains – this will help prevent your baby from waking too early in the morning now that the sun will begin to rise earlier. A dark room assists in melatonin production (the “sleep” hormone) helping communicate to your baby’s body that it should stay asleep a little longer. These can be utilized for naps too.
Once your kiddo is up for the day, expose him or her to lots of natural sunlight before noon. This helps their internal clock adjust to the time change.
White noise is your friend! Especially if you're putting your baby to bed earlier than normal! This helps block out any distractions and keeps baby sleeping soundly.
Stay consistent – even if you have a rough day of naps or your baby struggles to go down for bed a little earlier than normal, don't abandon the changes. Give your baby some extra cuddles, do an extra relaxing bedtime routine and stick to the plan. Changing up the plan can create confusion and often make it harder on your baby to adjust.
Overall, it's important to remember that these changes take time, so be patient. Most babies and children will find their new normal within a week, if not earlier, but if it takes a little bit longer, don't panic. Every child is different – stick to the plan and keep trusting that yours will figure it out.
