Tips to help your baby or toddler adjust to Daylight Savings

This weekend the majority of Australian’s will gain an extra hour as the clocks go forward. But what this now means is if your child was waking at 7am, they will now wake at 6am! So there’s no sleep in for you.

The good thing is that children often sleep better during winter time because it’s that much darker so even if you don’t do anything, within a week or two, your child will have adjusted to the time difference.

But if you are hoping for an extra few minutes snooze-time come Sunday, you’ve got a few days to adjust your child’s body clock with these helpful tips.

Start to put your baby or toddler to bed 10 minutes later than usual during the week, increasing by 10 minutes every night until they are going to sleep about an hour later than their normal bed time. They may initially still wake at the same time in the morning but this should adjust after a few days.
Do the same with naps although you have a little more flexibility so perhaps try 20 minutes difference every second day.
The clocks go back at 3am on Sunday morning. On Saturday, allow your child to have an energetic day which includes lots of fresh air and exercise so they’re tuckered out by bedtime.
On Sunday, you can encourage your child to stay in bed if they still wake up early but obviously attend to them if they get distressed. Given it’s also Easter Sunday, chances are if there’s chocolate at the end of the bed they will not go back to sleep!
In the run up to the time change, if you’ve been putting your baby to bed towards 8pm, they should be ready to go to bed around 7pm on Sunday.

While winter can be a good time to stay indoors; being outside during the day is really beneficial for sleep, so do dress warm, get outside and enjoy the crisp air.

Clocks go back on Sunday 5 April.

Do you have any tips to add to this list? SHARE with us in the comments below.

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15 Comments

- - mom81879 said
  - 15 Nov 2015
    6:08 pm
I always hung heavy duty, thick curtains when daylight savings start. It makes their bedroom darker and a little bit easier to get them to sleep…….when they get to bed, which is difficult when it’s still so light outside

- - dannsbuild said
  - 15 Sep 2015
    10:10 pm
That’s really interesting! Thanks for sharing this!

- - christial said
  - 29 Jun 2015
    8:23 pm
Oh the joys of daylight savings! Blackout blinds are a godsend!

- - mom113055 said
  - 20 May 2015
    1:53 pm
looking great

- - Mum of 5 darlings :) said
  - 16 May 2015
    9:34 pm
This is such a great article . Thankyou very much for sharing it. It will come in very handy for me, for my little one

- - mom113055 said
  - 11 May 2015
    2:18 pm
it is really great to read

- - mom113055 said
  - 09 May 2015
    4:07 pm
great to read

- - Kasey said
  - 18 Apr 2015
    8:23 pm
I’m just glad I live in QLD and don’t have to worry about daylight savings, I feel it would be annoying to have it!

- - mom94378 said
  - 06 Apr 2015
    9:33 pm
Interesting article on something I never gave a lot of thought to.

- - mom57522 said
  - 01 Apr 2015
    9:43 pm
Oh yeah, lots of fresh air and exercise for all kids!
- HandyBubStore replied
  
  02 Apr 2015 , 9:03 pm
  I agree. An exhausted child is easier to get to bed than one who hasn’t been running around. But an over-tired child is a nightmare!
- - Bela said
  - 01 Apr 2015
    9:39 pm
Thanks for the tips. I hope they work lest our 2 year old 6am alarm becomes a 5am one O_o
- HandyBubStore replied
  
  02 Apr 2015 , 8:59 pm
  I have some success but not a full hour by Sunday. Still I’ll take half an hour difference! Within a few more days it seems to have sorted itself out. Good luck!
- - mom103920 said
  - 01 Apr 2015
    5:05 pm
Bronwen, thanks for your article. Living in Queensland, we’ve never had to worry about daylight savings with our children. Last year, we enjoyed a holiday in NSW/VIC/SA over Christmas and got the neighbours laughing in the caravan park as I attempted to explain the concept of daylight savings to our school aged children. (I still don’t know how families manage to get children to sleep when its not dark outside). Funnier still was the explanation of combining daylight savings with time zone differences (VIC into SA), and then phoning family back in Queensland.
- HandyBubStore replied
  
  02 Apr 2015 , 9:01 pm
  It confuses me too especially with family overseas with daylight savings happening a week before or after! I’m all for getting rid of it, it’s the dark early that bothers me more than the loss of a sleep in! Though the summer change is worse, getting a toddler to bed while it’s still light. Not happening.