If you’re reading this, you probably already have an early riser and you want to make sure your morning alarm clock won’t be waking you in the 5am hour starting on November 5th.

Here are some tips on how to handle the time change! You have two main options: 1) to move directly to the clock time for bedtime on Sunday or 2) to slowly move bedtime back over a period of days leading up to, OR after the time change.

Option One:

You can choose the first option if you have an older child, an easily adaptable child, or if it’s just easier for you to make the change in one day. Remember to give your little one a few days of flexibility until their schedule adjusts. This usually takes a week or so.

Option Two:

To make the change gradually, you will begin shifting your child’s schedule over a period of 3, 4 or 6 days and shift in increments of 20, 15, or 10 minutes each day depending on how many days you choose to do this over. For example, if you choose to do this over 4 days, you will push everything in the schedule back by 15 minutes each day. If your baby normally takes a nap at 9:30am, push the nap back to 9:45am. Push lunch and all other naps back 15 minutes also. If baby goes to bed at 7pm, use 7:15pm. Remember to wait the extra 15 minutes to get your baby in the morning too! Here’s an example using the 4-day gradual change.

In this example, you would start on Thursday morning so that bedtime on Sunday (the day of the time change) is 7pm.

A slower method is best for younger babies or children who are sensitive sleepers or less adaptable to change.

If his is overwhelming and you don’t have a flexible weekday schedule, a third option is to do a fast gradual change over two days and just adjust the entire schedule by 30 minutes each day over the weekend.

Key Tips:

Hold firm to the new morning wake times to avoid an early morning rising habit
If your baby is really tired at 6:30pm (usual bedtime is 7pm) go ahead and put them down. An earlier than usual bedtime is better than an overtired baby who will likely wake even earlier in the morning. Just resume the gradual changes the next day.
Try to keep wake windows the same length, starting with the time you take the baby out of the crib in the morning. If your baby wakes at 6:30am but you get them up for the day at 7am, use 7am as the start of the wake window.

Whatever option you choose, just remember to give your baby some grace and know that it will take a week or so to be fully adjusted to the new schedule. You got this! And if you feel like you really don’t, book a consultation and we can get your little one back on track. I’m here to help!

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