Master Winter Time Change with Your Baby: Essential Tips!

This year, the transition to standard time occurs during the night from Saturday, October 26 to Sunday, October 27, 2024. At 3 AM, clocks will be set back to 2 AM. This means we gain an extra hour of sleep! While the thought of additional sleep is welcome, it’s important to consider how time changes can affect our bodies and children’s sleep patterns, especially their sleep rhythms and fatigue. The shorter days and decreased daylight can also influence how easily young children fall asleep.

How to Handle the Time Change with a Baby?

To ensure you, as parents, benefit from the extra hour of sleep and help your baby adjust quickly, there are several gentle strategies you can implement to ease the transition without disrupting the delicate sleep routine already in place! Start by serving your baby’s meals fifteen minutes earlier. Before bedtime, give your baby a soothing bath to help them fall asleep more easily. Also, engage with and hold your baby frequently in the days leading up to the change to help them differentiate between day and night.

How to Prepare Children for the Time Change?

The shift to standard time happens during the Toussaint holiday, a busy school period. To help children adjust, you can introduce several changes to their routine. This makes the transition smoother for them and for you! “Parents should consider putting their children to bed and waking them up earlier. Shifting immediately to the new time can effectively ease them into this period. It’s also crucial to accompany them to bed with a bedtime ritual, which is beneficial in everyday life but especially important now. Generally, it’s wise to start adjusting three or four days before switching to summer or winter time. Also, be careful not to schedule too many activities in the evening.“