Is it time to “spring forward” or “fall back”? Every year I have to clear the brain and think the time change through. While one means an extra hour of sleep (enticing, I know!) and one equals an hour less (booooo!), both mean a disrupted sleep pattern for the entire family.
Who can get behind a bi-annual event that makes it difficult to go to bed and fall asleep? That makes waking up a struggle? That disrupts your finely tuned schedule and makes you feel like you’re back at square one with your wee ones?
Is that extra hour of sunlight really worth it? One starts to wonder…
We all know that being tired makes us irritable, less productive and definitely distracted. But tiredness brought on by daylight savings has also been shown to increase the number of traffic accidents and, according to a Swedish study, it increases the risk of having a heart attack – say what?!
Maybe my battle with getting out of bed each and every spring doesn’t sound so bad…
But until this topic is up for a vote, I guess we don’t really have a choice but to deal with daylight savings. We must figure out how to cope and continue getting the much-needed sleep we crave and deserve.
So what can we do to help ourselves and our families stay on track this March 11th? Get a jumpstart on springing forward. For a few days before the big change, set your alarm for a little earlier. Sacrificing a few precious moments for an easier transition is totally worth it! And make sure to eat a healthy breakfast first thing. Food tells your body “hello, its time to start your day!”
And when it comes to children and tots…fear not! Your carefully crafted bedtime routine and schedule don’t need to be taken back to the drawing board. The day of the change and for 3 days, bump nap and bedtimes forward by 30 minutes. If you child’s first nap is 9 am, bump to 9:30 am. If their bedtime is 7 pm, bump to 7:30 pm. Do this for 3 days and then jump back to regular times.
Finding it hard to cope? Realizing that your baby, infant or child might have sleeping issues that go beyond adjusting to time changes? WeeSleep can help. Sleep is important for our babies and our entire household. This year, don’t fear. Instead, use daylight savings as a time to reflect on your family’s sleep patterns, what’s working and what isn’t. Save the spring in your step with sleep.