How to maintain your baby’s sleep routine when daylight savings starts

Just when you get them settled into a good routine, the clocks change!

Comments provided by Kristy Griffiths, childhood sleep expert and CuboAi ambassador

Daylight savings is one of those things as parents, we would like to avoid.

It often comes around just when you have a good thing going routine wise! But if you live in certain parts of the country, on October 1, 2023, it is going to be unavoidable when the clocks go forward one hour.

So, with that, here are our top tips for maintaining your baby’s sleep routine when daylight savings begins.

First things first, now is not the time to consider making any drastic changes to your little one’s sleep routine. Avoid transitions such as changing rooms and moving from a cot to a bed.

All of these are BIG transitions on their own, so they will only add another element to what we are trying to achieve, and with our step by step guide your little one should adjust within a week, and you can then think about making any of the above transitions.

You are going to want to shift your baby’s internal body clock (circadian rhythm) to reflect the new time. (Image: Getty)

If you have a fairly predictable routine, then making small adjustments prior is probably going to be your go to.

But, if you prefer to just go off awake windows, then you will more than likely find it easier to wait until the day and adjust accordingly.

If you would like to be proactive and start making some adjustments beforehand, then our four-day guide below will help take the guesswork out.

Please note you could also do this in 10-minute increments over 6 days if you feel this is better suited to your little one.

Apart from the slight adjustments we are going to make to the routine in the lead up everything else will stay the same. (Image: Supplied)

Your baby will still need the same sleepy cues and associations (sleeping bag, comforter, or ergoPouch Drift Away White Noise Machine etc.), so keep your wind down routine the same.

They won’t have forgotten how to settle off to sleep, so keep your settling approach the same, remember, now is not the time to change anything! Consistency is going to be your BFF.

If you do find your baby starts waking earlier in the morning than they normally would once daylight savings ends, this is ok and to be expected.

Because we are going to want to shift our baby’s internal body clock (circadian rhythm) to reflect the new time, we are going to want to limit their exposure to the factors that set this.

These factors are food, light and social interaction.

If you do find your baby starts waking earlier in the morning than they normally would once daylight savings ends, this is ok and to be expected. (Image: Getty)

By trying to control these and slowly shift them with your baby’s naps and bedtime it will help to reset their body clock to reflect the new time.

Use light and darkness to your advantage. When it’s awake time, go outside, turn on the lights get that vitamin D. But when it’s nap or bedtime, use blinds or dim lights to help set the scene.

Sleep hormones are also produced far more readily in the dark, so they will help to get that sleepy hormone melatonin pumping.

When it comes to social interaction think of your reaction when they wake. If they are waking earlier than they normally would, make sure you are treating this like a night wake and avoid starting your day.

I recommend using your video monitor, such as the CuboAi, so that you can watch what is going on. It can help to give you that little bit of peace of mind that your little one is just having a bit of trouble going down due to the time adjustment or help you identify if they genuinely need some assistance.

Within a few mornings you should notice a shift and later wakes.

Remember, this is just a “just like jetlag, it won’t hang around for long, just take each day as it comes, allow for a grace period, and adjust your bubs routine accordingly.

Good luck!