Mamahood

Falling Back…

Jennifer Waldburger and Jill Spivack co-founders of Sleepy Planet , hit the nail right on the head when they talk about “falling back.” Remember this amazingness prior to kids?? Falling back on the clocks gave us that extra hour of sleep—it was heaven! Well, sorry to say that just doesn’t apply to us now with kids.

I’ve talked about Sleepy Planet on my blog before. Jennifer Waldburger has helped me fine tune sleep issues (in a very gentle manner) with both Mabel and Evelyn, to transitioning Mabel from crib to bed . I’ll be calling her again in a few months when we start that daunting process with Evelyn as well. But once I speak with Jennifer, she just gives me the tools and confidence to get through these sometimes uncomfortable stages and make them a positive one.

Around this time of year they send out a newsletter (which I LOVE) to give some helpful guidelines to be able to spring forward or fall back without a hitch. Here’s what they say about falling back on the clocks to make the transition go as smoothly as possible…

Psychologically, it can be painful to see 5:30 AM on your clock and deal with a child who's bright and perky...

Put your child to sleep at his normal bedtime on Saturday night.
Your child will likely wake up a bit earlier by the new clock than he normally does, say at 5:30 AM (which still feels to him like 6:30 AM). Psychologically, it can be painful to see 5:30 AM on your clock and deal with a child who’s bright and perky. You can try giving him some quiet activities (puzzles, coloring books) to play with if you’re not quite ready to start the day yourself, but unfortunately there’s not a lot you can do about his energy level on this first morning after the time change.
If your child still naps, stretch him as far as you can toward his normal first nap time (according to the current clock). In other words, if your child wakes an hour earlier than usual, his body will want to nap an hour earlier, too. Don’t let him! Instead, do whatever it takes to keep him awake. Give him a bath or do the Hokey Pokey around the house to keep him up as close to his normal first nap time as possible, then stretch as far as you can toward the next usual naptime according to the current clock, then do the same for a third nap if you have one, then bedtime. Don’t let him nap too long for any of his naps, as doing so may continue to cause early morning wakings. If your child has outgrown napping, you still need to allow him to wake up at the early new time once the clocks have changed (bummer). However, spend your day eating and doing activities according to the usual time, even though the clock has changed. Do your best to keep him up all the way to his regular bedtime at night by the new clock, or as close as you can get without breaking him. Yes, he’ll be a bit cranky in the evening temporarily, but after a few days, he’ll adjust!

Here’s to sleep! Good luck!

Emma xxx

Here’s a few ideas that might help keep the little ones in bed a tad longer. I have the red light green light clock!