When the clocks go back this weekend??

[huby]

Can anyone advise - we've just, touch wood, sorted a years worth of EW and I'm desperate not to wake before 6am again....sooo with that in mind,can anyone tell me the safest way to help the little ones adjut to the clocks going back an hour this weekend...in incriments of do it all in one go?
Thanks

[Mashi]

Not this weekend, next (Hallowe'en), for the UK and Europe at least (not sure when NA does theirs but it is usually a bit later than Europe).

How old are your LOs?

[huby]

Hi there

Ah, of course, it's the last Sunday in Octobre. She's 13 months old...nearly 14 months

[LisaK1]

Hi, I'm glued to this as my lo wakes at 6 am so I'm literally dreading the change and have been trying to extend bedtime by 10mins every 4 days and have had to stop as it simply wasn't working! My lo is nearly 1. yikes!

[Mashi]

At that age I waited until after the time change, and adjusted 15 minutes every few days.  It is more than just sleep but eating, daily routine, etc that affects their body clock, so changing bedtime is often not enough iyswim.

[anna*]

You can start ahead of time, or wait until after the time change... move your LOs clock back (by which I mean, move their breakfast, lunch, tea, bath, bed - everything) by 15 mins on Monday, then by another 15 mins on Wednesday, then another 15 mins on Friday and then be caught up with the rest of us on Sunday! I think that 'gradually' is the way to go.

[huby]

he he we had a 5.30 am'er again this morning. You have to laugh, you think you have it sussed and they throw it on its head for you. I managed to get her out to playgroup - milk in pram where she fell asleep at 11.30 - transfered to cot, that's where she is now. I used to stay in and fret and it made me ill!
Anyway, so let's see.

Ok, I don't ever have set meal times anymore as it never worked for us. We have vague times - e.g. lunch can be before of after afternoon nap (in which case snack then lunch) and tea is usually 5pm or 5.30pm....just depends on her and what we have on. I can't do schedules, but have a general order of things - naps are usually between 11.30 and 12pm for 1.5 - 2hrs

So, as far as bedtime is concerned, I should be moving her bedtime (and tea time too , I guess) 15 mins earlier every two days? By that, wouldn't she wake up 15 mins earlier in the morning (a possible 5.15am rather than 5.30am eeeek)!

[anna*]

Yep, maybe. But it's either that, or have her wake at 4.30am when the clocks change! Honestly, it may take her much longer than a week to adjust, because they don't understand arbitrary things like 'the time it says on the clock'. But she will adjust, eventually. Just like, in spring, when we all feel so grateful that our LOs will finally be on a later wake up, they adjust to that too

[Mashi]

So, as far as bedtime is concerned, I should be moving her bedtime (and tea time too , I guess) 15 mins earlier every two days? By that, wouldn't she wake up 15 mins earlier in the morning (a possible 5.15am rather than 5.30am eeeek)!

Not earlier, later.  In the spring you would move earlier, in autumn you want later.  ie/ right now an LO who wakes at 7am and sleeps at 7pm will "change" to being a 6am waker and 6pm sleeper, because the clocks go backwards.  So you want your LO to go to bed later, not earlier. 

With meals I don't mean "set" meals as in at 5pm on the dot every day. You say you have dinner around 5/530, well you will probably still be having dinner around 5/530, you won't be changing that yo 4/430 when the clocks go back, but still eating sometime around 5/530....this is how I mean that meals are a factor as well iyswim.

[anna*]

Not earlier, later.  In the spring you would move earlier, in autumn you want later.  ie/ right now an LO who wakes at 7am and sleeps at 7pm will "change" to being a 6am waker and 6pm sleeper, because the clocks go backwards.

What she said. Clock changes always mess with my head.

[huby]

LoL, Ok, am less confused now....so 15 min later bedtime every two days? Is that right? .and what if wake-up isn't later, i still keep a later bedtime? Same with naps - usually wakes her nap anywhere from 11.30am to 12pm depending on wake-up time which is either early or very early.

Thanks. Blooming clocks - the farmers don't really need daylight saving hours anymore. tsk tsk. 

[anna*]

Yeh, adjust bed by 15 mins every few days, and then adjust nap too - so if bed is usually 7, and it is now 7.15, then nap will be '11.45am-12.15pm depending on wake up time'. Etc. So you move everything along.

[huby]

Bingo. Am with you now. Thanks all. So will start on Sunday. Gulpx

[*Liz*]

I hate this time of year  .

FWIW I just damage control after the event!! Neither of my 2 are that responsive to adjusting things slowly anyway, but I have always had J on the new time within a week, so don't worry too much 

[LisaK1]

Thanks liz, I've been trying to shift it all later, slowly, and it just don't work and now I have a chronic overtired boy from later bedtime but same and getting earlier wake ups! Our prob is compounded by daycare naff sleeps so not that simple. Hey ho we might have to go cold turkey after the event, any advice on that approach is muchos appreciated girls. I love my boy and hate to see him so tired but ewakings are a killer. So when h goes to bed at 7pm on the Saturday and wakes at 5am thinking it is 6am, what do I do? I usually leave him to about 6.40 but I can't leave him 1hr 40mins. 40mins is hard enough. Ps, he doesn't cry he just lies chatting.