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Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler.

Sleep

Early risers and clocks going back

14 replies

heidipi · 12/10/2011 07:01

I'm going to start this by saying I know i'm lucky that DD sleeps for long stretches but I'd still like to ask a question about the clocks changing.

I know that the idea is to inch bedtime back over a couple of weeks so she adjusts, but it doesn't seem to make any difference what time she goes to bed - she still wakes at 5.30. I don't much fancy starting the day at 4.30 til spring - has anyone found anything that works?

DD is 11m by the way. Thanks.

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addictedtofrazzles · 12/10/2011 07:33

You need to adjust mealtimes to adjust a body clock. So if tea time is usually 5pm, then start giving it later a few days before until you get to giving it at 6pm iyswim? Then follow through with your normal bedtime routine ensuring she is in bed an hour later than usual.

You may find that continuing to give tea a bit later encourages her to sleep past 530am anyway?

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heidipi · 12/10/2011 08:50

Aaah - mealtimes, thank you Frazzles. Will try from today! Different mealtimes doesn't seem to have made much difference over the last couple of months but then I suppose we've not long fixed a mealtime routine. Fingers crossed. It would be amazing if she woke later generally but I'll settle for no earlier.

Thanks v much

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InmaculadaConcepcion · 12/10/2011 14:50

FWIW we recently moved from the continent to the UK, going back an hour in time. Because of the travelling, the routine went out the window, naps were later and DD (about 16 months) had a couple of very late nights.

After that, she tended to wake later and her routine readjusted easily, her waking coincided fine with UK time.

So sometimes, instead of inching back, you could just try a bang and smash approach with the routine and see if that sorts it out.

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matana · 12/10/2011 15:14

I worried about this, first with the clocks going forward in spring (needed DS up at 7.15 to get to CM in time) and then going to France (+1 hr), then coming back from France (-1 hr) in the space of a week. We just found our DS naturally picked up the rhythm within a day or two without much work from us or tiredness from him. We just followed the new hours ourselves, shifted mealtimes around (which tend to vary by an hour anyway depending on when his last nap is) and changed his nap times by an hour. He was fine and we didn't even do it slowly.

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Weissbier · 12/10/2011 19:05

I agree, don't spend your energy worrying about it. I go back and forth between mainland Europe and London with DD all the time. I go for the bang smash OK it's now 5, not 6 approach, because I'm not organised enough to adjust everything on an gradual basis. One or two early mornings to start, but she adjusts.

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Meggymoodle · 13/10/2011 10:44

OK, this may be a coincidence and it may never work again, but we've been having a nightmare with night wakings and early morning wakings with DD - 10 months. For the last 3 months or so she has been waking at anything after 5 but always before 5.30 every morning and not going back to sleep, unless she's had an hour or so awake in the night and then she'll sleep a little longer but that's not a great trade off either.

I took her again to the cranial osteopath, as it had helped back along. I saw a different guy this time who has 3 kids of his own and he said had I tried putting a radio in her room with her. No, I hadn't. So anyway, he suggested that we put Radio 4/World service, or something with talking on, very quietly when she went to bed and then she wouldn't feel alone when she woke up. Nothing to lose thought I. First night she slept from 7pm - 6.20am - she has never done that in her whole 10 months, last night she slept from 6.45pm - 5am and my heart sank but she grizzled for 15 minutes and went back to sleep until 7am! She has very rarely managed to put herself back to sleep before at that time in the morning.

Anyway, I have no idea whether it'll work tonight but I'll be giving it a go. It has of course had an impact on day-time napping and I'm a bit stuffed with that but just wanted to share the knowledge and hope it works for someone else. I've no idea whether it's the osteopathy that worked or the radio either so that's not much help is it? But I suspect the radio as it was such a dramatic change.

But yes, I am still fearful of the time change and waking up at 4am every day :(

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heidipi · 13/10/2011 19:28

Oooh thanks for the replies, I'd heard before that they just seem to get used to it, but well I suppose it just seems so unlikely! That is reassuring though, so maybe I won't worry too much and wait and see.

This morning DP said he'd get up with her - she woke at 5 in a funny position, so he rearranged her and she went straight back to sleep, woke again at 6 and he did it again (brazen!), and she slept til 7! Clearly he has the magic touch and should do all mornings from now on.

So meals have been later today and we'll see if that makes any difference. Just realised she went to bed at the usual time though, duh - should have made it a bit later.

Very interested to hear how the radio thing goes again Meggy, we still use the radio de-tuned to give white noise sometimes for naps but have never tried actual voices.

Thanks again

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AliKatt · 15/10/2011 08:22

Very interested in the replies to this thread!

Heidipi - Apart from the fact that my DS is a month older, I could have written your post... nothing seems to affect his waking time!

Meggy - has the radio thing continued to work?

Thanks all for the replies!

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CharlotteBronteSaurus · 15/10/2011 08:32

yup, you'll be fine. no need to inch things forward.
because the whole day - meals, bathtimes, activities - shifts, rather than just the wake-up and bedtimes, babies adapt to it really quickly IME, and i say this as someone with two confirmed early risers.

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AliKatt · 15/10/2011 17:01

Hmmm, maybe we'll try just shifting everything now to see whether we can start getting a 'lie in' until 6am!!

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AliKatt · 15/10/2011 17:07

Incidentally, what did/do you do when you dc(s) wake up?

I've been leaving mine howling in his cot for up to an hour every day for weeks - actually it's months now - and, contrary to all the advice I've been given (including from Millpond), he hasn't yet learned to wake up later... I can only hope that he isn't as traumatised by the experience as I am.

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Meggymoodle · 15/10/2011 19:53

alikatt - so far, yes. We've had 4 great nights and the earliest we've been up is 6am which for us is amazing.

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Emo76 · 16/10/2011 07:27

ahh marking my spot here - see my other post!

charlotte I recognise you from the newborn sleep nightmare thread a year ago - hope things got easier.

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heidipi · 17/10/2011 09:34

Thanks for the tips everyone - I've moved DD's lunch, tea and bedtime so they're half an hour later and she has woken after 6 every day since Friday (ten to 7 on Saturday - bliss!!). So it seems to be working but if/when she does wake earlier I'll try to settle her back to sleep rather than assuming it's time to get up.

AliKatt - I used to leave DD to chat a bit when she wakes early (though now I'd try to get in there quick and settle her back to sleep before she does her wake-up poo!), but I'd go in and get her up when she starts shouting or crying. Usually try to stay upstairs and play til 6 then go down and get her breakfast. We live in a terrace so I feel for the neighbours otherwise. Plus even when she wakes at 5.30 she's usually been asleep for 10 hrs so I feel a bit mean expecting more if she's wide awake and ready to go.

Hope that helps