This year the clock goes back on Halloween: Sunday the 30th of October 2022 at 2am. Are you scared? There’s no need to be, the clocks “fall” back every year and when working with families I often find this clock change easier to deal with than the Spring “forward” clock change. Below you’ll find some tips on how to adjust your child’s routine to the “new” time.

Firstly, let’s talk a little about helping your little ones on Halloween.

Top Tips:

Babies are not really fussed about their first Halloween. My advice; dress them up, take pictures (great to embarrass them with when they are adults), and enjoy!

Toddlers and young children on the other hand can be a little more sensitive, especially as many of them “missed” Halloween last year. I know it’s only fancy dress and fireworks, etc, but it can be a little overwhelming.

Some things that you can do to help your young children at Halloween:-

🌟 Play “fancy dress”, don’t just whip out a mask and costume on Halloween night and scare the bejesus out of your little one! Many children who attend day-care already have access to costumes and they do Halloween crafts and stories, so often it’s not as scary for them. If they have siblings who will be wearing costumes, show them the masks they will be wearing ¬– let them hold them to see they are just a play item and nothing to be scared about. Keep things positive! Even older toddlers find it difficult to comprehend how masks work; one second you’re there and the next you’re a scary monster. It may take some time for your little one to be ok with the costumes. If you are going to be face painting their older siblings (fair play) let the younger child watch as you do it so it’s not so shocking that their sibling turned into a green witch or scary clown.

🌟 Also, I’d really recommend that you talk to your little one about Halloween. Fun Halloween story books and child-friendly cartoons / movies are great visuals that can also help to ease the anxiety for most children.

🌟 If you do venture out trick or treating you may have to set the tone. Take lolly and sweets for their basket for them and don’t force them to participate until they are ready. If they are going to be helping to give out sweeties, let them stand back a while until they are ready. If you don’t have any other children, it might be an idea to pair up with a neighbour or friend and their little ones: monkey see, monkey do. Most children are nervous, excited, and anxious but once they warm up to the concept, they will be fine. Point out the fun costumes – ‘woo look at superman, the cowboy, the nice witch’.

🌟 If your little one is overwhelmed, make a judgement call and go home earlier than planned. No bucket of sweeties is worth tears and nightmares.

🌟 There is a lot of excitement on Halloween, so a calm long bedtime routine will allow your little one’s body and brain to wind down for bedtime.

🌟 Those of you who have worked with me know I don’t like using a noise aid when at all possible. The exceptions to the rule are Halloween and New Year’s Eve, when loud bangs can abruptly wake even the best sleeper from a deep slumber. Here’s a link to Ocean Noises that I use in a controlled way when needed. You may wish to put it on at bedtime then switch it off when things have settled down before you go to bed. https://youtu.be/UEjtW5OxEXM

OK, time for this Clock Change business

Firstly: Don’t Panic

Children are extremely adaptable. In the past I have travelled internationally with children of all ages. Going from the UK to Australia is a bit of a challenge, but I can adapt children (babies and toddlers) to these major time zone differences within three days. Once you know how it’s actually very easy.

I’m aware that you have probably put a lot of effort in to getting your child sleeping well through the night, and I promise an hours difference is not going to destroy your lovely nights. If your child can settle and resettle without assistance that’s the hard part done; the easy part is shifting the body clock.

Secondly: Choose your Approach

You have a couple of options here:

1. You can take the Baby Steps Approach – planned, slow and steady,
2. or the “Aeroplane to Spain” Approach

Over the years when I have been working with families, the clock change has crept up on me. I usually acknowledge that it’s coming in early October and then forget until it’s the night before. So I’m a little caught out and kicking myself for forgetting … again. And then it’s the “Aeroplane to Spain” approach that’s needed.

I have on occasion – rare occasions – used the planned approach and I’m secretly delighted with myself for being so organised. The planned Baby Steps approach is to slowly move your child’s routine on to the “new time” over the course of a week.

The Baby Steps Approach

With this approach we are aiming to slowly shift your child’s circadian rhythm towards the “new time” in order to make the adjustment less severe. Note: This approach is really for babies / children cared for at home – it’s not really possible to have control of this when your child attends day care.

🌟 Start 5 – 6 days before the clocks go back

🌟 Begin to put your child to bed approximately 10 minutes later each night until Saturday night. The first step for example, would be to move a 7pm bedtime to 7:10pm

🌟 Stretch your child’s nap times later by 10 mins each day. Having a completely darkened room will help achieve good naps – even for the best sleeper I have used the black-out blind when I’m adjusting to clock changes or new times zones. At night, from 12 weeks old, your child produces the hormone, melatonin, which helps them sleep, but during the day time this is not produced so ideal sleeping environments and a strong body clock are very important. (Please do not leave black-out blinds up all day every day – the room can get very warm – and you need to allow fresh air to circulate). I also recommend that once you have your naps on track you begin to introduce a little light back into the bedroom during the day so that you encourage your child to be a little more of flexible sleeper – once you have a strong sleep rhythm a little light won’t interfere with this. In case you don’t already have one there’s the Sleepy Stars Portable Black-Out Blinds and we have free shipping on them to all locations in Ireland https://sleepystars.ie/shop

🌟 Moving the feed time slightly later each day will also help your child to adjust. Delay breakfast / lunch / dinner a little each day. Keeping them out of the kitchen / eating environment and using your best distraction methods will help. It’s also important to note that children don’t really have any concept of time, but babies from a very young age have very strong “location associations”, so by keeping them out of their usual feeding environment until the new feed time will help you move their milk / solid feed times.

🌟 By Saturday night your child’s bedtime should be 8pm, which will be the new 7pm on Sunday night.

🌟 Wake your child at the new time of 7:15am after the clock change.

The “Aeroplane to Spain” approach

So the best way that I can explain this is by going on holiday to a location that only has an hour’s time difference to your home time zone.

Pre-Covid, when families could travel, I was often asked how to adjust a child’s routine on to and back from a different time zone. Here is my advice:

🌟 As soon as you arrive at your destination (not the airport, the actual hotel or resort that you are staying in) look at the clock and see what time it is. Whatever time it is that is now your baby’s “new time”. Totally disregard any extra naps / snacks etc that may have occurred on the journey. For example, if it’s dinner time at home then sit down and try to have some dinner; if it’s nap time then go for a walk and offer some sleep / quiet time.

🌟 A solid bedtime routine is key to this method. Again your child doesn’t know what time it is so when you signal to them that sleep is due with sleep cues – low lighting, bath, story, bottle etc – then they will know it’s time to sleep.

🌟 Often, after a long flight, the last thing I want to do it is to run a bath for children and read stories, but I have done this many many times and it’s so worth it. It allows the children to adjust to the new environment before sleep. For example, after a flight to Barbados with a family I worked for got delayed – yes, even private jets get delayed because of storms! – we arrived at 4am with children who had the most disrupted daily routine due to travel / delays etc. But, you know what happened? They slept! Why? No, not because I’m Mary Poppins or a witch, but because their routine told them it’s time to sleep and I offset any unscheduled naps with extra activity.

So let’s bring this concept in to our clock change. On clock change day, if you didn’t get to prepare in advance – don’t panic. On that day you can slowly move everything a little later, encourage lots of active play and a slightly later longer nap if possible. If your child is on solids then spend a little longer at the dinner table, take a little longer in the bath and read your bedtime stories a little slower. Ok, you might not get to 8pm but you’ll get close and then the next day you just begin your day on the “new time”. Tip: when I want children to make longer stretches between meals I use filling proteins and carbs. Depending on the age of the child, I also may offer another ounce in the bottle to keep them satisfied slightly longer in order to get to the new feed times.

I hope this will help when the clocks go back.

If you know anyone this may help please do pass it on to them. I hope you found this useful.

Sweet dreams,

Kelly

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