Season changes for babies - adjusting your baby’s sleep routine when the seasons and clocks change The clocks changing marks the dawn of a new season, whether it’s the first glimpse of spring flowers or the fall of the leaves as we move into autumn. As a new parent, these season changes for babies may not always come at the time you’ve hoped if you’ve finally got your little one into a sleeping routine. Time, weather fluctuations and daylight changes can all impact when you feel like your baby has just started to settle for bedtime. Here are some hints and tips for dealing with season changes for babies over three months to help a smooth transition when changing your little one’s sleeping habits.
Season changes for babies: how will the clocks changing affect my baby’s sleep?
During the clocks changing, it’s normal for your little one’s sleep to become disrupted for a few days as they adjust. It is recommended that you put your baby to bed at the ‘new’ time straight away, however, if you feel your little one will benefit from an adjusted bedtime, in the week leading up to the clocks changing try shifting bedtime 10 minutes earlier or later each day in the week leading up to the time change.
The mornings are a perfect time for a lie-in, and although those words might seem like a distant memory, letting your little one lie in their crib 10 minutes longer each morning during the lead up to the clocks going back might help them adjust to the change of routine. Obviously, all babies are different and some may not like to stay in bed longer than they want so don’t worry if your little one won’t stay settled for long enough.
During autumn the clocks going back usually means we’ll start experiencing lighter mornings, which could result in your little one waking earlier than they normally would. It’s recommended to keep rooms as a dark as possible to prevent any morning sunlight waking your little one up.
Season changes for babies: how will the weather changing affect my baby’s sleep?
The unpredictable British weather and season changes for babies can disrupt their routine and sleep time. The same tips apply with our sleep training recommendations [link], by keeping to a routine to help little one feel comfortable in their surroundings.
As the weather and general daylight change its important to keep little one’s room dark and cosy. Nightlights are perfect for creating the ideal environment to ensure babies aren’t overstimulated by daylight, dim subtle lights can provide a soothing ambience that will help lull your baby back to sleep. Chicco has a range of nightlights [link] to help create a soothing environment for your little one.
Noise can also create a calming bedroom environment, especially soothing sounds such as white noise or lullabies, which will relax your little one as they drift off to sleep. Check out our First Dreams Range [link], which offer parents a range of sleep aids to help relax their little one including cot mobiles, standalone night lights and accessories, which attach to Chicco’s Next2Me cribs, there is a solution to suit every parent.
It may be inevitable that the clocks and season changes for babies can ultimately affect their sleep but it’s important to stay consistent with your usual routine, remember any disruption caused by these changes are often temporary and most little ones will eventually adapt to these changes quite quickly.