Don’t Fear the Time Change
What a Difference Dusk Makes
The night before you set the clocks forward get outside at dusk for a long walk with your child in the early evening. Start before the sun goes down and stay outside until the sun goes down, even if it is cloudy. This will help you get back in alignment with the planet’s turning right before you make the clock change so the artificial change isn’t quite as much of a jolt for the brain and the hormones that help with sleep: cortisol and melatonin. It’s really important that your body (and your child’s body) experience the sun going down and spend few minutes in the dark to trigger readiness for sleep. Try to keep the outing calm. If you can’t go outside, be near a big window free of curtains. Once the sun has been down for about 15 minutes it’s time to get ready for sleep. Imagine your child getting at least 15 minutes of sundown dark exposure and then a half an hour bedtime routine (jammies, brushing teeth, stories, etc.) and then falling peacefully asleep - sound too good to be true? Give it a try!
Centered on the Sun
Daytime sun helps your body produce and regulate the hormones cortisol and melatonin (and others) that help you all sleep better at night! These hormones get triggered for production in the morning so letting your children wake up to sunshine is key - in fact the best possible thing to do is to watch the sunrise! Spending this 30 minutes outdoors first thing in the morning might sound very strange but I’d encourage you to try it for a week and see if you notice a difference!
In addition to watching the sunrise having as much time outside as possible everyday (even when it’s cloudy) is critical for our sleep. Being in the sun without sunscreen and without sun glasses allows the receptors in our eyes and skin to take in vital information from the sun - information that translates into health, hormones and sleep!
Birdsong Wake Up Call
The chatter of birds is actually even more likely than the sun to wake your child now that 6 feels like 7. In the spring birdies are out at 6 which is also when the sun is coming up so this combination is a great way to wake. Young brains are actually wired to get up with the birds because this is what is healthiest for our bodies - though it doesn’t always fit with our busy lives. Get outside as early as you can, even when it feels so hard to get up and get started some days. Sure, give that extra half hour of sleep in the morning to mitigate the Daylight Savings change for a few days if it’s needed, but not for much longer. If you’re really struggling you may need to set an alarm for a few days. This will help jumpstart the time transition for our bodies and hormones so the next night/morning isn’t as challenging. The longer the body is exposed to the day’s light during the day the easier bedtime will be and the longer kids will sleep! All of this goes for you too, parents! Make sure you go to bed early enough so that at the end of the day when your child wants to stay up “later” (their old normal) you won’t be too pooped to make it to the end of their day.
All in all the advice is simple, get in rhythm with the earth and your body will find it’s own flow. Be present, watch the sun rise and set and you will begin to tune in to your circadian rhythms and improve not only your sleep but also your health.
