Protect Your Baby's Early Bedtime — Even in Summer
Photo by Jonathan Borba
It’s that time of year, we all await eagerly. The days get longer, the nights shorter and our evenings begin to feel deliciously warm and inviting, lit by the lingering light of summer. Even though it’s still spring, we are already feeling it because daylight saving time gives us a big head start.
However, hidden amongst all the things we love about longer evenings is that it’s easy for baby and kid bedtimes to drift later. After all, light sends strong signals to our brains that it’s time to be awake.
Still, in order for babies and young kids to get the nighttime sleep their brains and bodies need so profoundly, an early, regular bedtime is essential. Little ones are natural early risers, so protecting bedtime is really the only way to ensure a full night’s sleep. A baby who goes to bed at 7:00pm will often wake at 6:00am. If that same baby goes to bed at 8:00pm, guess what time she’ll likely wake up? Yes, 6:00am. The difference is, she’s missed one whole hour of sleep.
Here are some ways to counter drifting bedtimes and protect them. Hint: they’re all related to light!
During wind down time (which Happy Sleeper readers know starts an hour before bedtime), start to lower the lights in your home by closing some curtains and blinds. You are simulating the gradually setting sun, which sends signals to your baby or child’s body to release melatonin, the sleepy hormone, and begin to regulate down in preparation for sleep. Wind down time also helps psychologically, because it sets the tone that the whole household is calming, reducing the feeling of missing out on the fun.
As you move into your child’s room for the bedtime routine, make sure the light continues to dim gradually. By the time you finish the routine, say your script and walk out of the room, it should be completely dark, like a cave.
This is a good time to double check the bedroom for any light from windows, hallways, devices, even nightlights. Ensuring a completely dark room will counter the natural light that extends way past a good 7:00pm bedtime and will help with naps and early rising as well. Usually, two layers of window coverings are necessary for effective blackout. As the sun starts coming up earlier and earlier during this time of year, blackout becomes especially helpful in the morning.
Set an alert for yourself to know when to start wind down time. It’s easy to lose track of the time when it’s still light outside. Protecting the regularity of bedtime makes it easier for your baby or child to fall asleep because it trains the internal clock, which is a powerful force.
Attending to these details so carefully may feel like the opposite of your natural inclination to let go a bit and bask in the lovely evenings. Don’t worry, we want you to bask and enjoy this time; protecting summer bedtimes has the added benefit of giving you and your partner time to do just that. Plus, you’ll have a happy, well-rested little one to greet you in the morning! — Julie Wright, MFT