This weekend will be the transition to winter time. We go back an hour, which allows an extra hour of sleep… but will baby really benefit from it? How not to disturb its already so fragile rhythm? The advice of Sylvie Royant-Parola, psychiatrist specializing in sleep disorders.
Winter time: when do we change time?
The famous passage al’winter hour traditionally takes place on the last Sunday of October. In 2022, it will therefore take place on the night of Saturday October 29 to Sunday October 30. where we will set our clocks back one hour. Thus, Sunday, at two o’clock in the morning, it will be concretely only one o’clock in the morning. Every year the Time change has consequences on our internal biological clocks and those of our children: they are about an hour ahead of solar time in winter, and about two hours in summer.
What consequences does the transition to winter time have on children’s sleep?
If the prospect of an extra hour of sleep seems positive to us, we must not forget the impact that these time changes on our body and children’s sleep, starting with sleep patterns and fatigue. Indeed, the days are getting shorter and the lack of light can also affect toddler falling asleep.
How to manage the time change with a baby?
So that you, parents, can take advantage of this extra hour of sleep, and so that baby is quickly adapted to it too, it is advisable to put in place some tips that will allow a smooth passage, without any trauma on the rhythm already installed. , and yet so fragile! Thereby, plan to make all baby meals a quarter of an hour earlier. Just before bedtime, give him a good relaxing bath, which will encourage him to fall asleep more easily. And finally, make sure wear it and use it very regularly during the previous days, to teach him to distinguish between day and night.
the winter time change intervenes during the All Saints holidays, and therefore, in the middle of the school period. To help them get back into the rhythm, there are several changes to make in their habits. This period is thus less painful for them, but also for you! “parents can go to bed and get up early. Putting them on the new time right away is an effective way to get them through this time smoothly. It is also essential to accompany them to bed with a bedtime ritual. This is true in everyday life, but even more so now. In general, it is better toanticipate three or four days before the switch to summer or winter time. It is also necessary to be careful not to push the activities in the evening.“
And the change of summer time, what consequences?
The transition to summer time which takes place in March means one hour less sleep. If this time change has an impact on the pace of adults, it is all the more important in babies and children. “As it is day later, the little ones capture more light in the evening. This is what causes sleep problems.“, assures the psychiatrist Sylvie Royant-Parola specialized in sleep disorders. While adults see repercussions on their work capacity, “the children find it rather difficult to get up and are a little grumpy. Their appetite is also altered. They are generally not hungry in the morning and tend to want to snack during the day.“. Even if the transition is difficult, the psychiatrist reassures however by affirming that “it only lasts five days“.
Why have we been changing clocks for 40 years?
The transition to summer time appeared in 1975 following the oil crisis. The French thus modify their watch twice a year for 40 years. The goal was actually to reduce energy consumption by aligning the hours of sunshine with the hours of activity, thus limiting the use of artificial light. For Dr. Royant-Parola, “it would be very nice not to have a time change. Even if the consequences for children and adults do not last long, it disturbs the rhythm of sleep which is already difficult to establish, especially in small children“.
Time change: why should winter time be preferred?
The deputies had voted for the abolition of the time change in 2021, leaving European countries to choose between summer or winter time. The question of abolishing this time change is indeed debated, but while the majority of French people declare a preference for keeping summer time, the specialists themselves recommend staying at winter time. “You must choose “standard” or “winter” time, i.e. the time closest to solar time. It is also important to harmonize Europe, by all agreeing on this hour which adjusts us best with the schedules of the sun” advocates Claude Gronfier, who has also affirmed this position of learned societies with the government. Switching to a more regular system will also be beneficial for the little ones. explains Dr. Sylvie Royant-Parola, a psychiatrist specializing in sleep disorders. “For them, adaptation is often difficult, they always have trouble falling asleep or getting up in the morning depending on the time change.“.