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The time change has the consequences, twice a year, an hour of sleep more or less during our night. Depending on the time of year, this is summer time which changes at the end of March, or winter time at the end of October.
Time change: no impact on babies under 6 months
- In the baby of less than 6 months, the impact of the time change is negligible because the infant has not yet developed circadian rhythms (cycles of about 24 hours). “For toddlers, a 24-hour day is made up of several cycles of 1, 2 or 3 hours, which punctuate their eating, sleeping and waking hours”, explains Claude Gronfier, chronobiologist at the Inserm unit 1208 (National Institute for Health and Medical Research), in Bron (69). The circadian clock sets in between 3 and 6 months.
- Babies over 6 months and children, for their part, experience a shift in their daily habits. Result: this change of schedules sometimes causes temporary disruptions for a few days. Among the most common effects, there is a loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, a grumpy mood. “These disturbances do not always have a physiological origin. They are often linked to the inappropriate behavior of parents, who intervene too much at night (nocturnal awakening of the baby, etc.), ”warns Claude Gronfier.
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A time change that can be anticipated
The idea is to gradually change your baby’s rhythm to avoid him too sudden a change. Because casually, an hour difference is a lot for him. To help him get through the time change smoothly, it is better not to insist on fixed meal times. Feed him as soon as he is hungry or try to gradually shift the time for the bottle by 10-15 minutes. You will also need to gradually change the times you wake up and go to bed.
No need to do it too far in advance. Four days is more than enough, and much more practical also on the calculation side! For example, we postpone lunch time on Wednesday by 15 minutes, instead of giving him food at 1 a.m., we start the meal around 11:45 or 12:45, depending on whether we change the hour more or less, then another 15 minutes on Thursday, etc. Your child will be able to start their Sunday day well in phase with the hands of the watch. That’s it !
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How can you help your baby to cope well?
You can put a lot of brightness in the rooms in the morning to give the impression of a sunrise (yes, it is still dark outside…). This will activate the circadian rhythm of your baby over 6 months. ” In babies as in all, a lot of light is needed during the day, as soon as they wake up, a reduced intensity before the evening, and complete darkness during the night. Night lights can be used but they must be of very low intensity (you must not be able to read easily next to them) ”, advises Claude Gronfier.
You can also change your watches and clocks the night before, it’s much better than the next morning. Dramatize the event. The more zen you are, the better things will go. Baby is very good at sensing your state of mind and reacting accordingly. If the toddler shows difficulty adapting to the change in schedule, homeopathy can soothe it.
Why are we changing the time?
Since 1975, the French have changed their time twice a year, on the last Sunday in March and October.
For example, for the change to winter time, at 3 a.m., it will only be 2 hours. Conversely, to switch to summer time, at 2 a.m., it will be 3 a.m.
The main explanation is that it allows save energy. This is a recommendation dating from the 1974 oil shock. At that time, the authorities decided that the time change allows you to match the hours of activities with the hours of sunshine, which leads to a reduction in the use of artificial lighting.