Supporting your baby and childs sleep patterns and bedtimes during Daylight Savings isnt always easy, babies and children can often wake earlier and get to sleep later as their bodies and minds adjust.

Here are some tips you might find useful when daylight savings approaches

• In the week leading up to the clock moving forward with Daylight Saving, we encourage parents to begin settling their baby or child to bed slightly earlier each evening. This can be easier to manage than starting after Daylight Saving.

• This time frame can be as little as 5, 10 or 15 minutes. If youre starting a fortnight before, go for an earlier bedtime of 5 minutes. But if youre starting around the Tuesday or Wednesday before Daylight Savings, go for 10 to 15 minutes earlier.

• Morning feeds will also follow by being slightly earlier each day also.

• By Saturday the child will then be settling to sleep at the new time and be waking at the new time on Sunday morning.

• Doing what you can to ensure the childs room is as dark as possible using black out blinds and dim lighting can be helpful.

• Continue to be consistent with their normal bedtime routines.

If you are starting the process after Daylight Saving has started, we recommend the same strategy. It generally takes everyone a week or so to adjust.

If you would like some more support around infant sleep or adjusting to Daylight Savings, our PlunketLine Nurses are just a phone call away on 0800 933 922.

PlunketLine is a 24 7 service and is absolutely free. Alternatively you can have a chat with your Well Child Nurse if you are seeing them soon.