Battling Daylight Savings Time Sleep Issues

Daylight Savings Time is upon us. I detest daylight savings time and I hope that one day it really will be stopped. But until then, how do we deal with the time change as it relates to our little one's schedule?

My little guy is a super scheduled sleeper. We are all happier when he sticks to his sleep schedule. (Check out my post about his 12-hour/night sleeping.) So the hour time change completely throws us off. However, it can be combated. Sleep experts recommend a gradual change in their sleep time so that by Sunday they are already adjusted. This means you have to start preparing in advance!

I have seen some slight variations in the recommendations for a gradual time adjustment, but they are very similar. The most important thing is to adjust gradually instead of trying to adjust for one hour in one night. (If you want to keep your child's current sleep schedule.)

So, in my house we will be starting on Wednesday, to prepare for the Sunday time change.

Adjusted Sleep Schedule

For context, my little one goes to bed at 6:00 PM. But this schedule can be adjusted to any bedtime! I also do not go get Parker out of bed until it is time to wake up even if he is awake earlier. He usually just talks, sings, and hangs out quietly in his crib until it is time to get up.

Wednesday:

• Bedtime adjustment to 5:45 PM

Thursday

• Bedtime adjustment to 5:30 PM

Friday:

• Bedtime adjustment to 5:15 PM

Saturday:

• Bedtime adjustment to 5:00 PM

Sunday:

• He will be back to sleeping from 6:00 to 6:00 as we spring forward!

Other tips:

1. Stick to your normal bedtime routine

2. Make sure their bedroom is dark at bedtime (I know I need some new blackout curtains!)

3. Let the light come into the room in the morning, so little ones know it is time to wake up.

4. Keep the naptime that your child usually takes (remember sleep begets sleep!)

5. Play outside in the light so your child adjusts and is ready for bedtime

6. Be patient! They will adjust!!

A brief note from Persistent Mama about early bedtimes from personal experience:

So sometimes it is not easy to put your little one to bed early. But it is 100% worth it because our children absolutely NEED sleep. (Check out my previous post on sleep.) So I recommend adjusting your plans.

For example: We tend to invite people over to our house because then we can put our little guy down to sleep and then still spend time with friends. We will also have a travel crib ready for their children just in case they want it. We have plans with our friends this weekend. I texted when I realized it was Daylight Savings Time and asked if they wanted to come over earlier so our boys can play together longer. I said if not, that is okay. Parker will just go to bed early and we can all still hang out. I know my whole family is happier when Parker sleeps well, so we make that a priority. I 100% recommend this.

Remember Mama, you are doing great! You got this!

Sources:

• What to Expect

• Struggles to Cuddles

• Montreal Children's Hospital

This Train Toy is a Favorite (for a year so far!)

I love this toy and even better, my son loves this toy. It has been a favorite in our house for about a year and I do not see any signs of him being sick of it.

I bought this little train for my nephew a several ago and I liked it because it was educational and fun. So when I was asked for gift ideas last year for my little guy who wasn't walking yet, I suggested it hoping it would help him learn to walk and be an educational toy as he grows. He loved it when he first got it and he still loves it now. It has and continues to be one of his favorite toys in the house.

When we first got it, I did not hook up the seat to it because I was hoping he could use it to help support him as he learned to walk. Once he was walking well and his legs could reach the floor when sitting on the seat, I attached the seat. He loves it both ways.

He also enjoy sitting in front of it and listening to the songs, pushing the buttons, and playing with the blocks. The blocks are so fun because when you put one into the slot on the front it tells the letter and a word that is associated with the letter and the picture on the block. He especially loves the little walkie talkie; he loves pretending to talk on the phone, so it has become a little toy phone. This toy is fun and educational and it also keeps him engaged.

I like this train because it is educational, but also because I am a big fan of long lasting toys. I try to buy things that will last years. I dislike spending money or having other spend money on toys that last a month or two and he gets sick of them or outgrows them developmentally. This one has grown with him and we both love it.

Reasons this toy is a winner:

• Educational

  • Letter recognition

  • Weather

  • Numbers

  • Animals

  • Colors

• Grows with kids

• Long Lasting

• Has music and lights, but is still fun even when those are turned off

• Helps with mastering walking

• Fun for pretend play

• Encourages reading with the little book on the front

• Has two different modes for a wider variety of sounds/learning

• It is fun and engaging

• Comes in 3 different color options

This toy is definitely a hit in my house and I definitely recommend it to others.

Buy on Amazon!

Link: https://amzn.to/3IU48Ns

Remember Mama, you are doing a great job! You got this!

Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please know, I am super thankful for your support in purchasing through these links.

Tips for Organizing Your Bathroom

My bathroom has very limited storage, so it needs to be relatively organized for it to be functional and for me to find anything. In the future, I would like to add storage. But for now, I am working on organizing it and keeping it organized.

Tips:

1. Use drawer organizers

I am a big fan of containers for bathroom storage. When we moved in, I bought little drawer organizers and I love them. They were also super cheap. They have helped me maintain the organization in the drawers, though they still need to be cleaned out from time to time to make sure I am using all of the stuff in them. Game changer.

2. Use containers to contain categories of bathroom things

I have all of my makeup in a container under the sink. I just take out the whole container when I am doing my makeup and put the whole thing back under the sink when I am done. I also have one for product that I do not use on a day-to-day basis, such as extra moisturizers and hair products.

3. Keep the counters clear

The bathroom automatically looks so much better when they are clear and have minimal clutter. I prefer to put things away that I can get out super easily when I need it.

4. Use over the toilet space

Okay, so I haven't done this yet, but as soon as we have room in the budget I am planning on buying a little over the toilet cabinet. Then we can keep toilet paper and feminine products, etc. in there and free up space in the vanity.

5. Use towel hooks

I like to have pretty towels hanging up all of the time (I mean we do not use them). So we have Command Hooks for our towels. These are great too if you just need extra space for towels to dry.

6. Use door space

There are so many nice door racks these days - not just to hold towels but some that have shelf space and towel hooks.

7. Use a hair tools organizer

I have one and might by another. These keep hair dryers, straigtners, curling irons, etc. stored neatly and a lot of them are designed so you can put them in while they are still hot.

8. Bath toy storage.

Do your kids bathe in your bathroom? Our bath is the best bath for bath time. So we have bath toy storage that is made of Mesh and can be used to scoop the toys out of the bathtub. It also has a suction cup, so it is hanging out of the way when we are not using it. There are a number of different options out there, but we have the Munchkin Bath Toy Storage with Quick Drying Mesh.

9. Extra cabinetry

Another thing that is on my "To Get" list. If you have minimal storage, but space in the bathroom, you can buy a cabinet. I plan to get one and put baskets in it with things such as medicine and washcloths.

10. Hamper

I keep a hamper in the bathroom that is just for towels. That way we don't have dirty towels laying around until I get around to doing laundry.

11. Open shelving

I think open shelves can look so cute in the bathroom if you can keep them neat and cute. A great place to put some plants, candles, jars of q-tips/cotton balls, etc.

12. Sliding shelves for the bathroom cabinet

We have these on my husband's side of the vanity and they are great because they keep things organized and maximize space. It allows you to use vertical space in your bathroom cabinet.

13. Towel Rack

There are so many options from a wire metal rack to a towel ladder, but a towel rack allows you to use wall space to store your towels instead of closet or cabinetry.

14. Be sure to clean everything out and declutter!

I cleaned out under my sink two weeks ago and there were definitely products I had owned for many years and not used. I got rid of all that kind of stuff and the stuff that I just don't use. This freed up space for the stuff I wanted to keep. I also recommend going through towels occasionally. I find that after a while they get too worn and it is time to get rid of them. Pro tip: often animal shelters can use old towels!

15. Maintain

Okay, this is the hard part. You bought all of the cute organizers and you got rid of things and everything is organized. Now, you have to maintain it. Be sure to put thing back in their spot. And every now and then clean things out.

An organized bathroom is far more functional than an unorganized one and it's so nice to have a clean bathroom.

Remember Mama, you are doing a great job! You got this!

Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please know, I am super thankful for your support in purchasing through these links.

Sources:

• HGTV

• Good Housekeeping

• Martha Stewart

• The Spruce