READER LETTER OF THE WEEK

I have a toddler and this is the second year of a daylightsaving change with him, and I am dreading it. This time last year he was having two or three sleeps a day, and when the change happened it was hard work for a few days, but he got back on track fairly quickly. A year later, he’s dropped to one sleep a day and lately has become quite difficult to get to bed at night. So, I’m thinking he’ll become even worse! I’m pregnant with baby number two and feeling extremely tired and sick in these early stages. I read somewhere that you had a parenting website and wondered if you had any thoughts on all this?

Poor you. It’s such a grind in those early weeks of pregnancy! It’s tiring work growing a wee human, but the difference this time around, as you well know, is having a busy toddler on board as well. Yes, I do have a video-parenting website, raisingchildren.org.nz, and it does have a story about sleep for toddlers, but nothing specifically on daylight saving.

However, some thoughts my end are: Try some temporary blackout blinds so the daylight can be welcomed in when you want it. You can get stick-on portable ones. Sleep trainer clocks for this age are also good. They have pictures that tell your son when it’s time to get up, as opposed to him seeing daylight out the window. I’d also start trying to move his sleep a little, in the week before if you can, by 15 minutes every couple of days. As a general guide, toddlers need about 12-13 hours of sleep every 24 hours. That’s usually 10-12 hours at night and 1-2 hours during the day. If his day sleep is too late, getting him to bed in the evening might be trickier, so try to aim for early afternoon. Don’t forget to give yourself a break and put your head down at the same time, especially when the new bub arrives – if they let you! When you’re getting him to bed at night, try to keep to the same routine so he knows it’s bedtime. I do have a story about this on the website, and a bunch on newborns too if you need a reminder!