My sister-in-law told me that the “Fall back” that came at the end of daylight savings time would be great until I had kids.  I didn’t fully believe her but now I know exactly what she’s talking about.  That extra hour of sleep is fabulous for adults who need to catch up on sleep but it can really throw off the schedule of little ones.  Kids who normally wake up at 7, now wake up at 6.  Less sleep is never a good thing for anybody but especially for a tired mama.

Here are a few of my tips from Kim West, LCSW-C, Sleep Lady Solutions, LLC on how to help your baby sleep better during time change {trust me, I’m taking notes}:

1. Many parents I have spoken to dread this time change as their children will be waking up even earlier, and previous early rising issues can become big problems. To help make ensure that your baby’s sleep doesn’t go completely off the rails, make a slow transition. Make a point to slowly adjust your child’s bedtime and naptimes an hour earlier, just 15-30 minutes a day for a few days before daylight savings ends. This way, your child will already be adjusted to the time change. While you’re adjusting naps and bedtime, make sure that you also adjust mealtimes in 10-15 minute increments to help ease the transition.

2. For children under 4 years old, its essential that we make naps a priority this time change.  Quality nighttime sleep is dependent upon good daytime sleep. Make sure that your children are well-napped during the day so that when the time change takes effect having a later-

feeling bedtime isn’t as much of an issue. Between naps, make sure that your children are exposed to plenty of natural light; open the curtains, take an afternoon walk, or just play outside. To help your children adjust, about 30-45 minutes before naps and an hour before bedtime. Close the curtains, dim the lights and follow your soothing sleep routine. If you find that your baby is still having trouble with sleep even after a good day of naps, you may need to temporarily add a third late-afternoon nap, of no more than 45 minutes to help make sure that your baby isn’t overtired at bedtime.

3. To help your baby sleep more soundly, consider installing blackout curtains and using a sound machine. Although the days are getting shorter, there may still be some natural light present, especially in the morning as well as noise when you put your baby to bed. To mitigate these, install blackout curtains and use a sound machine to help buffer outside light and sound. Black out shades are great for children with early rising issues, which is often a problem after the fall time change, especially if your child was already getting up before 6:00 a.m.

4. While preparing for the time change (and after), use dramatic wake up to help your children adjust to the change. It’s entirely possible that after the change your baby may be waking earlier than normal. If this is the case, keep your baby’s room dark and quiet, and use a gentle method to encourage your child to go back to sleep; you may need to check on your baby and reassure that all is well, and remind them that it’s not quite time to wake up. At this point, you can either sit on a chair near the door or leave the room and do timed checks. If your child is over 2.5 years old, I recommend that you purchase a toddler clock or wake up alarm that signals them when its time to get up and start the day, as this will help your toddler stay in bed (and hopefully fall back asleep) until at least 6:00 a.m., at which time you open the blinds and make a big deal of “good morning”. Make sure that you expose your baby to lots of natural light first thing in the morning to help reset his circadian rhythm to coincide with the new time.

#PampersSleepChat Twitter Party Information: 
The Twitter Party will take place on November 7th at 9pm EST. Chat about how the end of Daylight Savings Time can affect sleep patterns & get tips on easing the transition from The Sleep Lady, Kim West. RSVP here!

Prizes include: 
$50 AMEX Gift Card, $25 Children’s Place Gift Card, Pampers product and book by Kim West. $100 AMEX Gift Card, Pampers Product, series of books by Kim West Grand Prize: $500 AMEX Card to purchase sleep items such as a black out shades, video monitor, etc.

To participate, follow your hosts: @DoubleDutyDivas, @BridgetteLA, @CeceliaMecca @AngieKcom @WhatMommiesNeed @RamblingChick, our sleep expert @TheSleepLady , yours truly @Beauty4Moms, and our sponsor @Pampers.

Stay social with Pampers by following them on Twitter and “liking” them on Facebook!

Want to win some free Pampers?  Enter now!

Giveaway: Enter via the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win a pack of Pampers Baby Dry Diapers and a pair of Children’s Place PJ’s!

Winner will be chosen Nov. 20, 2013 at 9 am EST.  Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fast forward two years and now both parents wake up early in the morning to a crying child (or a singing child usually, our girl is happy), dragging ourselves out of bed to change a toddler who has peed through her diaper.  One tosses the pjs and sheets into the wash and heads for a shower while the other one starts breakfast for the family.

We’ve tried limiting her drinks in the evening, going up a size or two in diapers, trying the expensive overnight diapers, and well, sadly the truth is we’ve just made peace with waking up early 3 or 4 nights out of the week.  Hey, at least a load of laundry is done before we would regularly get up!

Pampers had a better solution in mind.  They’ve came out with TWO new diapers and I’m excited about both of them.

{Quick disclosure: This review was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Pampers. I was provided the featured product free of charge to facilitate my review, but all opinions are 100% mine.  This post contains affiliate links.}

The first new type of diaper is a new absorbent Pampers Cruisers.  These are supposed to hold 12 hours of wetness.  Our family is more than a little excited about these!!

The second new diaper isn’t exactly new, but they’re extending the sizes that the Pampers Swaddlers comes in.  Now they’re available all the way to size 5.  Isn’t that nice?  I’ve always loved the comfort and softness of the Swaddlers and couldn’t understand why they couldn’t keep that softness an option as the child grows.  I guess I wasn’t the only one who thought that.  Thank you, Pampers for hearing the desires of moms and dads and doing something about it!

Pampers sent me on a mission.  They provided me with a $100 gift card to buy the supplies to make a gift basket and give the “Gift of Sleep” to a family I know.

My mind raced as I thought through the numerous pregnant women I know and then I remembered one friend who just gave birth to a sweet baby boy.  He wasn’t even a week old yet!  With my $100 in hand I went in search of supplies for my basket.

I realize I could have given her a blanket, slippers, and candles but chances are she already owns those and already has her favorite brands of each.  I thought about cozy baby clothes, swaddlers, or a sound machine but since this is her second son I knew she already had those.  What I decided on was beauty products for a time-rushed, sleep-deprived mama who just wants to feel pretty.

There’s no denying that having a newborn will turn your life upside down and you’ll have learn to temporarily manage without a full night’s sleep.  I still believe that those tired mamas want to look their best for themselves, for their husbands, and for those who come to visit…at least, I know I did.

I chose a Senna lip gloss which contains two shimmery shades I thought would look great on her.  She can toss this in her diaper bag so it’s always an arms reach away.

The blue tube (pictured above) is Naturopathica’s Aloe Replenishing Gel.  This is a miracle product that reduces redness and inflammation while restoring collagen.  Ideal for those mornings when you’re not sure if it’s 8am or 8pm.

The orange box (also pictured above) is a wonderful product from Ole Henriksen.  It’s their Truth Serum Vitamin C Collagen Booster.  Here’s a description from the Sephora website, “Formulated…to support natural collagen production, brighten, and minimize fine lines, this must-have serum defends from environmental aggressors and free radical damage, leaving skin healthy and protected. ”  A quick solution to brighten your skin and a refreshing orange scent to boost your mood.

Last but not least in this beauty bag from Vera Bradley, is a Julep nail polish that I got to name!  This color, Evie, looks great on fingers or toes for the perfect shimmery combination of red and pink.

Along with two packs of Pampers’ new diapers, I threw in a box of my favorite baby wipes, Pampers Sensitive wipes.  They’re actually the only wipes I’ll use.  They’re thin, easy to maneuver, soft, and have a pleasant scent.

I added all the goodies into this reusable canvas bag that would be great to house baby blankets or other items in the new baby’s room.

I added a little fun crinkle cut paper to the gift bag and we we’re off to deliver our care package to the new mom.

As I should have assumed, the new mom, Sara, didn’t want her picture taken but her husband and son didn’t mind being included in this photo I took.  Their son, our daughter, and my husband were playing dominoes in the floor while I was able to catch up with the new mom and her darling little baby Austin.

***Quick update about Sara and her family.  Without going into much detail I just want to say that it looks like Sara’s father will probably go home to meet his Heavenly Father soon.  Please keep her family in your prayers.  Thank you!***

Enter to win!  Pampers wants to give Embracing Beauty’s readers a chance to win a prize pack of their own.  Below you can enter via Rafflecopter to win a Sleep Sheep Sound Machine (which I am a big fan of!), cozy blankets for Mom/Baby and a $50 gift card.

This giveaway is open to those 18 years and older with a US mailing address.  We will pick one lucky winner when this giveaway ends on Saturday, Oct. 26th at 1pm EST.  Good luck!

Update: This giveaway is now over and congratulations to Jennie S!

Connect with Pampers:
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Earn free rewards by entering free codes at Pampers Gifts to Grow!  Plus new member can start earning right away with 100 free points!

TWITQ89YATXP213 – 5 points (expires 1/18/13)

Here’s a new 10 point code to add to your Pampers Gifts to Grow account.

TWIT1112PRT9W12 – 5 points (Expires Nov. 8, 2012)

Pampers Gifts To Grow has already released a new and free 10 point code!

FBHA012PR46DY12 -10 points

Haven’t joined Pampers Gifts to Grow Yet?  Pampers Gifts To Grow is offering a 100 point code for new members. Click this Pampers link to sign up and get your free 100 points.

Check out the previous Pampers Gifts To Grow codes I’ve posted.

TWEETGTG29OCT35  (50 points, expires 5:00 pm EST on 10/29/12)

I love Pampers Gifts to Grow!  You can earn free rewards just by entering free codes, no purchase is even necessary. The Shutterfly photo gift rewards are my favorite even though they do require you to pay shipping.  Their 11×14 collage poster is only 400 points!

Yay!  Here’s 10 free points to add to your Pampers Gifts to Grow account with code SEPTFALL12SPNML.

Hurry, this code will expire on September 30, 2012.

Thanks, Freebie Shark!

(Note: The link in this post is my referral link. Please read my disclosure policy.)

I’m a big fan of Pampers Gifts to Grow program and I’m excited to share another free 10 points you can add to your account!  By the way, I met some of the Pamper’s social media team at the Reviewer’s Retreat and they were so incredibly sweet.  It made me love the brand more than I do already!  I’ll be sharing more about the retreat later but I just wanted to throw that in. : )

Here’s your free 10 point code:

CABRANDSVRJUN12

Oh, I almost forgot!  Pampers Gifts to Grow Rewards currently has a 25% off sale through June 12, 2012.  If you’re close to reaching the item  you want you or you’re waiting to enter all your points in at once now might be the time!

Thanks, reader Amy!

There is a great deal going on at Walgreens right now for Pampers diapers & wipes!  When you combine a sale, coupons, and Register Rewards you can walk away with diapers and wipes costing only $3.44 each!  Here’s how:

Buy 2 Pampers Jumbo Pack Diapers 2/$20.00, On Sale Through 6/9
Buy 3 Pampers Wipes, 60 to 72 pack $2.49, On Sale Through 6/9
Spend $25, Receive $5.00 Register Rewards
Use 2 $1.50/1 – Pampers Cruisers or Baby Dry Diapers, Excludes Trial/Travel Size – (coupons.com)
Or 2 $1.50/1 – Pampers Swaddlers or Swaddlers Sensitive Diapers, Excludes Trial/Travel Size – (coupons.com)
Or $1.00/2 Pampers Diapers Bags or Pants Box from PG insert 6/3
And use 3 $0.75/1 – Pampers Wipes, 60ct or Larger – (coupons.com)
Pay $22.22, Receive $5.00 Register Rewards
Final Price: $3.44 each, when you purchase all five!

Here’s another free code to add to your Pampers Gifts to Grow account! Use the code MARSPRNL12SPLDX for 10 free points. This code expires June 3, 2012.

Thanks, For the Mommas!

{Please note: The link in this post is my referral link. For more info please read my disclosure policy.}