It’s nearly that time again: on Sunday 25th October 2026, the clocks go back an hour (it’s always the last Sunday in October). Here Boogie from Sleep Dreams Baby Sleep Consulting shares how to avoid the otherwise inevitable sleep dramas with our children.
Quick answer
- When: 2am on Sunday 25th October 2026, when clocks go back to 1am
- What it means for your child: a usual 7am wake-up will probably become 6am
- Two ways to handle it: go with the flow, or shift everything 15 minutes later each day from the Wednesday before
When I think about autumn, I think colourful leaves, hot chocolate with marshmallows and cosy long evenings with a good book in my hands. And then there is the autumn time change which means an extra hour’s sleep on a Sunday. Well, as much as this beautiful picture may once have been true, nowadays, it is one of those things that parents (including me) dread, as changing times means changing our children’s sleep schedules. However inconvenient as it may sound, it is not actually as bad as we may think; our bodies, and that of our children, get used to this change pretty quickly. However, I’m going to give you two options that you can use to prepare for the clock change.
Option 1: Go with the flow
This method is suggested for parents of children who are pretty adaptable and flexible when it comes to the schedule changes.
On Sunday, when we move clocks, you treat everything as normal. It’s most likely your child will wake up an hour earlier than usual, so take that into consideration when planning your bedtime on Saturday. It only takes children a few days to adjust to the new time.
Option 2: Prepare in advance
If you have a very sensitive child who gets super alert whenever there is a change to their schedule, then I’d advise you to change their schedule slowly, starting four days before the clocks change.
Move your child’s whole day 15 minutes later each day: wake-up, feeds, mealtimes, naps and bedtime. If they normally wake at 7am and go to bed at 7pm, it looks like this:
- Wednesday: wake 7:15am, bed 7:15pm
- Thursday: wake 7:30am, bed 7:30pm
- Friday: wake 7:45am, bed 7:45pm
- Saturday: wake 8am, bed 8pm
- Sunday: the clocks go back, so 8am becomes 7am and they’re ready to start the day at their usual time
Whichever option you choose
Here are some other things to remember when we switch to winter time:
- To help your child reset their internal clock and adjust their circadian rhythms, make sure you spend lots of time outside where your child is exposed to natural light.
- Because the body reacts to light and darkness, it’s important that once bedtime is approaching, you start to dim the lights and draw your curtains and blinds.
- Avoid screen time for at least two hours before bed, as the light from devices such as iPads, mobile phones, TVs and computer screens interferes with melatonin production.
- Turn the white noise on. It’s great for masking any noise that may wake your little one.
- A toddler clock can be a very useful tool. Remember to adjust the wake-up time accordingly and don’t start the day until the clock comes on.
You can use all of these ideas for yourself as well as your child. Don’t forget, your body also needs to adjust to the new time, so take it all into account when preparing for the autumn time change. Sleep well.
This guide was written for us by Boguslawa Kucharska-Hodgkins (aka Boogie), a certified sleep consultant who founded Sleep Dreams Baby.
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