28 Mar 2025
Baby and child sleep consultant Pav Desai is part of Little Dreams St Albans and Herts Central, using evidence-based and gentle methods to work with tired parents and help everybody get a good night’s sleep. Here she looks at how to adjust children’s routines when the clocks spring forward on Sunday.
Losing an hour can disrupt our bodies and little ones’ schedules, but if you have an early riser it can be a blessing!
If your child tends to wake super early, the simplest solution is to do nothing! Their body clock will remain the same, meaning that 5am magically turns into 6am without any extra effort. But if you don’t have an early riser and want to help your little one transition smoothly and keep their existing schedule, here is a quick guide based on your child’s age to help you manage the change.
General tips for every age (adults included!)
One key factor to consider is that the clock change brings longer daylight hours. Whilst this may not be an issue for us as adults, for little ones who are going to bed when it is still light outside, bright evenings can make falling asleep more difficult. It can also mean that morning sunlight creeping in can make it tricky for them to stay asleep in the early hours. To help with this:
- Darken the room: Try to get as close to 10/10 darkness as you can using blackout blinds or curtains. For a quick and easy fix you can pick up the Ergopouch Window Blockout from Bambinista in Christopher Place;
- Get outside: Exposure to natural daylight is the best way to help regulate the body’s internal clock. Verulamium Park is gorgeous for a stroll in the spring and has large play areas to keep little ones entertained!
- Be patient: Adjusting to the new schedule can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Consistency is key!
For older children (no longer napping)
For children who no longer nap, the best approach is to ‘split the difference’ between the old and new time.
- On Sunday night (first night of the change), shift bedtime 30 minutes later (e.g. if bedtime was 7pm, put them to bed at 7:30pm new time).
- Maintain this for three nights, then on the fourth night (Wednesday), return to the usual bedtime of 7pm.
Some children may take a little longer to fall asleep, but if they’re content, let them adjust naturally without any extra help to get them to fall asleep.
For toddlers (over the age of 1)
For little ones who still nap, start the transition with nap time on Sunday.
- On Sunday, push their first nap 30 minutes later (e.g. if they nap at 9:30am, shift it to 10am, and do the same for the second nap If they usually have two).
- At bedtime, follow the same 30 minute adjustment for three nights (e.g. 7pm bedtime becomes 7:30pm).
- On night four (Wednesday), return to their usual bedtime again.
- The following day (Thursday), adjust naps back to the normal time.
Again, it can take a week or so to adjust and may take a little longer for them to fall asleep but, if they are happy just leave them to it.
For infants (4-12 months)
Infants’ schedules can be adjusted more gradually and a slower transition helps their body clocks adapt smoothly.
- Begin shifting naps and bedtime by 15 minutes earlier each day until they are back to their normal schedule by Thursday.
- For example, if bedtime is normally 7pm, put them down at 7:45pm on Sunday, then 7:30pm on Monday, and so on until you are back to 7pm for bedtime on Thursday.
For newborns
Newborns do not yet have established sleep cycles or melatonin production, so they adapt more easily to time changes. You can simply switch to the new time on Sunday night, and although it may take longer to fall asleep initially as they may not be as tired, they will adjust naturally.
Pav says: “If you’re struggling with any aspect of your child’s sleep, don’t hesitate to reach out to Little Dreams St Albans and Herts Central – we’d love to help your family enjoy a better night’s sleep!”
