Care.com and parenting expert Sue Atkins share top tips for adjusting your children’s schedule and sleep routines in time for the clocks going back.

The last Sunday of October is nearly here, which means we’ll get an extra hour of sleep. But it can also disrupt sleeping patterns – both ours and our children’s. You’ve worked hard to get your baby or toddler sleeping through the night, but many young children are naturally early risers and the time change can be a challenge for them.

Thankfully, any disruption caused by the clocks going back will only be temporary. As you adjust, here are some tips which may help ease the transition for babies, toddlers or older children in your family.

Babies:

Plan to go to bed a bit earlier than usual and discuss with your partner, if you have one, about sharing the job of getting up to your child if they are raring to go at 5am – take it in turns to share the tiredness and early rises!
Don’t force your little one to remain in their cot if they have had their usual amount of sleep and are looking wide awake at their normal time, as it will set them up for anxiety. Just take the next few days to adapt to the new routine yourself and make sure that you get enough sleep so that you are not grumpy or too impatient.
Start to incrementally change their bedtimes to adjust to the time change – the key here is to give off positive, relaxed vibes around their bedtime as you all adjust to the new schedules. Think ahead and adjust your child’s bedtime by 10 minutes incrementally for a few days leading up to the changes. Don’t panic if you haven’t started yet just start tonight as it will help.

Toddlers and older children:

With toddlers and nursery aged children, it may be possible to explain the time change but children this age generally have no concept of time so don’t try reasoning with them! If they have a special clock like a Rabbit that opens their eyes at the time you set it – just reduce it gradually, so the transition is gentle. Set it 10 minutes later for wake-up times over the next few days. If you already have this system in place your child will know to stay in their own bed until the Rabbit’s eyes open and won’t be aware of any time changes.
The clocks go back in the early hours of Sunday morning. During the day before, allow your little one to have an energetic day which includes lots of fresh air and exercise – go outside and play in the autumn leaves or go to a soft play to tire them out a bit more than usual.
Keep to your established bedtime routine, teatime, quiet play, bath, bedtime story and then bed.
Limit screens in the bedroom an hour before bedtime. If possible, don’t have a mobile, tablet, TV or computer in the bedroom at night, as the light from the screen interferes with sleep.
Put them to bed a little later than usual the night of the time change. If you normally put your child to bed at 7.30pm make it 7.45pm and do all the same routines as usual as children love routine and won’t notice the difference.
If they wake up at their usual time, encourage them to remain in their bed playing with a toy – add a new one or an old favourite. Don’t be too ambitious here; any longer than half an hour to wait could become a bit much for your very young child.
When they stay in their bed or cot praise them!
The following day have another active day and put them to bed at the new, earlier bed time.
Push their daytime naps to start later, by 10 to 15 mins and very soon the new time will be their new ‘normal’ nap time.

In general, winter time is good for kids’ sleep patterns. The difference in light levels between day and night encourages the production of sleep hormones, as well as giving them very clear night and day visual clues.

The key is to do things slowly, gently and with confidence and a bit of forward planning, as kids pick up your vibes all the time and react to those – so stay relaxed and positive and things will adjust naturally. And don’t forget to put them to bed a little later than usual the night before the change.

About Sue Atkins:

Sue Atkins is an ongoing ambassador for Care.com, the world’s largest platform for finding and managing family care, including child care, senior care and pet care.

She is an internationally recognised parenting expert, broadcaster, speaker and author of the Amazon best-selling books ‘Parenting Made Easy – How to Raise Happy Children’, and ‘Raising Happy Children for Dummies’, one in the famous black and yellow series. She is also the author of the Parenting Made Easy CDs, apps and resources.