The clocks went back. Here’s how to fix bedtime in a week

A 15-minute shuffle each night beats a week of 5am wake-ups.

Priya NatarajanSleep columnist

25 October 20261 min read✓ Reviewed by Dr Amira Hassan, paediatric dietitian

On this page 2 sections

Move in small steps
Use the light

In short

Shift bedtime by 15 minutes every two days.
It takes about a week to settle.
Morning light helps reset body clocks fastest.

Your child’s body clock didn’t get the memo. When the clocks go back, a 7pm bedtime now feels like 8pm to them, and the morning arrives an hour early.

Move in small steps

Shift naps, meals and bedtime by 15 minutes every two days until you’re back on schedule. It takes about a week. Big jumps tend to backfire with overtired toddlers.

Use the light

Get outside in the morning, even briefly. Keep the evening dim. Blackout blinds earn their keep this week, because the 6am light is what wakes most small children.

Was this useful?

Priya Natarajan

Priya writes about sleep for babies, toddlers and the grown-ups who look after them.

All agesActivities

Free things to do on a wet afternoon, by age

From the sock-sorting game to the cardboard marble run.

Ellie Grant · 1 min read