Clocks going back meant your child woke up at 5am? Here's what to do tonight to fix it fast
The best tried-and-tested hacks and techniques to help babies, toddlers and young children adapt to the autumn time change when clocks go back an hour
Hurrah, the clocks went back on Sunday 27th October 2025, which should have meant an extra hour in bed. Unless, of course, you’ve got small children.
While many of us were dreaming of a leisurely lie-in, babies, toddlers and young kids had other ideas. Because as far as they’re concerned, it’s still (the old) 6am – even if the clock now says 5am.
So, is there a way to help your child adjust to the autumn time change without it completely derailing your mornings? And if you were woken early on Sunday (hello, 5am wake-ups), is there anything you can do this week to get back on track?
Whether you're looking for calm-down story time ideas to help your little one wind down in the evening, or gentle sleep training techniques to encourage better sleep habits, we've got you covered.
Start with our list of the best bedtime story ideas that'll get your baby, toddler or child in the mood for a peaceful night's sleep and help them wind down after a busy day then read on... We've curated a list of the best bedtime books for all ages from classic tales to relaxing stories that you'll love reading with your little one.
Desperate for a good night's sleep but can't bear to hear your baby cry for more than a few minutes? Discover our guide on the Ferber Method of sleep training.
Here are 4 easy ways to help recover bedtime from chaos clock changes
1. Don’t try to force a late bedtime in one go
Even if you keep your child up the night before, they are still likely to wake up at ‘normal time’,” explains child sleep specialist Katie Palmer from Infant Sleep Consultants.
Instead, take the pressure off and focus on small, manageable shifts across the week.
2. Use meals to nudge the body clock forward
Meal times play a bigger role in resetting our body clocks than most of us realise. So if your little one’s still operating on ‘old time’, try this trick to help ease them into the new rhythm. “Meal times can help to reset your body clock,” says Katie.
Start by gradually moving mealtimes later today:
- Try breakfast 15 minutes later than usual
- Lunch 35 minutes later
- Tea up to 60 minutes later, if possible
Even a small change can help their internal clock start to shift.
3. Move bedtime later – gently
Now that we’re on the other side of the clock change, your aim is to stretch your child’s bedtime forward gradually this week.
Tonight, see if you can keep them up 10–15 minutes later than last night. Use calming activities like a long bath, extra stories or even a wind-down TV show if needed (hey, survival mode is valid). Then repeat this small shift each evening until you're back to your usual bedtime – just one hour later.
If your child is struggling to stay up, don’t push it too far. It’s better to make tiny tweaks consistently than end up with an overtired meltdown.
4. Keep mornings calm and low-light
If your child’s still waking early (hello again, 5am), try not to reinforce it with full lights, full volume and full-on playtime.
Instead, keep the lights low and stick to a quiet morning routine until it’s time to properly get up. Even just staying in their room for 10–15 minutes longer can help shift their internal rhythm over time.
Good luck – and fingers crossed for at least one lie-in before the week is out.
About our expert Katie Palmer
Infant sleep consultant Katie has been working with families for 25 years. She started her career working as a nanny around the world before moving to London and working as a private maternity nurse. She is NNEB and MNT trained and has completed the Solent NHS trust sleep practitioner certification, and her advanced OCN level 6 sleep practitioner training. Katie also works as a sleep practitioner with the NHS and CAMHS. She has 3 boys and is based near Sevenoaks in Kent.
Pics: Getty Images
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Helen is author of the classic advice book Parenting for Dummies and a mum of 3. Before joining MadeForMums, she was Head of Community at Mumsnet and also the Consumer Editor of Mother & Baby.