24/09/2025
When sleep is concerned, a shift in timing can really upset your child’s body clock. And every parent knows sleep is precious! This weekend we "spring forward" the clocks for Daylight Saving.
There are some things you can do to help make the transition to the new time go a little smoother. Starting with my first recommendation:
DON’T CHANGE THE CLOCKS!
At least, don’t change the clocks when they say to. Indeed, my first recommendation is to leave your clock alone Saturday night. Wake up Sunday morning, have breakfast, then go around your house and change your clocks.
Psychologically, it can feel much better for everyone if you wait until Sunday morning to change the time. Losing an hour during the day feels much better than losing a precious hour of sleep overnight. AND it means less hours with the kids until bedtime (I am half joking here, and half not – if you have a toddler you’ll likely know what I mean)!
WILL DAYLIGHT SAVING AFFECT YOU?
If you have a newborn in the house, or if you’re still gauging nap timings and bedtime by how long your baby has been awake, changing the clocks this spring shouldn’t impact your child – just keep on keeping on. HOWEVER, if you have an older baby on clock-based naps or a toddler or older child in your household, you may want a strategy to minimise the effect of springing forward this daylight saving.
There are a few different sleep strategies you can employ for surviving the time change. Here are my top three for older babies and children. Pick the one that will most suit you and your family (because there is no one-size fits all approach when it comes to children):
The daylight-saving time change can really upset our body clock. Here are my top three survival strategies for older babies and children.
