The clocks go back at 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026, so 2am becomes 1am and the evenings suddenly feel an hour longer. That sounds like a gift, an extra hour in bed, until a child who normally wakes early is suddenly ready to start the day an hour earlier by the new clock. You can take some of the sting out with a few small steps over the days around the change, rather than one big adjustment on the Monday morning.

The quick answer

• Shift gradually: move bedtime and wake-up by about 15 minutes a day over a few days, rather than an hour at once
• Get morning light: open the curtains and get outside early, as natural light helps the body clock adjust
• Keep the wind-down steady: a similar calm routine, at a similar time by the new clock
• Be kind to the first week: everyone adjusts at their own pace

A gentle plan for the days around the change

The change lands on Sunday morning, so if you'd like to ease into it, start on Friday. This can be especially useful for children who wake early or notice changes to their routine. Some children hardly notice, and if yours is one of them, there's no need to do anything special.

• Friday: move bedtime and wake-up a little later, by about 15 minutes, keeping the same amount of sleep
• Saturday: another 15 minutes, and a bit of outdoor time in the daylight if you can
• Sunday: the clocks have changed, so aim for a similar bedtime by the new clock, with morning light and a good breakfast to start the day
• Monday and after: keep the routine steady, and expect a few slightly early mornings while everyone catches up

How quickly children adjust varies a lot, especially very young ones. If your baby or toddler is struggling with sleep, or you're worried about it, it's worth talking to your health visitor or GP.

Morning light helps reset the body clock

Natural light is one of the cues the body clock uses to tell what time it is. In the morning, open the curtains as soon as everyone's up, have breakfast by a window, and get outside for a walk or the school run if you can. As bedtime gets closer, keep the house calmer and the lighting softer, rather than brightening things up late in the evening.

The evenings also get darker much earlier, which changes what the weekday afternoon looks like. In Petal Home, the forecast's Tonight card shows today's sunset time, next to the hour-by-hour weather, so you can see how much daylight is left for the park after school.

A wind-down routine that repeats itself

A steady routine before bed helps children settle, and it matters more in the week the clocks change. A simple wind-down might be: screens off, a bath or wash, pyjamas, a story, then lights out. Aim for a similar bedtime by the new clock, rather than making every night identical, and keep it calm.

Give yourself a soft landing

The first few mornings can feel different while everyone adjusts. It helps to plan something to look forward to when children wake early in the dark, like a favourite breakfast or a hot chocolate, and to go easy on the week's plans. A calm first week is worth more than a busy one.