Bedtime clock change tips for getting children to adapt to the clock changes

This post is written by Jess who is a mom of two and the nursery Business Co-Ordinator for Little Green House Childcare.

As much as we all love spending time with our children there are some nights where bedtime cannot come quick enough. You get yourself and your kids into a good routine then the clocks change and the good routine you had taken time to establish starts to unravel. You're either struggling to keep them awake till bedtime when the clocks go back or have them still up way past their bedtime when the clocks go forward.  

Here are a few things I make sure to do in the week leading up to the clock change. To ensure that our bedtimes so smoothly. Doing the things below mean that my two don’t really feel the effects of the clock change and carry on sleeping as they normally would.  

 Change their bedtime slightly  

 I find changing their bedtime slightly really does make a big difference. So a few minutes later in the autumn and then a few minutes earlier in the spring. When I say a few minutes it’s more like 15 minutes maybe. Nothing too drastic that will change our evening routine but just enough to counteract the clock change. I do this for a week or so before the clock changes then gradually start to go back to their normal bedtime after the clocks have changed. 

Have a routine  

Just because the clocks have changed doesn’t mean your routine has to change. Children like to have a routine they like to know what is happening. A change in their routine can throw them off completely and make their sleep pattern and duration change. Just make sure if you're altering your bedtime like I suggested above you make sure to leave enough time for your bedtime routine. Rushing through to bedtime can cause stress to your child and make them feel uneasy, which doesn’t bode well for a good nights sleep.  

Keep it dark  

 Both my two are very observant and know that it’s bedtime when it gets dark. This is why we made sure to invest in some good blackout blinds for their rooms. As the tiniest bit of light coming through their window at bedtime would keep them up for sure.  

 One thing that we do, is to go upstairs before the children when it’s still light at bedtime and pull the blinds down and draw the curtains. So when they come upstairs they just see that everything is dark, which for them means that it’s bedtime.  

 Also, make sure if you use things like Gro clocks, that you alter them to go with the change in bedtime as there is nothing worse then getting them sorted and in bed and the sun still to be showing on the Gro clock and then they question why they are going to bed.  

My one tip for parents when it comes to clock changes is not to stress, things will go back to normal. You may have a few late nights and early mornings. They will get used to the new times and they will go back into their normal sleep routine.