Spring Forward with Ease: Tips for the Clock Change and Your Child's Sleep

by Polly Revaliente

Clock Change on 26th March 2023: How to Help Your Children

On Sunday 26th March 2023, the clocks in the UK will change to British Summer Time at 2am, and will "spring forward" to 3am. As we welcome sunnier, longer days, the change can also affect our sleeping patterns, especially those of children. In this blog post, we discuss three ways to help your children adapt to the new time.

Option 1: Do Nothing

Believe it or not, children are more adaptable to these changes than we think, and you may choose to do nothing and hope that your child stays on the later schedule. However, it's important to be mindful of your child's sleep needs, and if they start waking up earlier naturally, you may need to adjust their bedtime accordingly. You could also wait for your child to adapt naturally to the new schedule, as social cues, such as mealtimes and social interactions, can play a significant role in the circadian cycle.

Option 2: Gradual Change

This is a more structured approach to adapting the clock change, but it can yield great results. Starting on Thursday 23rd March, put your child to bed 15 minutes earlier than their usual bedtime. Then, for the following three days, put your child to bed 15 minutes earlier each day. For example:

• Wednesday 22nd March: 18.30 (normal bedtime)
• Thursday 23rd March: 18.15
• Friday 24th March: 18.00 (wake your child 15 minutes earlier and adapt schedule by 15 minutes)
• Saturday 25th March: 17.45 (wake your child 15 minutes earlier and adapt schedule by 15 minutes)
• Sunday 26th March: 18.30 new time / 17.30 old time (wake your child 15 minutes earlier and adapt schedule by 15 minutes)

You can then continue putting your child to bed at the new normal bedtime.

Option 3: Split the Difference

On Saturday 25th March wake your child ½ hour earlier than normal, adapt the schedule by ½ hour throughout the day and put your child to bed ½ hour earlier than their normal bedtime. Do the same on Sunday 26th March. On Monday 27th March wake your child ½ hour earlier than the day before, adapt the schedule by ½ hour throughout the day and put your child to bed at their normal time (new time, which will be an hour earlier then their old time)

Lastly, make sure to get your children outside as much as possible during this change, encourage them to do lots of exercise, and get plenty of fresh air to help them feel more tired than usual.

Good luck!