Clocks Going Back: How to Help Kids Adjust
The short answer: in the UK the clocks went back one hour at 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026. For children it means waking an hour earlier by the clock and getting tired before bedtime. If you planned ahead, the easiest fix was to shift bedtime and wake-up 10 to 15 minutes later each day for four to six days beforehand. If the change has already caught you out, you can do the same thing now, moving bedtime 10 to 15 minutes later each night, with bright morning light and dim evenings, and keeping the routine itself exactly the same.
What actually changes
Your child's body clock does not know the clocks have changed. A child who usually wakes at 6am will wake at what is now 5am, and one who goes to bed at 7pm will be ready for bed at 6pm. Most children adjust within a week, but early risers can get stuck if the new wake-up time is rewarded with screens or breakfast straight away.
Adults notice it too, but children's days are run by naps, meals and bedtime at fixed times, so an hour's shift touches everything at once. Babies and toddlers on a tight nap schedule usually feel it most.
The clocks have already gone back: what to do this week
If your child is now waking at 5am or flagging before tea, you have not missed your chance. The body clock moves at about the same pace whether you start before the change or after it.
- Tonight, put your child to bed 10 to 15 minutes later than their new, early-feeling bedtime.
- Move it another 10 to 15 minutes later each night until you are back at their usual clock time.
- Push naps and meals later by the same steps, so the whole day moves together.
- In the morning, keep the room dark and quiet until close to the usual wake-up time, then open the curtains wide.
For most children this takes four to six nights. If your child is older and coping well, you can skip the steps and go straight to the usual clock time, as in option 2 below.
Option 1: shift gradually (best for babies and toddlers)
- About a week before the change, move bedtime 10 to 15 minutes later each day. For the October 2026 change that meant starting around Monday 19 or Tuesday 20 October.
- Move naps and meals by the same amount, so the whole day slides together.
- Keep wake-up a little later too, if they will let you, using blackout blinds.
- By Sunday, they are running on the new time already.
Babies and toddlers who nap need the naps moved too, or the day will feel out of step even if bedtime is right. Our guides to how much sleep children need and toddler night waking have more on sleep at this age.
Option 2: switch on the day (fine for most school-age children)
Older children usually cope with going straight to the new time. Put them to bed at their normal clock time on Sunday night, expect a slightly tired day or two, and keep mornings bright and active.
The October change falls in or close to half-term for many schools, so school-age children often have a few days at home to settle before school mornings start again.
Light is your best tool
- Morning: open curtains, get outside if you can. Daylight helps reset the body clock.
- Evening: dim lights and switch screens off at least an hour before bed. Light in the evening pushes sleep later.
- Early mornings: blackout blinds help, because it gets light earlier after the change.
Screens are the hardest part of the evening for a lot of families. Our guide to screens before bed has realistic ways to cut back.
Handling early wake-ups
- Keep the room dark and boring until your usual wake-up time. Avoid screens and breakfast at 5am, or 5am becomes the new normal.
- A toddler clock that changes colour at wake-up time helps. Remember to change it on Saturday night.
- Shift breakfast later gradually rather than all at once.
If your child is already up, keep things low-key: quiet toys or books in dim light, and no big breakfast until closer to the usual time.
Keep the routine identical
The steps of bedtime matter more than the clock: bath, pyjamas, teeth, story, lights out, in the same order every night. If your child has a magnesium top-up in their evening drink, keep giving it at the same point in the routine rather than at the same clock time. Magnesium contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system, and the predictability of the routine does the rest. Read what magnesium can and cannot do for sleep, and the best time to give a child magnesium for how to fit it in.
Our step-by-step bedtime routine for kids is a good reset if bedtimes have drifted, and bedtime battles covers the evenings when nobody wants to go up.
Give it a week
Most children settle within a week. If your child's sleep is still unsettled after two weeks, look at the basics: bedtime consistency, evening light and screens, and daytime activity. If problems persist, speak to your GP or health visitor. Our guide to why your child won't sleep goes through the common causes.
When the clocks change next
The clocks go forward one hour at 1am on Sunday 28 March 2027, and back again at 2am on Sunday 31 October 2027. In spring the shift runs the other way: children will feel ready for bed later and be harder to wake, so move bedtime 10 to 15 minutes earlier each day in the week before.
Quick answers
When did the clocks go back in 2026?
At 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026, when 2am became 1am.
How long does it take kids to adjust to the clocks going back?
Most children adjust within a week. Babies and toddlers on fixed nap times may take a few days longer.
Should I keep my child up later the night the clocks go back?
For babies and toddlers, a gradual shift of 10 to 15 minutes a night works better than one big jump. Older children can usually go to bed at their normal clock time on the Sunday.
If magnesium is already part of your evening routine, our magnesium for kids is truly unflavoured and stirs into the bedtime drink: 2.5ml for ages 1 to 5, 5ml for ages 5 to 14.
Our magnesium
Liposomal Magnesium for Kids (Age 1+) is truly unflavoured, gentle on little tummies, and built for absorption. Magnesium contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system.*
*Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Consult your healthcare provider before use if your child has a medical condition or takes medication.