Clocks Go Back 2026: How to Adjust Your Baby's Sleep (UK Guide)
The clocks go back one hour at 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026 (gov.uk). Your baby doesn't know that. Their body clock keeps its old schedule, so the morning after, a baby who usually wakes at 7am will be up at what the clock says is 6am.
You have three sensible options: shift their day gradually in the week before, split the difference, or change nothing and let it sort itself out. Which one fits depends on your baby's age and how fixed their routine already is.
The short answer: for a baby on a fairly fixed routine, move wake-up, naps and bedtime later by 10 to 15 minutes a day from Wednesday 21 October, so Sunday's new clock time matches the old rhythm. Young babies without a set routine can usually do nothing, and newborns should keep feeding when hungry whatever the clock says. Expect a week or two of slightly early mornings at worst.
What actually happens to baby sleep when the clocks go back
Nothing changes for your baby except the numbers on the clock. Their sleep is driven by body clock and daylight, not by what the oven says. So the day after the change, everything arrives an hour "early": the 7am riser is awake at 6am, the 1pm nap is due at noon, and 7pm bedtime feels like 6pm to a baby who isn't tired yet.
The reverse worry is the one that catches parents out. If you put a baby to bed at their usual clock time on Sunday, they go down an hour later than their body expects, which can mean an overtired bedtime on one side and a 6am start on the other. That is why a small shift beforehand helps, or at least why it is worth knowing what you are choosing.
The good news: it is a one-hour change, spread over a few days it is small, and most babies settle within a week or so.
Should you adjust your baby's sleep before the clocks change?
You don't have to. These are the three approaches, with who each suits.
| Approach | What you do | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Gradual shift | From Wednesday 21 October, move wake-up, naps and bedtime 10 to 15 minutes later each day. By Saturday you are an hour later on the old clock, which is the right time on the new one. | Babies and toddlers on a fairly fixed routine, and parents who would rather prevent a 6am start than cope with one. |
| Split the difference | Shift 30 minutes later over a day or two before, then let the second half of the hour come naturally in the days after. | Babies who struggle with several small changes, or a week where you simply run out of time. |
| Do nothing | Change the clocks on Saturday night, then follow your baby's tired and hunger cues from Sunday and let them drift to the new times over a week or so. | Young babies without a fixed routine, and anyone who prefers to wait and see. |
Doing nothing is a real option, not a failure to plan. Young babies often have no fixed routine yet, so there is little rhythm to disturb. Our wake windows by age chart shows how much that changes as babies grow.
A day-by-day plan for the week before
This example assumes a baby who normally wakes at 7am, naps at 9:30am and 1:30pm, and goes to bed at 7pm. Swap in your own times and keep the same 15-minute steps. Until Sunday, all times are on the old clock.
| Day | Wake | Nap 1 | Nap 2 | Bedtime |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 21 Oct | 7:15am | 9:45am | 1:45pm | 7:15pm |
| Thu 22 Oct | 7:30am | 10:00am | 2:00pm | 7:30pm |
| Fri 23 Oct | 7:45am | 10:15am | 2:15pm | 7:45pm |
| Sat 24 Oct | 8:00am | 10:30am | 2:30pm | 8:00pm |
| Sun 25 Oct (new clock) | 7:00am | 9:30am | 1:30pm | 7:00pm |
Notice what Sunday does: Saturday's 8pm bedtime is 7pm on the new clock, so when the clock goes back overnight, your baby's day lands back on the times they already know. If you only have a couple of days, do the same steps in 20 or 30 minute jumps. If your baby won't stretch to a later nap, shorten the wait by a little and cap the day at the next bedtime rather than forcing the full step.
Don't let an overtired baby be the price of a tidy table. If a step is going badly, hold at that time for a day. Our nap schedule by age guide has typical ranges if you want to check your times are sensible for their age.
Light, darkness and the bedroom
Light is the strongest signal your baby's body clock gets, so use it on purpose.
- Morning: open the curtains and get outdoors or near a bright window soon after waking. Daylight helps the body clock move to the new time.
- Early mornings: when it is lighter earlier, a dark room helps. Blackout blinds or thick curtains stop first light waking a baby who has slept enough. Check there are no gaps at the edges.
- Evening: after the change it gets dark earlier. Dim the lights for the bedtime routine so the dusk you can see matches the bedtime you are aiming for.
The room itself matters too, because autumn often means heating going on. The Lullaby Trust advises keeping the room temperature between 16 and 20°C, and a room thermometer is the easiest way to check. A baby should sleep on their back in a clear cot, and for the first six months in the same room as you, day and night. Keep the cot clear: no extra bedding or soft items to make the room warmer.
Feeds and naps move with the shift
If you are shifting gradually, naps and bedtime move with the plan above and daytime feeds follow along. For babies on solids, meals slide by the same 15 minutes as the naps, and milk feeds around them.
Newborns and breastfed babies are different. The NHS says you don't need a feeding schedule: feed your baby when they show signs they are hungry, and for breastfeeding it is fine to feed whenever they are hungry. So don't stretch a newborn's feeds to fit a new clock time. Let the clock catch up with them, not the other way round. Our newborn feeding guide covers what is typical in the early weeks.
If your baby is waking at night to feed, that carries on as normal. A night feed an hour "earlier" on the clock is just a night feed.
Clocks going back with a toddler
Toddlers usually have a firmer routine than babies, so the 6am start is more noticeable, and they are more able to argue about it.
- Use a wake-up clock. A clock that changes colour or shows a picture when it is time to get up gives them something other than "mum says" to go by. Set it to the new time, and move it later gradually if you want.
- Explain it simply. "It's still sleeping time. When the clock is green, it's morning" works better than a long explanation of daylight. Read a book in bed or keep a quiet toy in the cot until the clock changes.
- Keep the first hour boring. If you make early morning fun, the early morning becomes the goal.
Our toddler sleep guide goes into regressions and dropping naps, and the bedtime routine by age guide has routines that hold up through a clock change.
What if it goes wrong: early waking after the clocks change
Early waking after the clocks go back is common and usually temporary. Most babies move to the new time within a week or so; a stubborn few take two. These are the things worth checking:
- Is the room dark enough? Light at 6am can wake a baby who would otherwise sleep on.
- Is bedtime too early? If bedtime has stayed at the old body-clock time (6pm on the new clock), the morning will stay at 6am too. Move bedtime later by 10 to 15 minutes every day or two until you're back at the time you want.
- Are naps drifting? A late or very short nap can push bedtime around.
- Are you responding too quickly? A baby who wakes at 5:45am and grumbles may well go back to sleep if left for a few minutes (unless they are hungry or distressed, in which case go to them).
If your baby is awake and happy after a full night, getting them up is fine. A wide-awake baby kept in a cot can get anxious, and they will move to the new time more easily if mornings start with daylight.
How to tell it has settled: they are waking within about 15 minutes of their usual new-clock time on most days for a week, naps are back at their old length, and bedtime isn't a fight. If a month later it still isn't right, it probably isn't the clocks: check for teething, illness or a developmental change, and talk to your health visitor or GP if you are worried.
Track a few days before and after
The easiest way to see whether it has settled is to log sleep for a few days before the change and a week after, so you are comparing real times rather than memory. A tired parent's recollection of "it was 6am again" isn't reliable at 3am.
CubTrack's free sleep predictions follow the times you log, so after a few days of the new rhythm the suggested next nap moves with it. It is available on the App Store and Google Play. A notebook on the side does the same job if you prefer. We compare the options in our best baby sleep apps guide.
When do the clocks change in spring 2027?
In spring the clocks go forward one hour at 1am on the last Sunday in March, which is Sunday 28 March 2027 (gov.uk). Everything above works in reverse: move wake-up, naps and bedtime 10 to 15 minutes earlier in the days before, and expect evenings to feel light for longer. A baby who is hard to settle at the new bedtime will usually benefit from the same dark room and a bright, outdoor morning. Next autumn the clocks go back on Sunday 31 October 2027.
Related reading
- Wake Windows by Age: A UK Parent's Chart for 0-24 Months
- Baby Nap Schedule by Age: A UK Guide & Chart
- Baby Bedtime Routine by Age: A UK Guide
- Toddler Sleep UK: Regressions, Dropping Naps & a Bedtime That Works
- Newborn Feeding Schedule Week by Week
Frequently asked questions
When do the clocks go back in 2026?
At 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026, clocks in the UK go back to 1am. That gives everyone an extra hour in bed, unless you have a baby. Most phones and smart devices change themselves; check the cooker and car.
How long does it take a baby to adjust to the clocks going back?
Most babies settle within about a week, and some take two. Gradual shifting beforehand can shorten that. If early waking lasts longer than a few weeks, look at light in the room, bedtime and naps before blaming the clock change.
Should I change my baby's bedtime when the clocks go back?
If you have a fixed routine, it helps to move bedtime later by 10 to 15 minutes a day beforehand, so that bedtime on the new clock is the usual time. If your baby doesn't have a set bedtime, you can simply go by their tired signs after the change.
What should I do with a newborn when the clocks change?
Nothing special. Feed when they show signs of hunger and sleep when they are tired. The NHS says you don't need a feeding schedule for a newborn, so there is no clock-based routine to shift.
My baby wakes at 6am after the clocks go back. What now?
Make the room darker, check bedtime isn't too early, and keep the first part of the morning calm and dim for a few days. If they're happy and awake, get them up and head for daylight. Most babies move to the new time within a week or two.
Do the clocks changing affect toddlers more than babies?
Often yes, because they have a firmer routine and notice the early start. A wake-up clock and blackout blinds do most of the work, together with a bit of patience for a week or two.
Clock change dates checked on gov.uk in October 2026. Safer sleep and feeding information checked against The Lullaby Trust and the NHS in October 2026. This is general information, not medical advice; speak to your health visitor or GP about your baby. CubTrack is made by OakFox Limited.
