Help! The winter time is coming! How to keep your child's rhythm on track

Winter time and your child's sleep rhythm

As October approaches and the clocks go back, adults celebrate the extra hour of sleep. But for young children, the transition is very different. Their biological rhythm does not adjust as easily, creating challenges for the morning routine.

The challenge

Children who normally wake up at 7:30 am will, after the time change, wake up at 6:30 am according to the new time. This adjustment can take days or even weeks. The problem is not that children want to wake up earlier – but their circadian rhythm, which is still developing, responds strongly to signals of daylight and darkness, not to clocks.

"A child's internal clock works strongly on natural signals such as daylight, activity, and sleep routines."

Approach 1: proactive (3 days before the change)

• Put your child to bed 15 minutes later each evening

• Also shift morning activities 15 minutes later

• This makes the transition gradual and less abrupt

Approach 2: reactive (after the time change)

• Shift bedtime by 15 minutes per day for the first few days

• Sunday: sleep at 6:15 pm (new time)

• Monday to Wednesday: gradual adjustments

• Also adjust naps for babies

Extra tips

• Hang blackout curtains for darker mornings

• Ensure more outdoor exposure during the day

• Maintain familiar sleep rituals

• Be patient during the adjustment

With some preparation and patience, you will get through the time change without too much sleep loss. Good luck!