How To Help Little Ones Adjust

Baby & Toddler / 20 October, 2026 / Christina Walter

When the clocks go back on Sunday 25 October, most of us look forward to an extra hour in bed. Anyone with a toddler or preschooler knows how that usually goes. Little bodies don’t read calendars, so while the clock says 5 am, your child’s body clock says 6 am, and it’s time to start the day.

The good news is that a little preparation goes a long way. We teamed up with parenting and sleep expert Heidi Skudder to share three simple ways to ease the whole family through the change.

Don’t panic and overhaul everything

Most children adjust to the clock change naturally, so there’s no need to change too much. If your child is generally a good sleeper and fairly adaptable, keep bedtime and morning routines consistent and give their body clock a few days to catch up.

For sensitive sleepers, make small changes beforehand

If you know your child is an early riser, or really notices changes to their routine, start preparing a few days ahead. Rather than expecting their body clock to shift by a whole hour overnight, gradually move bedtime, meals and your usual evening routine 10 to 15 minutes later each day. This approach works especially well for babies and toddlers.

Use light and familiar cues to help reset their body clock

Light is one of the strongest cues for our circadian rhythm. Once the clocks have changed, get plenty of natural daylight after your child’s desired wake time, and keep things darker and quieter before then. In the evening, familiar cues such as dinner, quieter play and bath time can all signal that the pace of the day is beginning to wind down. So can slower-paced screen content like CBeebies BeddyByes, if you’re using screens.

Why transitions matter more than the clock

The clock change is really a transition, and transitions are something young children find hard. Moving from play to dinner, from dinner to bath, from bath to bed asks them to let go of one thing and trust that the next will be okay. When the whole day shifts by an hour, that sense of “what happens next” can feel wobbly.

That’s where predictable routine helps. Children feel secure when they know what’s coming, and that security supports emotional regulation, which helps them feel ready to rest. It’s the thinking behind BeddyByes, the animated series that helps toddlers and preschoolers wind down for nap time or bedtime.

How BeddyByes works with the routine

BeddyByes was created by JAM Media co-founders John Rice and Alan Shannon, who both struggled with their kids’ bedtime during lockdown. They found that much of the on-demand content available was bright and high-energy, so they set out to make something calmer for their own children and for others.

Every episode follows the same familiar journey: Playtime, Mealtime, Bathtime, Bedtime. Lovable characters MeMo and BaBa guide children through, while the music slows, the pace softens and the visuals gradually dim. The show never tells children to go to sleep. Instead, recurring audio and visual cues gently walk them through the shape of the day, mirroring the routine they know at home, so they feel safe, settled and ready to rest. Internationally recognised child development expert and education specialist, Dr Jacqueline Harding was involved from the early stages of development to help shape the series around the needs of young children and their parents.

For parents, it’s a trusted, on-demand option for the trickiest parts of the day, whether that’s a midday reset or the end of a busy one. In the week the clocks change, a familiar, comforting routine is exactly what many children need.

Want more? Listen to Heidi at Home

Heidi goes deeper on all of this in her BeddyByes podcast mini-series, Heidi at Home. Episode 4, “The Clocks are changing. Now what?”, picks up where these tips leave off. The series also covers the wider challenges of family routines, including:

Back to school, back to routine: why children can fall apart after school
Connection as the missing piece at bedtime, including what to do about bedtime stalling
When night-times feel scary: fears, nightmares and night terrors

It’s a practical, reassuring listen for parents who want clear guidance without the overwhelm. Listen on Apple podcasts, Spotify.

New this autumn

Little ones who love MeMo and BaBa can now cuddle up with them off-screen. The BeddyByes talking plush are coming soon, and the board book lands on 22 October, just in time for the clock change. Available from The Entertainer, Amazon, Argos and Waterstones (book only).

The BeddyByes Talking Plush