Six sleep tips for when the clocks go back

Although the clocks on our phones do us a favour and change to the new time, it can take our body clocks a little longer to catch up and sometimes throw our routine allllll out of whack. So here’s six handy tips for helping your kiddos sleep when the clocks go back.

Ease them in sloooooowly

A week before the clock changes, try putting your sleepyhead to bed 10 minutes later each night. By the time the clock hits rewind, your little one will have altered their sleeping pattern and *fingers crossed* stay in bed until the correct wake-up time. You may find your kiddo is a bit out of sorts but try not to worry - they’ll soon get into the swing of the new season’s time zone.

A tonie-tastic tip is that if your tiny tot is still napping, try adjusting these in the same way, along with their meal and milk times too.

Tire them out

A worn out kiddo is the perfect ingredient for a smooth bedtime routine. From Monday morning moving to Friday family dance-offs, physical play for 20 to 30 minutes three or four times a week has been proven to encourage sleep. Assign Hip-Hoppin songs to their Creative-Tonie and watch as your dinky dancers shake a leg to a rapping remix of their favourite nursery rhymes. 

Steer clear of screens 

The blue light from TVs, tablets and phones actually delays sleepiness. As tempting as it is, that screen is not your friend before bedtime! We’ve got tons of movie magic Tonies with none of the screen time from Marvel and Disney.

Keep calm and carry on

At tonies® we’re great believers in trying relaxation techniques, even for the smallest of kids. Give it a try with Moshi Calming SeaStar over on the mytonies app. This exercise encourages little listeners to imagine their fingers are points on a Moshling SeaStar, while slowly breathing in and out. Let them pop their Creative-Tonie on half an hour before sleepytime and wait for the ahhh and relax. Did you know that 91% of our tonies® families have found winding down easier since they got a Toniebox?

Stick to the routine 

Simply put, children love routine. Even as you shift the timings, staying consistent with your normal pre-bedtime activities - bath, listening to their Tonies, bottle, is really helpful.

Black it out  

If they aren’t already, black out blinds will soon become your bestie. Even though the clock change may work in your favour with the darker evenings, the mornings will be brighter. Did you know that children are actually more sensitive to light than grown ups? It’s true! 

If your not-so-sleepy snoozer isn’t a fan of the pitch black, try our Sleepy Sheep Night Light. Its warm glow and enchanting melodies helps to soothe little ones to sleep and comfort them during the night. You can also set it to turn off after 30 minutes so once they’ve fallen asleep, they won’t be disturbed from their dreams or by you tip-toeing in to turn it off. 

Kiddies and changing clocks can be a tricky mix, but however you decide to ease into it, your Toniebox can really help small snoozers. And rest assured that sleep experts do say children eventually get used to the new hour when their natural body clock kicks in. Until then, pop the kettle on and grab an extra caffeinated coffee!