Season change and baby sleep: making darker evenings work
The darker months are not something to get through. Darkness is one of the strongest sleep signals there is, so the season can work in your baby's favour.
As autumn arrives, the afternoons draw in, the clocks go back, and a lot of parents brace themselves for what that will do to their baby's sleep. Here is the reassuring part: you do not have to dread it. Darkness is one of the strongest sleep signals there is, so the darker months can actually work in your favour rather than against you. We asked three baby sleep experts how to handle the clocks going back on 25 October, how to use the darker evenings to your advantage, and how to keep a gentle rhythm, and protect your own wellbeing, through the season.
Why darker evenings can help
It is easy to see the early dark as the enemy of a good bedtime. In fact, it can be the opposite. Lauren Dean explains how the darker evenings can be used to your baby's advantage rather than fought against.
If you're dreading the shorter days, let this reassure you: the darker evenings can work in your favour when it comes to your baby's sleep. It's a perfect time to slow down, embrace the cosy moments and let the darkness do some of the hard work for you.
The science bit
Darkness is one of the strongest signals for sleep. As daylight fades, your baby's body naturally begins producing more melatonin, our sleep hormone that helps us feel sleepy and ready for bed. Paired with a calm, consistent bedtime routine, those cosy autumn evenings can make settling to sleep feel easier.
Here are a few ways to make the most of the darker evenings and support your baby's sleep:
Make the most of the morning sunlight
Morning daylight helps set your baby's internal body clock. Natural light helps their brain recognise that it's daytime, while darkness at night reinforces that it's time for sleep.
Invest in blackout blinds
Once the clocks go back at the end of October, mornings become lighter. Light signals to the brain that it's time to wake, so keeping your little one's bedroom dark can help reduce early wakes.
Think cosy connection time
Use the extra darkness as an opportunity to slow down and connect. Books, cuddles, puzzles or simply doing something together that they enjoy are lovely ways to reconnect after a busy day, before the bedtime routine starts. This connection helps them feel seen, safe and secure as they wind down for sleep.
So, if the shorter days are making you nervous, try to embrace them. The darkness can actually be a wonderful support for your baby's sleep, and yours too.
The darker evenings are not working against your baby's sleep. Darkness is one of the strongest sleep signals there is, so it is one of the things that supports it.
When the clocks go back
The clocks go back on Sunday 25 October, giving that familiar early-morning wake-up a nudge. Victoria Bryant, a qualified sleep coach, shares what to realistically expect and the gentle things that help in the days around it.
Spring forward. Fall back. The clocks are changing on the 25th October, it will start getting dark earlier and any early wakes will be even earlier (for a little while at least) keep reading if you'd like to find out my top tips to help you get ready for it.
Tip 1: Make sure your bedrooms are nice and dark. Recently the mornings have been darker for longer, but for a short amount of time after the clocks change it does get a bit lighter earlier again, so making sure your room is as dark as possible can help to stop the early morning light getting through.
Tip 2: Move bedtime, naps and mealtimes 15 minutes later each day from the Wednesday before so that a 7pm bedtime gradually becomes an 8pm bedtime on Saturday. On Sunday this will then be the new 7pm. If your little one has a good routine or you think they won't adapt too well to the time change then you can give this option a go.
My final tip or option is to do nothing. If you feel like your little one will adapt well then you can do nothing in advance and just go with the flow on the day. They will soon adjust to the time change. This works well for lots of babies and toddlers and whilst you may find they wake earlier for a while, it won't be long until they re-adjust.
There is no single right way to handle the clock change. Some families shift things gradually in the days before, others simply carry on as normal and let their baby adjust. Both work, and most babies settle within a week or two.
Finding a gentle rhythm through the season
Sleep is only part of the picture. The darker months ask something of parents too. Jess Thomas shares how to keep a gentle rhythm to the day, get outside in the daylight, and look after your own wellbeing as well as your baby's.
It's easy to dread the colder, darker months as the weather worsens and daylight hours decrease. Here are five simple ways to help keep your little one's (and your own) natural rhythms in check.
Aim for a consistent wake-up time
Getting your little one up at the same time each morning helps establish their circadian rhythm, supporting better sleep. Even a tiny newborn who is learning to differentiate between night and day will benefit from a consistent start time each day.
Open the curtains first thing
Natural light sends signals to the brain to produce serotonin, the mood-regulating hormone that also helps to control your circadian rhythm. Opening the curtains first thing, even if it's still dark, means you won't forget later, and you'll catch those first rays whenever they arrive!
Aim to get outside at least once a day
Even if it's cold or wet, a quick walk or some outdoor play will do wonders for you both. Serotonin-boosting sunlight will help to stabilise your mood and ease anxiety, while getting in some exercise, whether that's chasing your toddler or a brisk pram walk, will build healthy sleep pressure for later.
Incorporate a gentle bedtime routine
Babies and toddlers thrive on routine, and a gentle, predictable wind-down is a lovely way to connect with them before bed, while giving them the security of knowing what's next. Lean into 'cosy' during the winter months with a warm bath, dim lighting, cuddles and a story. If time allows, baby massage or skin-to-skin promotes extra calm before bed.
Put screens away an hour before bed
Blue light tricks the brain into thinking it's still daytime, blocking the conversion of serotonin into melatonin, the hormone your body needs for sleep. An hour screen-free before bed allows your body to wind-down naturally and helps promote deep, restorative sleep.
Opening the curtains the moment you get up is the easiest habit to keep through winter. Even when it is still dark, you will catch the light the moment it arrives.
Working with the season, not against it
You do not need to fight the darker months, and you do not need to fear them. A little patience around the clock change, some daylight when you can get it, and the calm, familiar dark your baby already associates with sleep will carry you through. At home, and for naps on the go, keeping those same dark, calm conditions is what SnoozeShade is designed to help with. If your baby's sleep feels off for more than a few weeks, or you are worried about them or about how you are coping, your health visitor and GP are there to help.
The darker months are not something to survive. With a little patience, they can be one of the easiest times of year for sleep.
Do the clocks going back affect baby sleep? ▼
They can, for a little while. When the clocks go back an hour, a baby who woke at 6am may suddenly wake at 5am until their body clock catches up. For most babies this settles within a week or two. It is a normal, temporary adjustment rather than a sign that anything has gone wrong.
How can I help my baby adjust to the clocks going back? ▼
There are two common approaches. Some parents shift bedtime, naps and mealtimes about 15 minutes later each day in the few days before, so the old bedtime gradually becomes the new one. Others simply carry on as normal and let their baby adjust in their own time. Both work, so go with what suits your family.
Do darker evenings help babies sleep? ▼
Darkness is one of the strongest sleep signals there is, so the darker evenings can genuinely work in your favour. Rather than fighting the early dark, many parents find it helps to lean into it, keeping the wind-down calm and dim. It is one of the reasons the darker months can be an easier time for sleep.
Will my baby wake up earlier when the clocks go back? ▼
They might, at first. Gaining an hour can shift an early riser even earlier for a few days. It usually settles as their body clock adjusts over the following week or two. Keeping the bedroom dark in the early mornings and the rest of the routine familiar helps them find their new rhythm.
