Helping Your Toddler Sleep During the Fall Time Change

I’m sorry to break it to you, parents, but Daylight Savings Time is almost at an end. On Sunday November 1st 2026, the clocks will “fall back” and it’ll start getting dark much earlier. 

This is the time change every parent dreads.

It can be tough for everyone, but especially for kids, because we get an extra hour shoved into our days that kids can struggle to adjust to. Kids’ bodies are sensitive and absorbing that extra hour can throw off the schedule of even the best sleeper. 

Let me teach you a step-by-step method to survive the time change with everyone’s sleep intact.

>>Watch this blog on my Awesome Little Sleepers YouTube channel! 👇

Going from toddler sleep challenges to sleeping with ease

The best thing you can do to survive the time change is make sure your child has great sleep habits all year long. 

Kids who are great sleepers can actually be more flexible. They can handle sleep disruptions more easily, like skipping a nap, staying up late, and getting through seasonal time changes. 

When I say they should have “great sleep habits”, I mean that kids sleep 10-12 hours through the night without waking up. 

If you need help figuring out how to make that your reality, you should reserve your spot during my next free toddler sleep masterclass.

But even if you don’t have a perfect sleeper quite yet, you can still get through the time change by planning ahead and using my gradual adjustment strategy.

My gradual adjustment strategy for optimal toddler sleep

By gradually adjusting your child’s internal clock in the days leading up to the time change, it helps them absorb the extra hour we get so it’s less of a shock to their system.

Think about it this way: if your child normally goes to bed at 7pm, after the time changes, 7pm on Sunday is the same as 8pm was on Saturday. 

So, if you do nothing but use the clock and stick to the same bedtime, it’s like putting your kid to bed an hour later. Some people do this and just push through. But if you’ve tried putting your kid to bed an hour later than normal, you know that doesn’t always go well! Your kid will be struggling to stay awake through dinner and then won’t be able to fall asleep at bedtime. 

To prevent this, what you can do in the days leading up to the time change is gradually move your child’s bedtime LATER towards 8pm so that the extra hour doesn’t completely hijack their (and your) day. 

And yes, this gradual adjustment strategy applies to both nap and bedtime. 

My first strategy is for kids under 3 years old, and the second is for kids over 3. If you’re a visual learner like I am, you can download my free visual guide. 

Sleep strategy one: for kids under 3

If your child is under 3 or has sensitive sleep needs – meaning they are a real creature of habit and thrive with their specific bedtime – then I want you to start this process on the Wednesday before the time changes. 

On Wednesday, move bedtime 15 minutes later. So, if normal bedtime is 7pm, move it to 7:15pm. On Thursday, move it another 15 min later to 7:30pm. On Friday, move it to 7:45pm. And on Saturday, move it to 8pm.

Once Sunday hits and the time has changed, you simply go back to your normal 7pm bedtime – which is, in effect, the same time as 8pm was on Saturday. 

Because you spent the last few days gradually moving bedtime to 8pm BEFORE Sunday, your child should easily be able to go back to their normal bedtime without getting overtired. 

Sleep strategy two: for kids over 3

If your child is over 3 years old and already a pretty great sleeper, they may be able to handle some bigger jumps in time. Or, if you’ve waited to get started, you can start here. 

Start the adjustment on the Friday before the time changes and move bedtime by 30 minutes. If bedtime is 7pm, then on Friday, move it to 7:30pm. On Saturday, move it to 8pm. Then on Sunday, go back to 7 pm – which again will feel in your child’s body like 8pm the prior night. 

Things to keep in mind during the seasonal transition

If this whole time change concept makes your head spin, it may be easier to look at this visually, so I created a free download to show you exactly how to adjust your child’s schedule in the days leading up to the time change on November 3rd.

Remember that it will still be light earlier in the mornings for a few weeks, so make sure to keep those blackout curtains up! 

The fall time change and the early dark evenings feel a little weird to all of us – even those of us who are great sleepers. So, once the time changes, stick with the new time on the clock for bedtime and nap time. And remember that it’s normal for it to take a few days for everyone’s circadian rhythms to adjust. 

For more help, watch this video!