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Your Sleep Support Baby & children's Sleep Consultant helping families with sleep from newborn, toddler to school age.

An extra hour in bed? Your child’s body clock hasn’t had the memo.It’s Saturday night before the clocks go back. You’re ...
19/10/2026

An extra hour in bed? Your child’s body clock hasn’t had the memo.

It’s Saturday night before the clocks go back. You’re doing bedtime at the normal time, already picturing 5am on the clock instead of 6am. The clock changes overnight, but their internal rhythm doesn’t instantly follow.

Here’s what I want you to remember: an earlier clock-time wake-up doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve slept less. Keep bedtime familiar rather than pushing it much later in the hope of a lie-in. A later bedtime doesn’t guarantee a later wake-up.

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A 9-month-old, four days, and the clocks going back.I’m preparing a family with a 9 month old for the clock change with ...
18/10/2026

A 9-month-old, four days, and the clocks going back.

I’m preparing a family with a 9 month old for the clock change with one aim: no early wakes. That’s the goal, not a guarantee. Babies don’t automatically adjust because we’ve changed the clock.

Because we started early, we went for a gradual approach so the plan is to move naps and bedtime about 15 minutes later each day over the four days beforehand. Everything gets moved: feeds, bath time, play time, naps, bedtime.

This is just one approach but my free guide has 2 others so you can choose which one is right for you. Even the do nothing beforehand option.

Follow your baby’s tired cues and ease off if they’re struggling, rather than pushing through overtiredness. Keep the bedtime routine familiar. The takeaway: a gentle transition can help, but some babies need longer to adjust.

Comment AUTUMN for the free guide

Clocks going back doesn't mean bedtime needs to go backwards too.On Sunday 25 October, UK clocks go back an hour. A chil...
18/10/2026

Clocks going back doesn't mean bedtime needs to go backwards too.

On Sunday 25 October, UK clocks go back an hour. A child who usually wakes at 6am may initially wake at 5am by the new clock. An earlier bedtime isn't the preparation I'd suggest for that shift.

If you're preparing, I'd focus on moving the daily routine slightly later in small steps, including meals, naps and bedtime where appropriate. Follow your child's tiredness cues rather than forcing them to stay awake. Not every child needs an advance adjustment, and settling into the new time can take a little patience.

Save this before the clocks change.

It’s 5am, your toddler’s wide awake, and the clocks haven’t even changed yet.If you’re dreading the clocks going back, t...
17/10/2026

It’s 5am, your toddler’s wide awake, and the clocks haven’t even changed yet.

If you’re dreading the clocks going back, that’s understandable. An already early wake-up can look even earlier on the clock. But keeping your toddler up much later isn’t a reliable fix and can leave them short of sleep.

I’d start by looking at the whole day: naps, bedtime and total sleep, rather than changing bedtime alone. Keep those early mornings dim and calm where possible. If you adjust their routine ahead of the clock change, make changes gradually.

Comment AUTUMN for the free guide

The clocks going back needn't ruin sleep. How you prepare matters.An extra hour on the clock does not automatically mean...
17/10/2026

The clocks going back needn't ruin sleep. How you prepare matters.

An extra hour on the clock does not automatically mean an extra hour asleep. Your child's body clock may still signal that it is time to wake, even when the clock says otherwise.

My focus is on preparation, not a perfect night. In the days beforehand, consider moving bedtime and the surrounding routine a little later, gradually. Keep familiar bedtime cues and allow time to adjust afterwards. Some disruption can still happen, and it does not mean you have done anything wrong.

Save this to help you prepare before the clocks go back.

You finally get your baby to sleep.You creep downstairs.You make a cup of tea.Maybe you even sit down.And then…They're a...
16/10/2026

You finally get your baby to sleep.

You creep downstairs.

You make a cup of tea.

Maybe you even sit down.

And then…

They're awake.

Again.

It can feel particularly cruel when you've spent the entire evening waiting for that tiny bit of time to yourself.

When parents tell me their baby regularly wakes around 30–60 minutes after bedtime, I don't immediately assume they need to “learn to connect sleep cycles”.

I start gathering clues.

What did daytime sleep look like?

When did the last nap finish?

How long were they awake before bed?

How easily did they initially fall asleep?

What happens when they wake?

Is this happening every night or has it suddenly started?

Because that first wake can sometimes tell us something useful about the balance of their day.

And this is where endlessly changing wake windows based on a chart can become frustrating.

You're changing numbers without necessarily knowing which problem you're trying to solve.

One of the principles behind my CALM Framework is looking at the pattern FIRST.

Not changing five things.

Not assuming the worst.

Not comparing your baby with somebody else's.

Gather the clues. Look for the pattern. Then decide what — if anything — actually needs changing.

Because the goal isn't a “perfect” schedule.

It's a child whose sleep works for them AND a family who isn't spending every evening trying to solve it.

You’ve done bath.Pyjamas.Teeth.Stories.Cuddles.You’ve said goodnight approximately 14 times.And then your child asks for...
14/10/2026

You’ve done bath.

Pyjamas.

Teeth.

Stories.

Cuddles.

You’ve said goodnight approximately 14 times.

And then your child asks for one more drink.

So you get the drink.

Then they need the toilet.

Then they need another cuddle.

Then they’ve suddenly remembered they absolutely MUST tell you what happened at nursery three Tuesdays ago.

And because you’re trying to keep bedtime calm, you keep responding.

This is where loving, responsive parenting can accidentally turn into a bedtime that has no clear ending.

And I want to be really clear about something:

Having boundaries at bedtime does NOT mean ignoring your child.

You can be warm, responsive and reassuring while also making bedtime predictable.

In fact, for some children, knowing exactly what happens next — and knowing that the answer isn’t going to change depending on how many times they ask — can make bedtime feel much safer and calmer.

The important bit is working out whether you’re dealing with a boundary issue in the first place.

Because if your child genuinely isn’t ready to sleep, holding a firmer boundary isn't going to magically create sleep pressure.

And if they're anxious or suddenly needing more reassurance, treating everything as “bedtime stalling” can miss what they're trying to communicate.

This is why I’m far more interested in understanding WHY bedtime is difficult than giving parents a list of rules to follow.

The same behaviour can have completely different causes.

Save this if bedtime has somehow become the longest part of your day.

“They're fighting sleep.”It's one of those phrases we use all the time.But I want you to get curious about what the “fig...
12/10/2026

“They're fighting sleep.”

It's one of those phrases we use all the time.

But I want you to get curious about what the “fight” is actually telling you.

Because children don't suddenly decide that sleep is their mortal enemy just to ruin your evening.

A child resisting bedtime might not have enough sleep pressure yet. They might have had more daytime sleep than usual. They might be going through a developmental change. They might be struggling with separation. They might suddenly be much more aware that bedtime means the fun stops and you leave. They might be uncomfortable. They might need clearer, more predictable boundaries. Or they might simply need a different amount of sleep than they did a few months ago.

The behaviour might look the same from the outside — getting out of bed, calling for you, crying, chatting, rolling around or refusing to lie down.

But the reason behind it can be completely different.

And that's important.

Because if we only focus on stopping the behaviour, we can miss the information the behaviour is giving us.

Instead of asking: “How do I make them stop fighting bedtime?”

Try asking: “What might have changed that has made bedtime harder?”

That's where I would start.

Follow for more children’s sleep support that starts with understanding what’s happening rather than assuming every child needs the same fix.

When we talk about children's sleep, we often focus on how much sleep the child is getting.But what about the parent who...
11/10/2026

When we talk about children's sleep, we often focus on how much sleep the child is getting.

But what about the parent who's been awake five times overnight?

The mum who's struggling to concentrate at work?

The dad who's finding himself more irritable than usual?

Or the parents who are so exhausted that even small things feel overwhelming?

Sleep deprivation can affect our mood, emotional regulation and ability to cope with everyday challenges.

And whilst disrupted sleep is a normal part of parenting, that doesn't mean parents have to struggle indefinitely.

Supporting children's sleep isn't just about getting them to sleep longer.

It's about supporting the wellbeing of the whole family. 💙

This World Mental Health Day, let's remember that parents' mental health matters too.

Nap refusal does NOT automatically mean your toddler is ready to stop napping.And this is where things can get confusing...
09/10/2026

Nap refusal does NOT automatically mean your toddler is ready to stop napping.

And this is where things can get confusing.

Because toddlers can refuse naps spectacularly. They can spend an hour singing in their cot. They can bounce around their bedroom. They can appear to have enough energy to run a small marathon.

And you think: “That's it. The nap is over.”

Then 4:30pm arrives and your delightful little person is crying because their banana broke in half.

Before dropping the nap completely, look for a PATTERN rather than reacting to a few difficult days.

Are they consistently refusing the nap? When they DO nap, does bedtime suddenly become very late? Can they comfortably get through the afternoon without falling apart? What happens to their night sleep on no-nap days? And how are they coping overall?

Nap transitions are rarely beautifully neat.

There can be an awkward period where a full nap is too much but absolutely no nap feels impossible.

That might mean adjusting when the nap happens, shortening it, introducing occasional no-nap days or bringing bedtime forward on days when they haven't slept.

You don't need to decide on Tuesday that naps are officially cancelled forever.

Watch your child. Experiment. Look at what happens over several days rather than one difficult afternoon.

The transition itself is often exactly that: a transition.

Save this one if you’re currently stuck in nap limbo.

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