How do I adjust my child's sleep for daylight savings?

Shift bedtime, nap times, and mealtimes earlier by 15 minutes per day over four days so your child eases into the new time. You can go more gradually at 10 minutes over six days, or cold turkey, though that's more disruptive for less adaptable children.

How do I keep the room dark with lighter evenings?

Make sure the bedroom is dark enough using foil, garbage bags, or black-out blinds, since lighter evenings can make it harder for some children to fall asleep. White noise also helps detract from household or outside noise during the transition.

Should I avoid other changes during daylight savings?

Yes. Avoid stacking other transitions over this time, such as moving into a big kid bed, toilet training, or night weaning. Keeping your regular day and night routine steady gives your child the security and predictability they need to adjust smoothly.

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Transitioning from AEST to AEDT - Daylight savings, Australia 2020

Sophie Acott

Certified sleep consultant · Author of Sleep Play Love · 13 years

Published September 27, 2025 · Updated July 17, 2026

The short answer

Daylight savings doesn't have to derail sleep. My favorite approach is to shift bedtime, nap times, and mealtimes earlier by 15 minutes each day over four days, so your little one eases into the new time. Keep the room dark, use white noise for lighter evenings, hold your usual routine, and avoid other big transitions during this week.

here with you

It’ s almost that time of year… the clocks move forward, the days get longer, warmer and lighter…. And our children’s routines seem to go out the window. Well, they don’t have to!

Here are a few pointers for preparing for the daylight savings transition:

General Tips:

Maintain your regular day and night routine if possible.
Ensure your child’s bedroom is dark enough – You can use foil, garbage bags, or black-out blinds. Although the mornings will be darker, the evenings will be lighter (making it more difficult for some children to get to sleep).
Use white noise to detract from any household or outside noises.
Avoid any other transitions over this time (moving into a big kid bed, toilet training, or night weaning).
My recommendation is to move bedtime, nap times, and meal times earlier by 15 minutes per day, over four days. You also have the option of doing this more gradually (i.e. 10 mins earlier per day over 6 days), or cold turkey; however, this can be more disruptive for children and babies who are less adaptable. Below is a step by step guide to transitioning your child into the new AEDT – Sunday, October 4, 2020

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Date	Transition Steps	Current Time (Australian Eastern Standard Time)	New Time (Australian Eastern Daylight Time)
Wednesday 30th September	Move your child’s bedtime earlier by 15 minutes	6:45pm	7:45pm
Thursday 1st October	Wake your child up 15 minutes earlier in morning. Move mealtimes and nap time/s earlier by 15 minutes Move bedtime earlier by 30 minutes	6:45am 6:30pm	7:45am 7:30pm
Friday 2nd October	Wake your child up 30 minutes earlier in morning Move mealtimes and nap time/s earlier by 30 minutes Move bedtime earlier by 45 minutes	6:30am 6:15pm	7:30am 7:15pm
Saturday 3rd October	Wake your child up 45 minutes earlier Move mealtimes and nap time/s earlier by 45 minutes Move bedtime earlier by one hour	6:15am 6:00pm	7:15am 7:00pm
Sunday 4th October	Regular waking time, meal times, nap time/s, and bedtime	6:00am (doesn’t apply)	7:00am

*The above transition assumes a 7:00am – 7:00pm schedule *For parents who have early risers (ie. 6:00am or earlier), you won’t have to wake your babies in the morning, however, you will continue to make adjustments to meal times, nap time/s and bedtimes as outlined above.

Sophie

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Before I could really answer this for you, I'd ask two things.

Tap one and I'll start your plan there. No judgment — there never is.

Transitioning from AEST to AEDT - Daylight savings, Australia 2020

This is the general answer.Your little one deserves a specific one.

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