How to help your Kids Sleep when our Clocks Change

It’s that time of year again! In the UK, the clocks are set to ‘Spring’ forward by one hour on Sunday the 26th of March, at 1 am. As we welcome the lighter and brighter evenings ahead, you’ll sadly be saying farewell to another hour of sleep!

To avoid the morning slump the following day, and for all those that follow, it’s been suggested we head to bed an hour earlier! But how else can you make the clock changes easier on your youngsters? We’re here to offer a helping hand and create a healthy sleep schedule for the whole family.

We’ve got a few tips you can try, to get those bedtime routines in check this Spring! On the last Sunday of the month, you’ll be saying goodbye to restless nights and hello to sleeping soundly!

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1. Increase Sleep Confidence

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Kids Tipi Bed
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Lifetime Canoe Adventure 4 in 1 Combination Bed

When trying to encourage healthy sleep habits, it helps to first approach how your youngsters feel about bedtime. If they’ve been showing signs of reluctance, feeling anxious about sleeping alone or waking regularly during the night, there are a few things you can do to help! This can be done in a number of ways – including tiring them out during the day with physical activities, ensuring light and noise are kept to a minimum during the night, avoiding certain foods before bed and creating a dedicated time to wind down with music or reading.

It’s also worth considering updating their bed and sleep setup. If kids feel comfortable and safe in their room, they’ll start to feel more confident about heading to bed. The Kids Tipi Bed and the Lifetime Adventure 4 in 1 Combination Bed have been specially designed to increase sleep confidence. The low frames make getting in and out of bed easier, and nighttime tumbles are no more! Plus, the house and tipi designs make bedtime feel like an exciting prospect – kids will be distracted from any scary ideas and fall asleep quicker.

By selecting a kid’s bed with practical and playful features, they’ll look forward to jumping into bed and feeling safe and secure while they’re snoozing!

2. Swap Screens with Bedtime Reading

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Ava High Sleeper Bed with Desk and Wardrobe
Fraser-Wooden-Single-Bed-in-White-with-Shelf-and-Drawer
Fraser Single Storage Bookcase Bed with Trundle Drawer

Studies have shown that exposing kids to bright lights or artificial blue lighting before bed, can disrupt their biological clock and trick their brain and body into staying awake. Throw in clock changes and it’s a recipe for disaster! To help keep their bedtime routine in check, The National Sleep Foundation recommends being screen-free at least 30 minutes before bedtime. That means saying no to TV, gaming, scrolling and using any screen that emits harsh light. We’re all guilty of late-night screen time, but it can be particularly tricky for techy teens to stick to the half-an-hour rule!

If you’re encouraging your youngster to switch off before bed, reading might be the answer!

The Ava High Sleeper Bed with Desk and Wardrobe by Cuckooland helps keep their sleep space separate from their PC, laptop and devices. When it’s time to head up to bed – their tech can stay put on the full-width desk and shelves. Then when they’re cosied under the covers, they can flick through the bookcases surrounding their bed and relax with their favourite read. We guarantee, after a chapter or two, they’ll struggle to keep their eyes open!

Helping avoid distracting devices entirely – the Fraser Single Storage Bookcase Bed has been made for bedtime reading! With a bookshelf built into the headboard, style with an overhead lamp and tweens and teens can enjoy bedtime reading instead of binge-watching boxsets. Including an under-bed trundle storage drawer – there’s space for their library to grow!

3. Bedside Storage = Better Sleep!

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Vox Concept Bedside Cabinet in White & Yellow

We’re talking bedside tables! Hear us out with this one… handy bedroom storage, like a bedside table, could actually help your sleepyhead get the rest they need. By removing the need to get up during the night, kids can tend to themselves independently and get back to sleep faster!

Keeping their bedtime drink, nightlight, lamp, books and audio player within reach – kids will have all of their nighttime essentials in one place. If your youngster is prone to waking regularly during the night, or has a fear of the dark, filling a bedside table or storage cupboard like the Vox Concept Bedside Cabinet with their trusted must-haves, will be a huge help – especially during the clock changes. They’ll be less inclined to wake you when they have the tools they need to comfort themselves! Win, win!

Designed with a soft-close door, in a choice of colours; if they need something during the night, they won’t make too much noise while they’re rummaging!

4. Clear the Clutter

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Lars Low Cabin Bed

Studies suggest that sleeping in a clutter-free bedroom could help improve sleep quality, for kids, tweens, teens (and us adults)! If you find that your kiddies struggle with the clock changes, then it might be worth having a bedroom de-clutter!

Once you’ve blitzed their bedrooms of unnecessary mess, the Lars Low Cabin Bed is the perfect place for their ‘keep’ pile! Helping get bedrooms organised – hide everything away inside the Lars Low Cabin Bed and surfaces and sides will (hopefully) stay tidy. Featuring sectional storage, this space-saving kids’ bed makes better use of their floor space. Styled in white and soft grey with recessed handles; decorate the rest of their bedroom with calming tones, decor and bedding to create a relaxing and restful space dedicated to sleep!

5. Rid Bedrooms of Distractions

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Cool Kids Hut Day Bed
4You-Single-4-Poster
Vox 4 You 4 Poster Single Bed with Adjustable Height Levels

Kids’ bedrooms can be distracting. For kids – it’s where their toys live, for tweens and teens – it’s where their tech lives – so we can’t really blame them! But by sharing their sleep space with all of these tempting diversions, kids can find it very difficult to get to sleep.

If you’re blessed with spare space, creating a playroom might be the answer! The separation between play and sleep is made clear, and avoids confusion. Or you could always choose a bed that promotes sleep.

Made from responsibly sourced beech wood, the Cool Kids Hut Cabin Bed creates a separation between play and sleep and day and night. With endless options, the frame can be customised to suit your needs. Add the storage drawers and they give kids easy access to their toys and games during the day. Then when it’s time for bed, tidy everything away below and their favourites will be hidden out of view. The house bed with optional cotton canopy and handy storage pocket encourages winding down with bedtime books and teddy bears. Their cabin bed will be a play den during the day and a cosy retreat during the night! Through clever use of storage and accessories, your kids will better understand their bedtime routine!

For teens – the Vox 4 You 4 Poster Single Bed will save their sleep this March 26th! The simple Scandinavian-inspired design becomes a distraction-free zone. Paired with lightweight bedding, gentle lighting, a fabric canopy and the optional storage drawer – teens will have a relaxing place to retreat to after studying and socialising all day. They’ll have a quiet place to shut off, recharge and rest without being ‘bothered’!

6. Mattresses Might Need Updating

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Panda London Bamboo Memory Foam Mattress Topper
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1000 Pocket Sprung Orthopaedic Mattress 90 x 190cm

Mattresses are one of the main reasons for poor sleep habits. To avoid ‘junk’ sleep and potential health problems, the Sleep Foundation advises mattresses should be replaced every six to eight years! If your youngster has grown up with the same mattress or even had a hand-me-down from a sibling, it might be time to swap it out for a newer model! Look for telltale signs of showing springs, bumps, sagging and squeaking and you’ll know it’s time.

Available in a UK single and EU single sizes – the 1000 Pocket Sprung Orthopaedic Mattress will get your kiddie’s sleep schedule back on track! Made up of individual springs, encased in their own fabric ‘pocket’, the mattress supports their body and pressure points as they move during the night. Fully turnable, hypoallergenic and with orthopaedic firmness, there’s a chance you’ll get mattress envy yourself…

If they’re not quite due a mattress update, the Panda London Bamboo Memory Foam Mattress Topper will add an extra layer of comfort. Made from naturally antibacterial and hypoallergenic Hyrdo-foam – a memory foam infused with gel capsules to keep kids at the perfect temperature – the Panda London topper offers a deeper and more restorative sleep. As well as extending the life of their current mattress, kids will enjoy a better night’s sleep and wake feeling ready for the day! On March the 26th… they might not even notice they’ve been robbed of an hour of sleep!

7. Breathable Bedding

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Snurk Single ZZZ... Duvet Bedding Set
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Panda London The Cloud Bamboo Duvet

While we’re on the subject of mattresses – look at updating their bedding while you’re there! Another cause for disturbed sleep is not resting at the right temperature. Whether they’re too hot or too cold this season, kids being uncomfortable can lead to interrupted sleep. Hot water bottles and electric blankets can help, but start with their bedding!

Panda London have you covered here too – excuse the pun! Made with kids in mind, the Bamboo Mattress Protector and The Cloud Duvet are a must. Made from natural materials with anti-bacterial properties, high thread counts and machine washable – kids will feel fresh while they’re getting their forty winks. Choose from a range of sizes and you can upgrade your bedding situation too!

Made from 100% natural cotton, the Snurk bedding sets will have kids sleeping soundly. Designed to be breathable and moisture-wicking and naturally, temperature-regulating, Snurk guarantees your kiddies will be counting sheep! From dinosaurs to sausage dogs, there’s a breathable Snurk bedding set for your sleepyhead.

8. Lulled to Sleep with Cosy Lighting

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Cotton Ball Lights Dirty Rose LED String Lights

With the clock changes, it brings darker mornings and brighter evenings. With the sun setting an hour later, it can all feel a bit confusing for the first few days/weeks, while our bodies and brains desperately attempt to catch up. A great way to gently ease into the changes is with soft, decorative lighting!

Helping kids adjust, the Cotton Ball Lights signal bedtime! During the day the gorgeous, handmade string lights can be hung around bed frames, nightstands, curtains and window frames as a decorative addition. Then, when it’s time to start winding down and getting ready for bed, pop the USB-powered lights on and give their bedroom an inviting and warm glow. They’ll subconsciously know it’s time to start their nightly routine and the lighting doubles up as a nightlight for anxious sleepers. Also available in other combinations, they can nod off surrounded by their favourite colours!

Countdown to the Clock Changes with a Kids Bedroom Makeover!

March the 26th is just over the horizon. Don’t let the clock changes interrupt your youngster’s sleep schedule! Stay on track with our amazing selection of Kid’s Beds, Bedding and Accessories. If Kids Furniture purchases are keeping you up at night, email customerservice@cuckooland.com or call +44 (0) 1305 231231 to speak to the team!

Nathalie

With more than 10 years’ experience in providing advice and support to parents looking for their perfect kids bed, mother of 2, Nathalie Davis is passionate about helping children develop. In her role as Director of Product Procurement at Cuckooland, Nathalie has helped thousands of parents improve their children’s sleep and sleeping habits through the beds and mattresses she sources and the articles she writes. In her spare time she teaches her Golden Retriever to be a responsible vegetarian and is often spotted sifting through clothes at her local Charity Shops.

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