The Clocks Go Back Soon: Helping Your Sleep Adjust to Darker Days
On Sunday 25 October, at 2am, the clocks in the UK go back an hour. Every autumn I notice the same pattern in the people I work with, and this year will be no different.
For many of us, that sounds like a gift. An extra hour in bed! And for a night or two, it can feel like one. But then the darker evenings arrive, the mornings are gloomy when the alarm goes, and by mid-November plenty of us are feeling flat, sluggish and ready for bed by eight o’clock.
If that’s you, please know there’s nothing wrong with you. Your body is doing exactly what it’s designed to do: responding to light.
Why a single hour can feel so big
I recently wrote about your body clock and how it relies on light to stay in time. When the clocks change, the world around us shifts by an hour overnight, but our internal clock doesn’t. It needs a few days to catch up.
At the same time, autumn is bringing shorter days. We have less daylight overall, and much of it arrives while we’re indoors. According to the Sleep Foundation, direct sunlight can reach up to 10,000 lux, while typical indoor lighting is around 500. That’s a huge difference in the signal our body clock receives.
Less light in the morning, more artificial light in the evening, and a sudden time shift: no wonder our sleep can wobble.
Five gentle ways to help your body adjust
1. Chase the morning light
This is the most powerful thing you can do. Aim to get outside, or sit beside a bright window, soon after waking. Even on a grey day, outdoor light is far brighter than anything indoors. A short walk, coffee on the doorstep or opening the curtains wide all count.
2. Keep your wake time steady
It’s tempting to use that extra hour for a lie-in, and then another at the weekend, and another… A consistent wake time, even on days off, is one of the kindest things you can do for your body clock.
3. Dim the evenings
As the evenings draw in, make darkness work for you. Swap bright overhead lights for lamps in the last hour or two before bed, and switch on night mode on your devices. Better still, put screens away a little earlier.
4. Make your bedroom a cave
Darkness helps your body make melatonin. Blackout curtains or an eye mask can help, particularly if streetlights or early sunlight creep in.
5. Be patient with yourself
It can take several days to adjust. If you feel a little out of sorts in the days after the change, that’s normal. Rather than pushing through with extra caffeine, try an early night and plenty of daylight.
Try this: a three-day adjustment plan
- The Friday and Saturday before (23 and 24 October): Go to bed and get up 15 to 20 minutes later than usual, so the shift on Sunday feels smaller.
- Sunday 25 October: Get up at your usual clock time (the new time) and head outside for light within the hour.
- Monday onwards: Keep your wake time steady, get morning light daily, and dim the lights each evening.
When it’s more than the clocks
For some people, the darker months bring a deeper, more persistent low mood. If you notice that your mood, sleep or energy drops significantly every autumn and winter and it’s affecting daily life, please speak to your GP. Help is available.
Coach’s Corner
Seasonal transitions are a wonderful, natural prompt for a sleep conversation with clients. Rather than handing over a list of tips, try asking: “What’s one small thing you could do to bring more light into your mornings this week?” When clients choose their own experiment, they’re far more likely to try it.
A question to sit with
How does your energy usually change as autumn turns to winter, and what small act of care could you offer yourself this year?
Your next step
If this has sparked your curiosity about sleep, our Sleep Well Coach Training goes much further. You’ll learn how daily rhythms, light, routines, environment and stress all shape rest, and you’ll receive a complete 28-day client programme to use with others. It’s self-paced, and you’ll finish with a certificate for 40 CPD hours (Association for Coaching) to mark your achievement. With darker evenings ahead, there’s no better season to start.
