Sleep - as most new parents will confirm - is the most valuable commodity in the world.
So imagine getting an extra hour of shut eye this month.
Well if you follow this guide then you will be more rested, relaxed and calm in no time.
The clocks reverse this year on Sunday October 29 and we gain an extra hour.
But if you have children it doesn't necessarily mean more time in bed and in fact the opposite might be true as the little ones struggle with their internal body clock.
Mandy Gurney, the founder of Millpond Children’s sleep clinic, has been advising parent on children’s sleep issues for over 25 years and knows only too well how sleep disruptions such as the clocks changing can impact on children’s sleep.
Research conducted for the pre-school series In the Night Garden found that nearly a third of parents found their child waking earlier after the clocks change.
When the clocks go back it can be a challenge both ends of the night as parents try to keep their tired child up an hour later at bedtime and then struggle to keep them in bed in the morning.
Soon it will be time for the clocks to go back so now is the time to start making same changes to your child’s bedtime routine.
By following Mandy’s 5 simple steps you can avoid those early morning wake ups
Tip 1: Reset your child’s body clock.
In order to gradually reset your child’s body clock start by putting your child to bed later by 15 minutes every day until your child is asleep a whole hour later.
To begin with your child may still wake at their usual time. Don’t worry this is normal, as you slowly adjust bedtime the morning will catch up.
And just as importantly don’t forget to move nap times and meal times too. Sleeping and eating go hand in hand to help regulate our circadian rhythm.
Tip 2: Let there be light.
Light has the biggest influence on our body clock and the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.
To help keep your child up a little later in the evening, make sure they get plenty of outdoor play in the afternoon.
Tip 3: Relax
About 30 minutes before you start your bedtime routine, have quiet time with your child. Tidy away the toys and read a soothing story such as the In The Night Garden Bedtime Book . This will help get your child in the mood for sleep.
Tip 4: Is it time to get up yet?
Young children need a reference for when its morning and time to get up and play.
You can do this with simple sleep aids such as Sleep Tight All Night Igglepiggle toy or a low wattage lamp attached to a timer switch.
When you move bedtime later set the lights to come on 15 minutes later than your child’s normal waking time. Explain to your child that they can get up when the light comes on.
Initially you may need to stay with them in the room, but as soon as the light comes on get them up and give them lots of praise.
As you make bedtime later also alter the light timer.
Tip 5: Good start
As bedtime gets later delay the time you give your child milk and breakfast. They will be less likely to wake early wanting food.
Avoid the temptation to feed them early in the hope they will go back to sleep, as you may be setting up an early hunger habit.
For older children you may be able to explain in simple terms to older children that the clocks go forward or back and it means they'll have to go to bed earlier or later, but the concept is probably beyond most little ones.
Tip 6: Trick them into an earlier autumn bedtime
If you're not happy with your toddler's sleep pattern to start with, you can actually use the time change to your advantage.
In the autumn if you've got into the habit of putting your toddler to bed at 8pm and you'd prefer he went at 7pm, put him to bed at new time 7pm which will be the old time 8pm.