1. WHAT HAPPENS AND WHEN In Ireland, clocks go back one hour at 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026, becoming 1am. Phones change automatically. Evenings get dark about an hour earlier from that day, and your kids' 6:30am wake-up will feel like 5:30am unless you shift them first. 2. 5-DAY SHIFT TABLE (kids, old clock times) | Day | Bedtime | Wake time | Meals | Light | | Wed | 7:15pm | 6:30am | Dinner 15 min later | Bright lights until bath | | Thu | 7:30pm | 6:30am | Dinner 30 min later | Outdoor play after school | | Fri | 7:45pm | 6:45am | Dinner 45 min later | Blackout blinds on | | Sat | 8:00pm | 7:00am | Dinner 1 hour later | Keep room dark till 7am | | Sun | 7:00pm (new time) | 6:00–6:30am | Normal times | Daylight walk in the morning | 3. PLAN FOR EARLY WAKING By Saturday the kids' body clocks sit an hour later, so Sunday's 7pm bedtime feels like their old 8pm. If they still wake at 5:30am, keep the room dark and quiet and treat it as night until 6:15am. A simple "wake-up light" trick works too: a lamp on a plug timer that switches on at 6:30am means "you can get up". Give breakfast at the usual new time, not earlier, so hunger stops pulling them up. Most children settle within 3–7 days. 4. LIGHT, MOOD AND ENERGY - Get everyone outside in daylight before 10am. - Turn lights up brightly in late afternoon. - Dim screens and lights an hour before bed. - Add reflective bands to school bags for dark walks. - Keep weekend wake times within an hour of weekdays. - Persistent low mood for two weeks or more: talk to your GP. 5. FRIDGE CHECKLIST: CLOCKS GO BACK, 25 OCT ☐ Shift bedtime 15 minutes from Wednesday ☐ Blackout blinds closed ☐ Wake-up lamp timer set ☐ Oven and car clocks changed ☐ Reflective bands on school bags ☐ Morning walk on Sunday 6. DEVICES Oven, microwave, car, wall clocks, boiler or heating timer, some smart watches and older alarm clocks. SELF-CHECK - Date and time for Ireland: last Sunday of October, 2am (VERIFY).