When the clocks go back: how to keep your winter mornings on track

The clocks go back at 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026, and most of us will enjoy an extra hour in bed. For a few weeks after that, mornings are a little lighter. But the days keep shortening, and by December winter mornings mean getting up long before the sun does.

When the clocks go back is the perfect moment to set up a routine that will carry you through to spring. Here's what changes, and how to make winter mornings easier.

When do the clocks go back in 2026?

The clocks go back one hour at 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026, turning 2am into 1am. British Summer Time ends and the UK returns to Greenwich Mean Time until the clocks go forward again in March.

What happens when the clocks go back?

The evenings change first. Straight after the clocks go back, it gets dark around an hour earlier, often before most of us have left work. Mornings get brighter for a short while, then the later sunrises catch up through November and December.

Your body clock likes routine, and light is one of the strongest signals it uses to tell morning from night. In summer, daylight is often streaming in by the time your alarm goes off. On winter mornings, you wake to a dark room without sunlight acting as the cue that it's time to get going. This is why getting up in the morning can feel so different in December than it did in June.

Keep the same wake-up time all year

One of the simplest ways to make getting up easier is to wake up at the same time every day: summer or winter, weekday or weekend. A steady routine helps your body know when to feel alert and when to wind down, so you're not resetting yourself every Monday.

When the clocks go back, resist using the extra hour for a long lie-in. Get up at your usual time on Sunday 25 October and let the new schedule settle in from day one.

Five tips to help you adjust when the clocks go back

1. Go to bed earlier. The night before the clocks change, it can be tempting to stay up later as you will be getting an ‘extra hour’ in bed. In fact, getting a good amount of sleep will help you adjust more easily to the new schedule.
2. Get outside early. Make the most of the lighter mornings in the first few weeks with a short walk or a coffee by the window.
3. Bring the light to you. As sunrise gets later, a sunrise alarm clock brightens your room gradually before your alarm, so you wake to light rather than darkness.
4. Wind down with softer light. With darker evenings, swap bright overhead lights for a warm, dim light in the hour before bed.
5. Make your bedroom a better place to sleep. Keep it cool, quiet and fresh, especially once the windows are shut for winter.
   

Wake up to a sunrise all winter with Blueair Mini Restful

Blueair Mini Restful brings the sunrise to you, whatever time sunrise is outside. By combining a sunrise alarm with an air purifier, you get one compact unit on your bedside table that helps you wake gently and breathe cleaner air throughout the night.

• Wake up to a sunrise. The light slowly brightens before your alarm, from a soft glow to warm, room-filling light. The Blueair app lets you choose how long your sunrise lasts.
• Keep the same routine all year. Set separate weekday and weekend schedules in the app, so your wake-up time stays steady when the clocks change.
• Cleaner air while you sleep. HEPASilent filtration captures dust, pollen and other fine particles, which matters more once windows stay shut for winter. Ideal for bedrooms up to 13 m² at 4.8 air changes per hour, or up to 31 m² at 2 air changes per hour.
• Quiet enough for sleep. Whisper-quiet on its lowest setting and Quiet Mark approved, with a soft night light for late-night wake-ups.
• Set it once, and every morning starts with a sunrise, from the week the clocks go back to the darkest days of December.

Don't forget your bedroom air this winter

Setting the clocks back usually lines up with switching the heating on and the windows staying closed until spring. Dust, pet dander and other particles build up indoors, and central heating can leave the air feeling dry by morning. While an air purifier keeps on top of the particles keeping your air clean, if your room feels dry, a humidifier such as the Blueair DreamWell can help bring the moisture back.

Make winter mornings easier

When the clocks go back, it's the start of the darker half of the year, but it doesn't have to mean months of dragging yourself out of bed. Keep the same wake-up time all year, let the light do the work and give your bedroom air some attention.

Discover Blueair Mini Restful and start every winter morning with a sunrise.

FAQs

Q: When do the clocks go back in 2026?

A: At 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026, when the clocks go back one hour to 1am.

Q: Are mornings lighter or darker when the clocks go back?

A: Lighter at first. Sunrise moves an hour earlier by the clock, but it keeps getting later through November and December, so winter mornings soon feel dark again.

Q: How long does it take to adjust when the clocks go back?

A: Most people settle within a few days to a week. Shifting your routine gradually and getting morning light can help.

Q: What is a sunrise alarm clock?

A: A sunrise alarm clock, sometimes called a wake-up light, gradually brightens before your alarm time, so you wake to light rather than to a dark room.

Q: Can a sunrise alarm also clean the air?

A: Blueair Mini Restful does both. It pairs a sunrise alarm and night light with HEPASilent filtration, so it purifies the air in your bedroom while you sleep.