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  • Summer holidays & sleep: a realistic guide for parents.

  • Kerry Davies Kerry Davies
  • 2 Aug 2025 | 6 minutes read
Child sleeping peacefully while cuddling a soft teddy bear, illustrating healthy bedtime routines and restful sleep during the summer holidays.

Summer holidays & sleep: a realistic guide for parents.

The summer holidays are here and if you're a parent, you might already be feeling a mix of excitement and mild panic.

No school means more time with your little ones (which is lovely) … but it also means less structure, later bedtimes, endless snack requests, and the challenge of keeping everyone vaguely occupied for weeks on end.

Sleep often gets knocked off track. And that’s okay, it’s perfectly normal.

But when there’s no rhythm at all? That’s when the wheels can fall off, and by the end of August, you’ve got overtired kids, stressed-out parents, and a September back to school return that feels harder than it needs to.

So, here’s my take:

Child sleeping peacefully while hugging a soft toy, illustrating comforting bedtime routines and restful sleep for children.

 

Damage limitation is the goal.

 
We don’t need to run a tight ship (unless you want to), but we don’t want to let the boat drift too far out to sea either.
 
First, accept that sleep will change, and that’s okay.
 
Summer brings later nights, more activities, holidays, heatwaves, sleeping in new beds, and nowhere to be in the morning. The routine’s naturally going to loosen, and honestly? That’s fine.
 
Children are very adaptable, and some bounce back quickly when school starts again. If your child isn’t struggling, you don’t need to fix what isn’t broken. In this case do nothing.
 
But if you know that your child finds transitions tricky, or you’d just prefer to keep things somewhat steady, there are ways to manage it without feeling like a sleep drill sergeant. 
 
Stick to a rhythm, not a rigid clock.
 
Forget exact timings. Instead, aim for a predictable flow to the day.
 
Think: wake, eat, play, rest, eat, wind-down, bed.
 
Let bedtime drift by an hour or so if that works for your family. Same with wakeups. But try not to let things slide into full-on night owl territory, when children are staying up till 11pm and waking at 10am, it becomes much harder to reset later.
 
A little flexibility = freedom.
Too much = sleep chaos.
 
Keep mealtimes fairly consistent.
 
One thing that makes a surprising difference? Eating patterns.
 
Meal timings help anchor the body clock. So even if bedtime moves slightly, keeping breakfast, lunch and dinner at roughly the same times can support better sleep and reduce those feral mid-afternoon meltdowns.
Child swimming underwater in a pool wearing mirrored goggles, smiling and enjoying active summer fun with friends.

 

Get them outside every day.

 
Natural daylight is one of the most powerful ways to regulate the circadian rhythm. And let’s be honest, kids sleep better when they’ve had fresh air and movement.
 
Even just a walk to the park, a scooter ride, or kicking a ball around in the garden helps.
 
Top tip: Morning light is especially good for keeping sleep on track. So, if you can get outside before midday, even better.
 
If you’re travelling or sleeping away from home...
 
Whether it's a week in a caravan, camping in granny’s back garden, or staying in a hotel with weird curtains and noisy fans, sleeping somewhere unfamiliar can throw kids off.
 
Bring something familiar (like a pillowcase or teddy), try to keep their wind-down routine similar, and aim for the same "order of events" even if the location changes.
 
A gentle wind-down still matters.
 
Bedtime doesn’t need to be perfect. But keeping some kind of wind-down, whether that’s bath, book, cuddle, or quiet play, helps signal to the body and brain that sleep is coming.
 
It’s not just about the clock. It’s about consistency. And it doesn’t have to be complicated.
 
Try not to let sleep go completely off the rails.
 
I do get it, sometimes, survival mode kicks in. But if sleep drifts too far, it can start to take the fun out of the holidays for everyone. 
 
Cranky kids = cranky parents.
Cranky parents = guilt, stress, and wishing the weeks away.
 
By gently keeping some kind of structure, even if it's loose, you’re giving yourself (and your kids) a much easier transition later on and a more enjoyable summer overall.

So, to sum it up:

 

- Let things relax, but don’t let them unravel
- Keep some kind of morning and evening rhythm
- Aim for consistent(ish) mealtimes
- Get outside into natural daylight every day
- Keep wind-downs familiar, even if you’re away
- And most importantly, don’t strive for perfect instead go for doable
- Summer is meant to be fun.

So, give yourself permission to enjoy it and keep sleep in check.

Kerry Davies

  • Kerry Davies

  • Kerry is a passionate sleep expert dedicated to transforming lives through better rest. Known as 'The Sleep Fixer', Kerry's journey began with her own sleep challenges as a mother. With over 14 years helping families, professionals, and individuals, Kerry combines evidence-based sleep science with compassionate, practical guidance.

    Her expertise is built on solid foundations, having completed training at two prestigious sleep schools certified by the British Medical Journal and is an active member of the British Sleep Society. Her commitment to evidence-based practice ensures that her advice is grounded in the latest sleep science research.

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