Guides · Sleep schedule
12 to 24 Month Sleep Schedule
The toddler year is the one-nap transition. At 12 months most toddlers still take two naps with wake windows near 3 hours; by 18–24 months they are on a single midday nap and 5-hour wake windows. In between sit the two biggest schedule disruptions of early childhood — the 12-month regression (walking, language, nap chaos) and the 18-month regression (separation anxiety, a language burst, molar teething) — plus bedtime boundary-testing that has nothing to do with sleep biology. This guide maps the whole band: wake windows month by month, both nap configurations, and a routine that survives toddler willpower.
Sleep schedule · data from paediatric sleep guidelinesLast updated:
Wake windows, naps and total sleep
Wake windows lengthen steadily: about 3–4 hours at 12 months (two naps), 4–5 hours at 15–18 months, and 4.5–5 hours by 24 months, usually as a single long morning window to the nap and a slightly shorter one to bedtime. The 2-to-1 nap transition typically completes between 13 and 18 months: when the morning nap is refused or creeps past 10 AM for a week or more, move to one midday nap around 12:30 with an earlier bedtime. Total sleep runs 12–14 hours at 12 months and settles at 11–14 hours with one nap — roughly 10.5–11.5 hours at night plus a 1.5–2.5 hour midday nap.
| Age in the band | Wake window | Naps per day |
|---|---|---|
| 12–15 months | 3h–4h | 2 |
| 15–18 months | 3h 30m–4h 30m | 1–2 |
| 18–24 months | 4h–5h | 1–2 |
Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics — HealthyChildren.org
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Illustrative one-nap day — every toddler varies; anchor to wake windows, not the clock.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | Wake, breakfast + milk |
| 12:30–2:30 PM | Nap (one midday nap; on two-nap days: 9:30–10:15 AM + 1:30–3:00 PM) |
| 2:30 PM | Wake, snack + milk |
| 5:30 PM | Dinner |
| 7:00–7:30 PM | Bedtime routine, sleep |
| Night | ~11h, usually uninterrupted |
Bedtime routine
Toddler routines are less about sleep cues and more about predictability your toddler can anticipate — and boundaries you do not have to renegotiate every night. Keep the same 20–30 minute sequence, in the same order, with the same closing phrase:
- A five-minute warning — "two more minutes, then bath" — transitions land better when they are announced.
- Bath, teeth, pyjamas — same order every night; let your toddler do the parts they can.
- Two books, then done — the classic limit: "two books, then lights out." Delivered calmly, every night.
- Milk, a cuddle, the same goodnight phrase — short, warm, and identical — the phrase becomes the sleep cue.
- Lights out, leave confidently — if your toddler calls out, return briefly and boringly; do not restart the routine.
Common sleep challenges at this age
- The 2-to-1 nap transition. Usually complete between 13 and 18 months. Signs: refusing the second nap, the morning nap creeping later, or a long first nap and a skipped second. Move gradually to one midday nap (12:30–2:30) and pull bedtime earlier during the transition — the change often looks worse before it settles.
- The 18-month regression. Separation anxiety, a language burst, and molar teething can disrupt sleep for 2–6 weeks around 18 months. Offer extra comfort by day without changing the night routine; resist reintroducing sleep associations you have already weaned.
- Bedtime boundary-testing and nap strikes. Toddlers test limits at bedtime because limits feel safe, and a refused nap at this age is almost always a regression or an overtiredness problem, not readiness to quit napping — most toddlers need the nap until well past age 2. Hold one quiet hour in the crib even when sleep does not come, and keep goodnights short and warm.
Frequently asked questions
What is the wake window for a 12–24 month old?
It grows from about 3–4 hours at 12 months to 4–5 hours approaching 2 years. On one nap, the morning window to a 12:30 nap is typically 5–5.5 hours and the afternoon window to bedtime 4.5–5 hours.
When should my toddler drop to one nap?
Usually between 13 and 18 months. Follow the signs rather than the calendar: the morning nap refused or pushed past 10 AM for a week, or a long morning nap eating the afternoon one. Move to a single midday nap around 12:30 with an earlier bedtime while your toddler adjusts.
Is the 12-month sleep regression real?
Yes — walking, a language burst, and the start of the nap transition combine to disrupt sleep for 2–6 weeks around the first birthday. Hold routines steady and offer reassurance without reintroducing old sleep associations; that is the fastest way through it.
What time should a 12–24 month old go to bed?
Most do well with a 7:00–7:30 PM bedtime for 10.5–11.5 hours of night sleep. If the nap ended late (after 3:00 PM), push bedtime 20–30 minutes later to avoid a long, fight-filled final wake window.
How do I handle a nap strike at this age?
Keep offering the midday nap or a quiet hour in the crib for at least two weeks before treating it as nap-dropping — a missed nap at 12–24 months usually means overtiredness, not readiness. Pull bedtime earlier on strike days so the night carries the missing sleep.
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This schedule is a general guide based on paediatric sleep consensus, not medical advice. Every baby is different. For persistent sleep problems, breathing pauses during sleep, or anything that worries you, talk to your pediatrician.