8:00 pm Bedtime (this may be later if we are out late or if he napped longer, but they rarely go to bed after 8:30 pm).9:00 am Get dressed and ready for the day.8:00 am Breakfast (move breakfast earlier if your toddler likes to eat right when they wake up).Keep in mind that if your desired wake-time in the morning is different, or if you need to be out later in the evening, your schedule might be shifted slightly, but the same principals should apply. This is a sample schedule that you can adapt to meet the needs of your toddler and your family. 1 Nap Scheduleīelow is our ultimate one nap schedule. That way they won’t get overtired before their nap or nap too early and be overtired before bed. This means try to schedule your nap in the middle of your toddler’s day and not a morning or late afternoon nap. Again, do whatever works best for your toddler and family, but those are great starting points when building your schedule. In addition to 13-14 hours of total daytime sleep, most sleep experts also recommend 5-6 hours of wake time before your toddler’s nap and before bed. Follow your toddler’s lead! Wake Time Before Bed A 12 month old making the switch will likely need more sleep than a 18+ month old making the switch. My younger son has always been higher sleep needs and routinely takes a 2.5 hr nap with 11.5 hrs overnight.Īnother thing that can impact your toddler’s sleep needs is their age when they make the 1 nap transition. He normally took a 1.5-2 hr nap and slept 11.5 hrs overnight. All napping and sleeping should add up to about 13-14 hours in a 24 hour period.Īlso remember that all babies are different! My older son was on the lower end of sleep needs at this age and was never a long napper. Consider your toddler’s average nap time length when considering how much time to schedule overnight or vice versa. Most young toddlers (12-24 months) need approximately 13-14 hours of total sleep per day. Wake time before naps and bed of 5-6 hours.Total daytime sleep of 13-14 hours (for most toddlers this means a 2-3 hr nap and 11-12 hours overnight).There are two basic recommendations when setting up your one nap schedule. If your toddler has been a decent sleeper but starts to experience any of the above sleep problems for no apparent reason – they aren’t teething or going through a major development or change – it might be time to switch to 1 nap. the second nap is pushed so late that bed time is after 9pm (unless that works well for your family).waking early in the morning (they are tapped out on sleep).unprecedented night wakings for no apparent reason.refusing or fighting sleep at least one of the prior naps.Here are some signs that your toddler might be ready for the 2-to-1 nap transition: What Are the Signs Your Baby or Toddler is Ready for 1 Nap? The moral of the story is do whatever works for you, your baby, and your family when it comes to nap schedules. We transitioned to one nap a little early mostly because it worked better for our family and also because I felt he could do so without getting too tired. He had always been a very flexible napper and able to handle more wake time than his brother could at that age. My younger son transitioned to one nap around 11 months.Īs a mom with a toddler and a baby, I was dreaming for the day when they could nap at the same time. Also, partly because of his daycare schedule, which changed to one nap when he finally moved to a new classroom at 14 months. He loved his naps and was sleeping great overnight as well. This is partly because he did not show any signs of being ready for one nap before this. My oldest son transitioned to one nap right around 14 months. Some toddlers may transition early or later than this age, but as an average, most toddlers move shortly after their first birthday.

Most sleep experts agree that most toddlers can move to one nap anywhere between 12-15 months old. Check out the book for yourself to learn more! We cannot recommend it enough! Simple One Year Old Feeding & Nap Schedule (2 nap schedule)Īll of these schedules follow the eat-wake-sleep principal set forth in the Babywise approach.If you are just starting out with schedules, you may want to backtrack and read some of our earlier schedules here: There seems to be a sweet spot for when to give the nap so that your toddler isn’t too cranky in the morning, but also makes it to a decent hour at night (and on the contrary, isn’t up super late).īelow you will find when to switch to one nap, the signs your baby or toddler is ready, and the ultimate 1 nap schedule. I’m a mom of two and am sharing our ultimate 1 nap schedule that has worked great for both of my kids. Sample hour-by-hour schedule that is great for babies over 1 year old. The ultimate feeding and nap schedule with one daytime nap.

6 month old daily schedule