Your toddler may have her own ideas about when she should go to bed — and voice them enthusiastically. But there's a good chance she needs more sleep than she thinks, and sticking with a schedule for nighttime and naps will help keep her well-rested while minimizing those drawn-out bedtime battles (at least most of the time!).
What exactly does a toddler sleep schedule look like, though? The answer will depend on age, since your tot's snooze needs and nap patterns change a lot from her first birthday to her third.
Here's how to ensure that your little dreamer is logging the right amount of shut-eye both at night and during the day, plus a look at some sample age-based toddler sleep schedules that can help you tell if your tot’s routine is on track.
How much sleep does my toddler need?
Toddlers should get 11 to 14 hours of sleep a day, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Your little one will net all those hours through a combo of two one- to two-hour naps during the day (or one longer afternoon nap as she nears age 2) and a solid 10 to 11 1/2 hours at night. Many toddlers drop from two naps to one between 12 and 18 months, but some not until they’re 2.
What's the best bedtime for your toddler?
Most tots sleep best when they’re tucked into bed by 7:30 or 8 p.m. at the latest. Turning in on the early side ensures that your toddler has the opportunity to log the number of sleep hours she needs to feel well-rested (especially since you can expect her to give you a wake-up call between 6 and 7 a.m. usually). Plus, research shows that young kids who go to bed before 9 p.m. tend to fall asleep faster and wake up less often during the night.
More About Toddler Sleep
Creating a toddler bedtime routine
Toddlers are creatures of habit. A soothing bedtime routine appeals to your sweet pea's desire for predictability and signals that it's time to start winding down. It also helps her establish healthy sleep patterns, since it sets the stage for getting to bed at the same time each night.
The routine doesn't have to be elaborate. But it should be consistent and start at least 30 to 45 minutes before bedtime (60 minutes max). Calm activities like a bath, books, quiet music and snuggles all fit the bill. Try to avoid active playing or roughhousing, which will likely rev your little one up rather than help her wind down.
Should I put my toddler on a sleep schedule?
While your toddler's sleep needs are different compared to when she was a baby, sticking with a schedule is still a smart idea. Waking up, napping and going to bed at roughly the same time each day gives your toddler a sense of what to expect, which can be comforting and up her willingness to go along with the plan.
Just as important, following a schedule helps ensure that your sweetie is getting the amount of sleep she really needs, so she's neither overly tired and crabby during the day, nor not tired enough when it's time for lights out. That can reduce your chances for sleep problems or protests and help you avoid those dreaded before-dawn wake-ups.
1-year-old sleep schedule
Even though her age officially puts her in toddlerhood territory, your 12-month-old's schedule may look fairly similar to how it did last month — and stay that way for a few more. A 12-month-old should get about 14 hours of sleep total, with about 11 of those hours taking place at night. The remaining three hours should be split between two naps during the day.
6:30 a.m.: Awake
10 a.m.: Nap
11:30 a.m.: Awake
2 p.m.: Nap
3:30 p.m.: Awake
7 p.m.: Bedtime routine
7:30 p.m.: Bedtime
15-month-old sleep schedule
For many toddlers, things won't change much between 12 and 15 months. If the afternoon nap is starting to interfere with bedtime but your sweetie isn't ready to make the transition to just one nap (many tots this age aren't), you may need to push bedtime just a little bit later.
6:30 a.m.: Awake
10 a.m.: Nap
11/11:30 a.m.: Awake
1:30/2 p.m.: Nap
3/3:30 p.m.: Awake
7/7:30 p.m.: Bedtime routine
7:30/8 p.m.: Bedtime
18-month-old sleep schedule
Expect your 1 1/2-year-old to need around 11 to 12 hours of shut-eye per night plus two to three hours of naptime. Around this age, she'll likely be ready to move from a morning and an afternoon nap to a single nap midday, usually right after lunch. Transitioning can be a big change, and it's normal for your little one to be crankier than usual as her body adjusts. You may need to scooch bedtime up too, since she'll likely be pretty zonked by the end of the day.
6:30 a.m.: Awake
12:30 p.m.: Nap
2:30 p.m.: Awake
6:30 p.m.: Bedtime routine
7 p.m.: Bedtime
2-year-old sleep schedule
Two-year-olds need around 11 to 14 hours of total sleep per day. As your child moves through her second year, you may find that naptime gets a little later or shorter. Depending on the length of the nap, she may also be able to get back to a slightly later bedtime.
6:30 a.m.: Awake
12:30 p.m.: Nap
2/2:30 p.m.: Awake
7 p.m.: Bedtime routine
7:30 p.m.: Bedtime
3-year-old sleep schedule
Expect a shift in your child's sleep needs as she grows from toddler to preschooler. A 3-year-old typically needs between 10 and 13 hours of sleep per day total, and many start to cut back on naptime (or even cut it out altogether).
6:30 a.m.: Awake
1:30 p.m.: Nap or quiet time
2:30/3 p.m.: Awake
7/7:30 p.m.: Bedtime routine
7:30/8 p.m.: Bedtime
How to get your toddler to sleep
Bedtime battles sometimes come with the territory of parenting a toddler. But these strategies can help get your little dreamer (more) on board with bedtime and naps — and keep the protests to a minimum.
- Stick to a schedule. Waking up, napping and going to bed at roughly the same time every day helps establish healthy sleep patterns, upping the odds that your toddler will be tired when you tuck her in.
- Have a consistent routine. This goes for your wind-down activities before bedtime and nap as well as how you handle requests for one more story, another glass of water or popping out of bed. Once your toddler knows what to expect (and what won't fly), she'll be more likely to stick with the plan.
- Make schedule changes when they're needed. If your toddler starts to consistently seem like she's not tired at naptime or bedtime or is starting to wake up earlier than normal, it might be time to adjust her nap schedule or put her to bed a little later.
- Offer permission to play. If she insists she's not sleepy, tell her she can sing or play quietly with a stuffed "friend" or two until she falls asleep. The "permission to play" card makes your little negotiator think she's won something, and that satisfied feeling can lead to a better night's sleep.
- Stay active during the day. Plenty of active playtime and fresh air will help to tire your tot out.
- Skip screen time. Avoid screens for at least two hours before bedtime, and keep screen-based devices out of your child's bedroom, recommends the AAP.
- Consider sleep training. If you've made other changes and your toddler is still resisting or frequently waking up at night, a more formalized sleep training plan may be a good idea.
Why won't my toddler sleep?
As you've no doubt started to learn firsthand, plenty of things can upend your best-laid sleep plans for your toddler. Here are some you're likely to run into regularly.
- Lack of a bedtime routine. This has to be the most common — and most easily remedied — roadblock to nightly bliss. Toddlers are creatures of habit. As chaotic as your family schedule may be (and whose isn't?), setting up a comforting and consistent bedtime routine that starts early enough to ensure sufficient Zzzs is worth the trouble.
- Fears and bad dreams. Whether it's monsters under the bed or a fear of the dark, nighttime fears are very real to your toddler. Your instinct to reassure her with cuddles and kisses (and without lingering by her bed for too long) are spot on, and will go a long way toward getting your tot back to her normal sleep routine.
- Vacations or illness. It can be harder to drift off to sleep when you have a cold or are in a strange bed. During these rocky times, take a whatever-works attitude to make sure your little one gets some rest. Middle-of-the-night cuddling, extra hugs, kisses and special requests are fine while camping or during flu season, but try to get back to the old routine as soon as possible so these temporary sleep issues don’t turn into habits.
- Sleep regression. This temporary sleep set-back is common among the toddler set. New developmental feats — like learning to walk — can unravel your best efforts to quiet your little one down, as can major-to-her, minor-to-you life changes, such as a new babysitter or pet. Big life changes such as a new sibling and a move are common causes, as well.
- Teething pain. As those canines, incisors and molars come in, your toddler will have to deal with teething discomfort all over again, and that can interfere with sleep.
- Your tot doesn’t want to give in. Simply put, it's in a toddler's job description to say no to just about everything. That includes bedtime! Allowing your child to choose between two pairs of pajamas, which book you'll read to her and which stuffed friends will sleep with her will go a long way toward helping her accept when the lights go out.
- Your child doesn't want to miss out. Your mini social butterfly and nonstop mover and shaker wants to be in the middle of everything — except bed.
- Your toddler misses you. Separation anxiety is very real, so when your child begs you to stay with her after lights out, it's probably not a game. Diffuse the situation with a neutral chat about the day and what tomorrow may bring, keeping those visits short and boring. Try to leave the room before she falls asleep so she isn’t wondering where you are if she wakes up, prompting her to come looking for you.
- She’s overtired. Late bedtimes, missed or shortened naps or even transitioning from two naps to one can leave your toddler exhausted, which can actually rev her up and make it harder for her to fall asleep.
Helping your toddler develop healthy sleep habits is one of the most important things you can do as a parent. It will definitely call for a little ingenuity and a whole lot of patience, but following a road map and allowing for a few detours when things get rocky can help the whole family sleep happily ever after.
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