One year. Whatever sleep has looked like so far, crossing into toddlerhood tends to raise the same questions: should we drop to one nap now? Why is bedtime suddenly a negotiation? And is it normal that a baby who finally slept through is waking again? Parents searching for a 12 month old sleep schedule are usually standing at the edge of the biggest daytime sleep change since the newborn months.
Here is the headline: most twelve month olds still do best on two naps, and the famous one-nap transition usually lands a few months later. What does change at one year is sleep need (slightly less), willpower (noticeably more), and the arrival of walking and first words, both of which love to rehearse at night.
This guide covers how much sleep a twelve month old needs, a sample two-nap day, how to recognize genuine one-nap readiness, and what our data from tens of thousands of families says about sleep at the first birthday.
Table of Contents
At a Glance: 12 Month Sleep Expectations
At twelve months, most toddlers sleep 11 to 14 total hours per day: about 10 to 12 hours overnight plus 2 to 2.5 hours of naps. Wake windows run 3 to 4 hours, and bedtime usually lands between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m., right in the window that 39% of families in our survey use.
Night waking has not disappeared for most families either: in Betteroo’s State of Baby Sleep survey, 60.5% of babies aged 10 to 12 months wake three or more times a night, falling to 53.5% across 13 to 18 months. The trend is downward, but the first birthday is not a finish line, and that is normal.
How Much Should a 12 Month Old Sleep?
At one year, your child moves into the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s toddler band: 11 to 14 hours per 24 hours for ages 1 to 2, naps included 1. Reference studies show most children this age averaging around 13 hours total, with wide normal variation 2.
Sleep Type
Typical Range at 12 Months
Total Sleep
11–14 hours
Night Sleep
10–12 hours
Naps
2 per day (2–2.5 hours total)
Wake Windows
3–4 hours
A Sample 12 Month Old Sleep Schedule (An Example, Not a Rule)
7:00 a.m. – Wake
10:00–11:00 a.m. – Nap 1
3:00–4:00 p.m. – Nap 2
7:30 p.m. – Bedtime
Compared with the 11 month old sleep schedule, the naps drift later and slightly shorter as wake windows stretch. Keeping the second nap from ending too close to bedtime (aim for at least 3 to 4 hours of awake time before bed) protects the night.
When Do Toddlers Drop to One Nap?
In our State of Baby Sleep data, 65% of children aged 12 to 23 months are on one nap, but that figure is heavily weighted by the older end of that range. Most children make the move between 13 and 18 months; at exactly twelve months, two naps remains the better default for the large majority.
Genuine readiness signs, sustained for at least two weeks:
Consistently refusing one of the two naps while staying pleasant until bedtime
The morning nap regularly pushing the afternoon nap past 4 p.m.
Early morning waking that tracks with total daytime sleep, not light or noise
Both naps shrinking even with good wake windows and a dark room
A cold, travel, or one dramatic week is not a transition; it is a blip. If your child does show consistent readiness, move gradually: push the morning nap 15 to 30 minutes later every few days until it becomes a single midday nap, and use an earlier bedtime as a shock absorber for the adjustment weeks.
What Disrupts Sleep at 12 Months
Walking. The single biggest sleep rehearsal event of toddlerhood. Brand new walkers often wake to practice, exactly as crawlers did months earlier.
Language bursts. Babbling at 5 a.m. is a brain consolidating words, annoying but healthy.
Separation feelings and protest. Toddlers now have opinions about bedtime and the memory to negotiate. A consistent routine matters more than ever; in controlled research, a predictable nightly routine alone reduced night wakings and settling time 3.
The 12 month false-alarm nap strike. Common, temporary, and best answered by holding the two-nap structure for two more weeks before deciding anything.
From Betteroo’s State of Baby Sleep
Reducing night wakeups is the #1 sleep goal for 85% of parents, and at 10 to 12 months, 60.5% of babies still wake 3+ times a night. The families who see that number fall fastest in the second year share one habit: a consistent bedtime, a consistent routine, and daytime sleep protected through the one-nap transition. Explore the full data →
Looking Ahead: Toddler Sleep Changes
The year ahead holds the one-nap transition, possibly the 18 month sleep regression, and eventually the 2 year sleep regression. One thing that should wait: the big-kid bed. Most children do best in a crib until closer to age 3; our guide on when to transition to a toddler bed explains why rushing it usually costs sleep. Meanwhile, keep the crib bare and the mattress at its lowest setting per AAP guidance 4.
12 Month Old Sleep Schedule FAQ
Should a 12 month old be on one nap or two?
Two naps for most. The one-nap transition typically happens between 13 and 18 months. Drop to one nap only after two or more weeks of consistent readiness signs, not after one rough week.
How much should a 12 month old sleep at night?
About 10 to 12 hours. Many twelve month olds no longer need night feeds, though night waking itself remains common: 60.5% of 10 to 12 month olds in Betteroo’s survey wake three or more times.
What are wake windows for a 12 month old?
Roughly 3 to 4 hours: about 3 hours before the morning nap, 3.5 to 4 hours midday, and 3.5 to 4 hours before bedtime. Stretch them gradually as your toddler approaches the one-nap day.
Is there a 12 month sleep regression?
Many families notice a rough patch around the first birthday driven by walking, language bursts, and a temporary nap strike. It usually resolves within two to three weeks if you hold the two-nap schedule and keep bedtime consistent.
What time should a 12 month old go to bed?
Between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. works for most families; 7:00 to 7:59 p.m. is the single most common bedtime window in Betteroo’s survey (39% of all babies). After short-nap days, shift bedtime up to 30 to 45 minutes earlier.
A toddler now. A whole new sleep chapter.
Get a personalized sleep plan built around your child’s age, temperament, and your family’s needs.
Twelve months marks a birthday, not a sleep deadline. Keep the two naps until your child genuinely outgrows them, hold the routine while walking and words do their nighttime rehearsals, and treat the coming nap transition as a gradual handover rather than a cliff. You have a full year of pattern-reading behind you now. Trust it.
Paruthi, S., et al. (2016). Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations: A Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 12(6), 785–786. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4877308/
Iglowstein, I., Jenni, O.G., Molinari, L., & Largo, R.H. (2003). Sleep duration from infancy to adolescence: Reference values and generational trends. Pediatrics, 111(2), 302–307. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12563055/
Mindell, J.A., Telofski, L.S., Wiegand, B., & Kurtz, E.S. (2009). A Nightly Bedtime Routine: Impact on Sleep in Young Children and Maternal Mood. Sleep, 32(5), 599–606. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19480226/
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2022). Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35726558/
