Sleep between 12-18 months
Sleep between 12–18 months
What to expect:
Total sleep: 12–14 hours
Naps: 1–2 per day
Wake windows: 3.5–5 hours
Night waking: Still common
Developmental influences:
- Walking, climbing, running
- Emotional development
- Language leaps
- Separation anxiety flares at 12 and 18 months
Sleep disruptions during this time are developmentally normal. They don’t need to be “fixed,” but keep an eye out for whether sleep disruptions are caused by development or if your baby’s overall sleep needs have reduced across the 24-hour period and they simply need a little less sleep than before.
Around 12 months of age there can be a sleep progression. This often looks like nap refusals or disrupted overnight sleep, and it can seem as though your baby is ready to drop a nap. While some babies do drop to one nap around this time (every baby is different), more often it’s a hefty developmental surge and their brains are simply too busy to sleep.
If your baby is around 12 months old, refusing their first nap, and waking more overnight - you are not alone. It’s okay to adjust things temporarily:
- Try pushing the first nap later in the day to reduce nap refusal
- Cap the second nap
- Push bedtime a little later
- Experiment with some one-nap days
More often than not, the second nap returns after a few weeks. If you’re in that in-between stage, it’s okay to take the pressure off and follow