How much sleep does a 10-month-old need?

Between 11 and 14 hours in 24 hours. Most 10-month-olds sleep 10–12 hours at night and nap 2–3.5 hours across 2 naps during the day. Sleep needs are beginning to move toward the toddler range of 11–14 hours.

How many naps should a 10-month-old have?

Two. The 3-to-2 transition is complete for most 10-month-olds. Wake windows of 3–3.75 hours make a 3-nap schedule impractical at this age. The first sign that the 2-to-1 transition is approaching (typically still 3–8 months away) is the first nap beginning to shorten consistently.

What wake windows should a 10-month-old have?

Between 3 and 3.75 hours. A baby waking at 6:30am should have their first nap around 9:30–10:00am. The afternoon wake window (from end of nap 2 to bedtime) is typically 3–3.5 hours. If the baby seems overtired at bedtime despite appropriate timing, check whether total daytime sleep is sufficient (2–3.5 hours).

My 10-month-old is suddenly sleeping much better. Is the regression over?

Likely yes — most babies exit the 8–10 month regression between 9.5 and 10.5 months as gross motor skills (crawling, pulling to stand) consolidate. Enjoy the improvement. A brief second wave may occur when walking begins, but it is typically shorter and less severe than the initial regression.

My 10-month-old fights the second nap. Are they ready to drop it?

Almost certainly not at 10 months. Fighting the second nap at this age is usually caused by the first nap running too long (leaving insufficient wake time before nap 2) or wake windows that have drifted short. Try extending the wake window between nap 1 and nap 2 by 15–20 minutes before concluding the nap is no longer needed. Dropping to 1 nap before 13 months is early for most children.

When will my 10-month-old start walking?

Most babies take their first independent steps between 9 and 15 months, with 12 months being the average. Walking onset produces a brief period of sleep disruption similar to crawling — 2–4 weeks of increased night waking as the brain consolidates the motor skill. This is shorter and typically less intense than the 8-month crawling disruption.

My 10-month-old wakes at 5:30am. How do I fix it?

Early rising at 10 months is usually caused by insufficient blackout, a bedtime that is too late (producing overtiredness), or the 8-month regression having shifted the schedule. Check blackout first. If good, check whether bedtime is within 3–3.5 hours of the second nap ending — a longer gap produces overtiredness that can cause early waking.

Should my 10-month-old still be night feeding?

Most 10-month-olds do not need night feeds. Formula-fed babies can typically go the full night without a feed. Breastfed babies may still have one feed in the early morning hours if breastfeeding is well-established. Waking more than once and feeding each time at 10 months is almost always habitual — a brief, non-feeding response extinguishes habit feeds within 3–5 nights.

9.5–11 months

10 months

How much sleep, how many naps, what bedtime — and what's normal at this stage.

Total sleep

11–14 hrs

Night sleep

10–12 hrs

Naps

2 naps · 2–3.5 hrs

Bedtime

18:00–19:30

Sample 10 months schedule

Time	Activity
06:30	Wake + feed
09:30	Nap 1 (1–1.5 hrs)
11:00	Wake + feed
14:30	Nap 2 (1–1.5 hrs)
16:00	Wake + feed
19:00	Bedtime routine
19:30	Asleep

All times are approximate. Adjust by 30–60 minutes to suit your child.

What's normal at 10 months

•Two naps, wake windows approaching 3–3.75 hours
•The 8–10 month regression may still be active or resolving
•Pulling to stand and cruising — overnight motor consolidation continues
•First steps may be imminent for some babies — produces brief sleep disruption
•Improved night sleep as motor milestones consolidate
•Some separation anxiety still present but often beginning to ease
•Increased engagement with routine — the baby is starting to anticipate sequence

What changed since 8–9 months

•Wake windows have lengthened to 3–3.75 hours — the schedule is becoming more spacious
•The 8-month regression is typically resolving — night sleep consolidating again for most babies
•Crawling is now well-established and no longer disrupting sleep as significantly as at 8–9 months
•Pulling to stand and cruising are replacing crawling as the primary motor focus — producing a briefer second wave of motor-related sleep disruption
•The baby is increasingly predictable in their response to the routine — the goodbye phrase is well-established

What's coming next

Walking typically begins between 9 and 15 months and produces a brief 2–4 week period of motor-related sleep disruption similar to crawling. The 12-month regression coincides with walking onset. The 2-to-1 nap transition begins between 13 and 18 months.

8–10 month regression (resolving)

Typically 7.5–10.5 months

By 10 months the 8-month regression is typically in its resolution phase as gross motor skills (crawling, pulling to stand) consolidate. Some babies experience a second brief disruption as cruising and early walking attempts begin — the same mechanism of motor consolidation during sleep causing arousal. This second wave is typically shorter (1–3 weeks) than the initial regression.

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Common challenges at 10 months

Pulling to stand in the cot at night

If not already resolved from the 8-month period, a baby who is now pulling to stand will do so in the cot and become unable to lower themselves. The solution is the same: practise lowering during the day until automatic, then at night lower them briefly without picking them up, say the phrase, leave. Most families see resolution within 1–2 weeks of the daytime skill being consolidated.

Schedule creep as wake windows lengthen

As wake windows approach 3–3.75 hours, the daily schedule naturally shifts later. The first nap moves to 9:30–10:00am and the second nap to 2:00–2:30pm. If bedtime has not adjusted alongside this shift, the wake window before bed may become too long, producing overtiredness and bedtime resistance. Check that bedtime is approximately 3–3.5 hours after the second nap ends.

Nap one shortening

At 10 months the first nap often begins to shorten — from 1–1.5 hours to 45–60 minutes. This is the first signal that the 2-to-1 nap transition is on the horizon (typically 3–8 months away). Do not drop the nap yet — the baby still needs 2 naps. If the first nap shortens, adjust the second nap start time accordingly rather than extending the first wake window significantly.

Early waking as regression resolves

As the 8–10 month regression resolves, some babies shift to earlier morning waking before settling into their eventual wake time. This is typically caused by accumulated sleep debt during the regression. Keeping bedtime consistent and slightly earlier during this period (rather than pushing it later to try to extend morning sleep) usually resolves early waking within 1–2 weeks.

Build your 10 months routine

Ten months is a good building window — the 8-month regression is resolving and the 12-month regression is still 6–8 weeks away for most babies. A solid routine built now prepares for the walking disruption and the upcoming 2-to-1 nap transition.

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Related guides

Questions about 10 months sleep

Methodology grounded in paediatric sleep research and evidence-based clinical practice. Schedule data, wake window recommendations, and regression timelines are derived from published guidelines including those of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), the National Sleep Foundation, and paediatric sleep research published in peer-reviewed journals.

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