How much sleep does a 12-month-old need?

Between 11 and 14 hours in 24 hours. Most 12-month-olds sleep 10–12 hours at night and nap twice for a combined 2–3 hours. Sleep needs are beginning to reduce from the infant range — a baby sleeping 11 hours total and thriving is not sleep-deprived.

How many naps should a 12-month-old have?

Most 12-month-olds are still on two naps, though the first is often beginning to shorten. The transition to one nap typically completes between 13 and 18 months. Dropping to one nap at 12 months is early for most children — overtiredness from an early transition manifests as early rising, increased night waking, and more bedtime resistance, not less.

My 12-month-old fights both naps. Are they ready to drop one?

Possibly, but not necessarily. Fighting naps at 12 months is more often caused by wake windows that are too short than by readiness to drop a nap. Before reducing nap count, try extending the morning wake window by 20–30 minutes. If nap refusal persists after wake windows are age-appropriate (3–3.5 hours for the morning window), the 2-to-1 transition may be beginning.

Is there a 12-month sleep regression?

Yes. The 12-month regression is driven primarily by walking — the brain consolidates this major motor skill during sleep, causing more frequent arousal between cycles. It coincides with the beginning of the 2-to-1 nap transition, which adds schedule instability. The regression typically lasts 2–4 weeks and resolves with consistent routine maintenance.

What time should a 12-month-old go to bed?

Between 18:30 and 19:30 for most children on two naps. The wake window from the end of the second nap to bedtime should be 3–3.5 hours. If the second nap ends at 15:30, target bedtime at 18:45–19:15. An overtired 12-month-old — bedtime pushed past 19:30 — is more likely to wake overnight and earlier in the morning.

My 12-month-old wakes at 5am. How do I fix early rising?

Early rising at 12 months is most often caused by insufficient blackout, a nap schedule that needs shifting later, or an overtired bedtime. Tackle blackout first — it is the fastest fix and resolves early rising in a significant proportion of cases within 2 nights. If blackout is already good, check the schedule: a second nap ending before 14:30 and a bedtime at 18:30 may produce early morning waking because the night period is simply too long.

Should I stop the bottle at bedtime now my child is 12 months?

The bottle-to-cup transition is typically recommended around 12 months. More importantly for sleep, the bedtime feed should be separated from sleep onset — bottle or breast to sleep at 12 months creates a night waking association that becomes increasingly disruptive as the child gets older. Move the last feed earlier in the routine (before the final book rather than after), so the child is drowsy but awake when placed in the cot.

When will my 12-month-old drop to one nap?

Most children transition from 2 naps to 1 between 13 and 18 months, with 15 months being the average. Signs that the transition is ready: the first nap consistently shortens to 30–45 minutes for 2 weeks or more, the second nap is consistently fought, and wake windows feel insufficient even when appropriately timed. Moving too early (before 13 months for most children) produces a more disruptive transition.

11–13 months

12 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 hrs

Bedtime

18:30–19:30

Sample 12 months schedule

Time	Activity
06:30	Wake
09:30	Nap 1 (45–75 min)
10:45	Wake
14:00	Nap 2 (1–1.5 hrs)
15:30	Wake
19:00	Bedtime routine starts
19:30	Asleep

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

What's normal at 12 months

•Two naps, though the first is often shortening in preparation for the transition to one
•Increased bedtime resistance as walking approaches or begins
•Some early morning waking as the schedule starts to shift
•Separation anxiety still present at settling time
•Variable nap lengths — some days excellent, others disrupted
•Night waking may increase briefly around the first birthday

What changed since 9–10 months

•Wake windows have lengthened to 3–4 hours — the schedule is less compressed than at 9 months
•Walking is approaching or beginning, which disrupts sleep in the same way crawling did at 9 months
•The first nap is beginning to shorten naturally — this is the first sign the 2-to-1 transition is on the horizon
•Language comprehension is accelerating — the child understands words and short phrases, which affects how bedtime instructions land
•The sleep requirement is beginning to shift down toward the toddler range of 11–14 hours

What's coming next

The 2-to-1 nap transition is the most significant sleep architecture change of the toddler period. It begins for most children between 13 and 18 months and takes 4–8 weeks to complete. Early signs include the first nap consistently shortening, fighting the second nap, or bedtime resistance increasing despite age-appropriate wake windows.

12-month sleep regression

Typically 11–13 months

The 12-month regression coincides with the onset of walking — one of the most neurologically demanding motor milestones. The brain dedicates significant resources to consolidating the skill during sleep, causing more frequent arousal. It also coincides with the beginning of the 2-to-1 nap transition, which creates schedule instability as the baby sits between two nap patterns. A baby who appears to need only one nap some days and two on others is in this transition, and the inconsistency itself disrupts night sleep.

Full guide: 12-month sleep regression →Full reset guide →

Common challenges at 12 months

Nap schedule confusion

At 12 months, the baby is often between two nap schedules — two naps some days, one on others. This inconsistency is the most disruptive feature of this age. The most effective approach is to stay on two naps until the baby shows consistent readiness for one: the first nap shortening to 30–45 minutes for two weeks or more, and the second nap becoming a battle. Moving to one nap too early produces overtiredness; staying on two too long causes bedtime to be too late.

Early morning waking

Early rising at 12 months is usually caused by the nap schedule shifting — as wake windows lengthen, the whole schedule moves later, but mornings often stay early. The fix is gradual: shift the first nap 15 minutes later every 2–3 days while keeping bedtime consistent. Blackout and white noise address light and sound triggers that become more relevant as the baby moves into lighter sleep in the early morning hours.

Walking disrupting night sleep

Just as crawling disrupted sleep at 9 months, walking causes a similar pattern of increased night arousal while the brain consolidates the motor skill. The disruption is temporary — typically 2–4 weeks from the onset of independent walking. The overnight response should be brief and boring: the goodbye phrase once, then leave. Extended settling during this period teaches a new association that outlasts the motor disruption.

Bottle or feed to sleep

Twelve months is the age at which the transition from bottle to cup typically begins, and it is also the age at which feeding-to-sleep associations become most problematic. A baby who falls asleep with a bottle or breast will expect the same when they surface between cycles overnight. The transition to independent settling — separating the last feed from the sleep onset — is easiest when done alongside the cup transition rather than after it.

Build your 12 months routine

The 2-to-1 nap transition is the most disruptive sleep change of the toddler period. A clear routine built around the right schedule makes the difference between a 4-week transition and a 4-month one.

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Related guides

Questions about 12 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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