Sleep Through the Night and Naps

The proper 13 month old sleep schedule can help your toddler sleep through the night and take longer naps. However, it’s not always clear how many naps they should take, what their wake windows are, and how to achieve the best sleep schedule especially if they are in daycare. This article will share everything you need to know about your 13 month old’s sleep schedule to set them up for success!

In this article:

How Much Sleep 13 Month Olds Need

Most 13 month old toddlers need 12-14 hours of sleep per day including 10-12 hours at night and 2-3 hours during the day. At this age, toddlers are sleeping through the night and taking 1+ hour naps.

By definition, some toddlers will need more or less than the average amount of sleep. The best way to know if your toddler is getting enough sleep is to look at their mood, behavior, and other signs of over-tiredness. Although tantrums are common, overtired babies tend to have more of them.

13 Month Old Sleep Schedule Wake Windows and Awake Time

For toddlers taking two naps, the wake windows for 13 month olds are usually 3 to 4 hours. More specifically:

• 3 to 3.5 hours in the morning before nap 1
• 3.5 to 4 hours before nap 2
• 3.5 to 4 hours before bedtime.

However, if your toddler has already dropped to one nap, awake time is usually 4 1/2 to 5 hours both before and after their afternoon nap.

How Many Naps for a 13 Month Old?

A very common question is how many naps a 13 month old needs. The average age to transition to one nap is around 15 months. However, in 15 years of being a sleep consultant, I’ve seen countless 13-14-month olds drop to one nap, too. I highly recommend you wait to see signs of dropping to one nap before changing their sleep schedule!

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3 Ways to Transition From 2 Naps to 1 Nap – Find the Right Way For Your Toddler

What Time Should They Go to Bed?

The most common bedtime at 13 months old is 7:00 to 9:00 PM. More often than not, if your toddler is still taking two naps, they are likely sleeping around 10-11 hours at night. In that case, you want bedtime to be 8:00 PM or later. Otherwise, they will wake up too early the next morning.

If your toddler has 4-hour wake windows all day, their bedtime might land closer to 9:00 PM. Depending on your lifestyle, this might be acceptable or you might be thinking about shortening one of their naps or transitioning to one nap.

Once you transition to one nap, you will want to target 11-12 hours of sleep at night so a 7:00 to 7:30 PM bedtime is most common.

If your bedtime is earlier or later than the typical range, and sleep is good in your household, there is no need to change it.

What About Toddlers in Daycare?

Babies in daycare are typically moved to the toddler room and transitioned to one nap at around 12 months old. This is not ideal for all toddlers but the majority will do just fine using the daycare schedule.

Should you offer one or two naps at home?

This is a very common question. While many parents try to stick to the same schedule at home that their child does at daycare, in some cases, it’s best to continue offering two naps at home on your days off. This allows your toddler to catch up on sleep much as some adults nap on the weekend after a busy workweek. Some toddlers will do great on the 1-nap schedule at home but without all the activities at daycare, some will struggle to stay awake or nap as well at home until they are ready for longer wake windows.

Sample 13 Month Old Sleep Schedules

The right 13 month old sleep schedule can help your toddler sleep through the night, nap longer during the day, and be happier, overall. Use these sample schedules to help you find the right one for your unique situation.

Sample 2-Nap Sleep Schedule

This sample 2-nap schedule has typical wake windows of 3 to 4 hours:

* Should you wake your toddler? If you are struggling to stay on a 2-nap schedule and don’t feel your toddler is ready for a 1-nap schedule, yes, you should wake your child. Otherwise, your day starts to “squeeze” and you don’t have time for two naps.

Sample 2-Nap Sleep Schedule With Meals

When I’m working with clients via sleep training services, many parents want to know when they should offer meals especially if they’re having trouble night-weaning. You’d be surprised how many times all I do is fix someone’s schedule to improve their sleep! Here is a sample sleep schedule with feedings for a 13 month old on 2 naps:

* Should you wake your toddler? If you are struggling to stay on a 2-nap schedule and don’t feel your toddler is ready for a 1-nap schedule, yes, you should wake your child. Otherwise, your day starts to “squeeze” and you don’t have time for two naps.

** Why Is Dinner So Late? One very important aspect of your schedule is to ensure your toddler does not wake up too early due to hunger. If you are offering dinner at 5:00 PM, you could battle a 5:00 AM wake-up (~12 hours after dinner irrespective of bedtime).

Sample 1-Nap Sleep Schedule

In my 15+ years of experience as a sleep consultant, I’ve seen many 13-14-month olds transition to one nap. Therefore, I wanted to include sample 1-nap schedules, too. Keep in mind that if your toddler takes “just” a 2-hour nap (which is completely normal), you will want to stick to 5-hour wake windows and strive for a 12-hour night. However, if your child takes a 2.5 to 3-hour nap, you can offer a 4 to 4.5-hour wake window before their nap with 4.5 to 5 hours awake time before bedtime. It depends on how much sleep your toddler needs in total.

* Should You Wake Your Toddler? On a 1-nap schedule, there isn’t as much of a need to wake your toddler and you can usually let them sleep. However, if your toddler is routinely sleeping longer than 12 hours at night and taking short naps, you may want to limit nighttime sleep to “leave some” for the daytime. Their total sleep will stay relatively constant so some toddlers can sleep “too much” during the day or night which negatively impacts the other.

Sample 1-Nap Sleep Schedule With Meals

Again, many clients want to know how to fit meals in to set up their toddler for success in sleeping through the night and taking long, luxurious naps. Here’s a typical 1-nap schedule with meals:

* Should You Wake Your Toddler? On a 1-nap schedule, there isn’t as much of a need to wake your toddler and you can usually let them sleep. However, if your toddler is routinely sleeping longer than 12 hours at night and taking short naps, you may want to limit nighttime sleep to “leave some” for the daytime. Their total sleep will stay relatively constant so some toddlers can sleep “too much” during the day or night which negatively impacts the other.

Sample Toddler Schedules By Month For All Ages

Did you know we have sample toddler schedules by month for all ages? Check it out!

Why Some 13 Month Olds Wake Up Too Early

If your 13 month old is waking up too early in the morning, there are a few common reasons:

• Dropping to One Nap – If your toddler is sleeping less than 10 hours at night, they might be ready for a 1-nap schedule. If they are sleeping 10 hours at night but happily taking two naps AND waking up before 6:00 AM, simply shift their schedule forward by at least an hour.
• Overtiredness at Bedtime – If their afternoon nap is shorter or their wake window is too long before bedtime, this is the #1 reason for waking up too early the next day. Shorten the wake window right before bedtime. If your toddler wakes up crying, this is the most likely reason.
• Hunger – As I mentioned above, if you offer dinner too early, this is a common reason for waking up too early. This is especially true if your toddler has at least two hours to burn off dinner before bedtime.
• Sunrise – We are meant to rise with the sun and go to sleep with the sunset. Unnatural light has made all of our bedtimes later than natural. Children who are sensitive to light could wake up too early when the sun starts to shine through their windows. Consider room-darkening shades, blinds, or curtains.

Although there are a few other reasons your toddler could be waking up too early, these are the most common culprits.

Why Some 13 Month Olds Wake Up at Night and Can You Do Sleep Training?

There could be many reasons causing your toddler to wake up at night. While you can do sleep training, that doesn’t fix every cause. Be sure to solve the right problem and check out our article Top 15 Reasons Your Baby Is Waking at Night.

13 Month Old Sleep Schedule FAQ