Wake windows at 13–17 months

A sample day at 15 months: two naps or one

Between 13 and 18 months the planner keeps two naps as long as the day fits them, and offers one nap all along: when two naps only fit by squeezing the windows, it suggests switching for the day. That happens from about 16 months on a 7:00 am start, earlier if your toddler wakes later. Here is the two-nap day at 15 months for a toddler who wakes at 7:00 am:

Wake 7:00 am · Nap 1 10:25–11:25 am · Nap 2 3:05–4:05 pm · Bedtime 8:00 pm

Notice the bedtime: with windows this long, two naps push bedtime to 8 pm. When that second nap starts sliding past 3 pm and bedtime past 8, your toddler is telling you something. And here is the same morning on one nap:

Wake 7:00 am · Nap 11:55 am–2:10 pm · Bedtime 7:10 pm

Five hours awake before a single long nap after lunch, then five more before bed. In the planner above, the nap count sits right under the plan; switch it and the day re-plans. Log the naps as they happen and it keeps the rest of the day on track.

What changes at 13–17 months: the move to one nap

This is the big change of the second year. Most children drop from two naps to one somewhere between 13 and 18 months, most by 18, and plenty of 15 month olds still need two. There is no prize for getting there early. A child moved to one nap too soon tends to fall apart by late afternoon, nap short and wake early, which costs more sleep than the second nap ever did.

Signs it's time.

• The second nap has been refused for one to two weeks running, not just a few days. (A few days is a strike; see the 12-month page.)
• The morning nap keeps creeping later on its own, toward 11 am.
• On two-nap days, bedtime has drifted past 8 pm, or your toddler lies awake for half an hour at bedtime.
• Your toddler copes well with 4½ hours or more awake in the morning, at least on most days.

How to make the switch. The single nap lands best around noon to 12:30 pm, after lunch. You don't have to jump there in a day:

• Start from where the morning nap is now and move it later by about 15 minutes every few days.
• Serve lunch a little earlier, so your toddler isn't hungry at nap time.
• Expect the one nap to come out short for the first week or two. Use an early bedtime, as early as 6:30 pm, to cover the long afternoon.
• A day that falls apart can still get a second nap. Going back and forth between one and two naps for a couple of weeks is normal.

Nap ends by about 3:30 pm. On one nap, try to have it over by about 3:30 pm so there are enough hours awake to make bedtime easy. The planner tells you when to wake your toddler to keep bedtime on track.

Daycare. Many daycares move toddlers to a single rest time after lunch, which can force the switch early. It usually works out: a group of children all sleeping at once is a strong cue. On days at home you can still offer a second nap if your child needs it; one nap on weekdays and two on weekends is fine. An early bedtime on daycare days helps more than anything else.

Walking and new words. The CDC's milestones for 15 months include taking a few steps alone. New skills and a growing will of their own can unsettle naps for a week or two, separately from the nap transition. If naps fall apart for a week, look at what's new before you change the schedule.

Sleepy cues at 13–17 months, and when they disagree with the clock

• Early cues: going quiet, wandering off from play, wanting the comfort object, sucking a thumb.
• Late cues: eye rubbing, more tumbles, whining, tantrums over small things.
• Overtired: a hard meltdown, running in circles with manic energy, fighting sleep for a long time once in bed.

Toddlers are experts at hiding tiredness. During the switch to one nap especially, watch the late morning: a toddler who is rubbing their eyes at 10:30 needs either the second nap back for now or an earlier single nap, not more time awake.

Born early?

Pediatricians use adjusted age until about 2 years. A toddler born 6 weeks early who is 15 months old today sleeps more like a 13½ month old, so two naps may still fit better. The planner does the math if you tap “Born more than 3 weeks early?”; here is how adjusted age works.

Frequently asked questions

All ages: wake windows by age · the full nap schedule planner, newborn to 3 years.