Here's How to Help Your Little Kid Sleep Better
Question: How many naps should my toddler take each day?
Great question! A lot of changes occur from 12–18 months when it comes to sleep, and about midway through these 6 months, your baby will likely transition from two naps to one. The one-nap transition can be a difficult one, as your child’s sleep needs are shifting more to the overnight hours. At 12–18 months, a toddler is still typically getting 1.5–3 hours of daytime sleep and 10–12 hours of overnight sleep. Sleep needs at this age are still high for optimal development and growth.
Signs that your toddler may be ready to transition to one nap include:
- Fighting or skipping one of two naps on a regular basis (fighting or skipping here and there may just be developmental — don’t jump the gun on the transition!)
- Fighting bedtime
- Increased or new night wakings occurring on a regular basis
- A consistently earlier wake-up
Your goal should be a nap between noon and 1 p.m., because that’s when there is a dip in their circadian rhythm. What often happens is your child is fine at 10 a.m., maybe even 10:30, and then they start to get tired and cranky before you’ve hit the noon sweet spot. It may take a week or two, but keep pushing each nap closer and closer to noon. The goal is a 2-to-3-hour nap, which will give you a wake time of 5–6 hours before and after the nap.
This transition can be very challenging for many toddlers, so you may find that your toddler needs two naps on some days, and others just one is fine. Give it a few weeks, be as consistent as possible, and then you will have successfully moved to one nap!
Question: Why is my toddler waking up in the middle of the night?
You are not alone! It can be common for your toddler to wake throughout the night, even if they have been a stellar sleeper in the past. There are many things that can be disruptive to your child’s sleep pattern, such as developmental milestones (walking, talking), teething, travel, illness, family changes (new sibling, traveling parent), or nightmares/night terrors. If one of these things happens, try to maintain as much of your toddler’s normal routine as possible, and avoid introducing sleep crutches like feeding/holding to sleep or co-sleeping. When the going gets tough, don’t make it even tougher (on yourself!).
Despite these physical and mental developments, 18–24 months is still a great time for your child’s sleep — you only have to worry about one nap, your child generally still gets 11–12 hours of nighttime sleep (and 2–3 hours of daytime sleep), and most families have a consistent schedule in place. Enjoy it!
Question: My toddler is waking up super early! What should I do?
There are many reasons your toddler could be waking up extra-early: a bedtime that is too early or too late (late to bed doesn’t equal late to rise for toddlers!), too little or too much restorative daytime sleep, or an early-morning sleep disruption. Let’s break it down.
Bedtime: To determine an appropriate bedtime, consider the time that your toddler’s nap ended. Typically, 4.5–5 hours from the end of the nap until bedtime is the optimal amount of time to build the necessary amount of sleep pressure. Too long between naptime and bedtime will likely result in entering the night overtired, which in turn may lead to early waking.
Daytime Sleep: Most toddlers between 18–24 months will nap 1.5–2.5 hours once a day. If your toddler is napping for less than an hour, they may not be getting enough daytime sleep, which could result in the dreaded overtiredness cycle. Alternatively, if your toddler is getting too much sleep during the day, they could be waking early because they have had enough sleep during a 24-hour period.
Disturbances: Light seeping in, rumbling garbage trucks, loud neighbors, barking dogs, and more can be super disruptive to sleep during those early-morning hours, which is also a more challenging time to get back to sleep (go figure!). The Hatch Rest white noise sound and blackout curtains or shades can be helpful to extend morning wake-up. An overly full diaper can also be disruptive; consider an overnight diaper or disposable pads that are inserted in the diaper to increase absorbency. You may also want to limit liquids in the evenings before bedtime. Additionally, you can apply a barrier cream before bed for extra comfort.
Trying to pinpoint the issue? You may find it helpful to keep a sleep log for several days to see how much sleep your toddler is getting. For example, if your toddler is napping for 2 hours a day and going to bed from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., they may have met their sleep quota, and you can work on adjusting naps and bedtime.
Just remember, sleep needs vary by individual — find the sleep equation that works best for your child (and you)!