A 1-year-old needs 11 to 14 hours of total sleep per day, including naps. That recommendation comes from guidelines endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and covers the full range from 12 to 24 months. Most of that sleep happens in one long overnight stretch of 9 to 12 hours, with the remaining hours filled by daytime naps.
Nighttime Sleep at 12 Months
By their first birthday, most children are capable of sleeping 9 to 12 hours overnight. Some sleep straight through, while others still wake once or twice. Both patterns fall within the normal range. The broader guideline of 12 to 16 hours (used for babies 8 to 12 months) narrows slightly once your child turns 1, shifting to the 11-to-14-hour range that applies through age 2.
If your child consistently falls below 11 hours of total sleep or seems unusually cranky, clumsy, or hard to engage during the day, that’s a signal they may not be getting enough. On the other end, a child regularly sleeping more than 16 hours past the newborn stage may be worth mentioning to your pediatrician, though every child’s needs vary somewhat.
Naps: How Many and How Long
At 12 months, most children still take two naps a day, typically one in the morning and one in the early afternoon. By around 18 months, most drop down to a single nap. There’s no hard cutoff for when the transition should happen. If your child starts resisting the morning nap, taking a long time to fall asleep for it, or it begins pushing the afternoon nap too late, those are signs they’re ready to consolidate to one.
Naps should ideally last at least 45 minutes. That threshold matters because the body produces almost all of its growth hormone during deep sleep, and a 45-minute nap is long enough to reach that stage. Naps also play a direct role in learning: during sleep, the brain moves new information from short-term storage into long-term memory, essentially clearing space so your child can absorb more when they wake up. Emotional processing happens during naps too. Research from Harvard Medical School describes naps as giving children “a clean slate” by processing the emotional experiences of the morning.
Why Sleep Matters So Much at This Age
One-year-olds are learning at an extraordinary pace, and sleep is when the brain does its behind-the-scenes work. New experiences, words, and motor skills get temporarily stored in a part of the brain that acts like a short-term inbox. During sleep, those memories get sorted and filed into longer-term storage. Without enough sleep, that inbox fills up and new learning doesn’t stick as well.
Growth is the other major process tied to sleep. Nearly all human growth hormone is released during deep sleep. When children are chronically short on sleep, growth hormone secretion drops and stress hormone levels can shift, which affects mood, appetite, and physical development. This is one reason sleep-deprived toddlers don’t just seem tired. They often seem wired, emotional, or uncoordinated.
The 12-Month Sleep Regression
Right around the first birthday, many parents notice their previously decent sleeper suddenly fighting bedtime, waking more at night, or skipping naps. This is commonly called the 12-month sleep regression, and it typically lasts only a few weeks.
Several things converge at this age to disrupt sleep. Your child is likely pulling to stand, cruising along furniture, or taking first steps, and that physical restlessness can make settling down harder. Separation anxiety tends to peak between 10 and 18 months, which means your child may cry when you leave the room at bedtime or wake up distressed in the middle of the night. Teething pain is another common culprit, as the first molars often emerge around this time. Separation anxiety in particular can persist until around the second birthday, though it usually becomes less intense well before then.
During a regression, consistency helps more than any single strategy. Keeping wake times, nap times, and bedtime routines predictable gives your child a framework they can rely on even when everything else feels unsettled.
Building a Bedtime Routine
A bedtime routine for a 1-year-old works best when it’s short, predictable, and calm. About 20 minutes is a good target. The sequence matters less than the consistency: your child learns that these steps happen in this order, and then it’s time to sleep.
A typical routine might look like this:
- Bath and pajamas to signal the transition from active play to wind-down time
- 15 to 20 minutes of quiet activity like reading a book together, listening to soft music, or gentle play
- A final cuddle and kiss goodnight before placing your child in the crib
Once the routine is done, keep things brief. No extra stories, no extended conversation. Say goodnight, turn off the main light, and leave the room. Doing this the same way each night builds a strong sleep association that helps your child fall asleep faster over time. Try to keep bedtime within the same 15-to-30-minute window every night, including weekends. Irregular bedtimes make it harder for your child’s internal clock to settle into a rhythm.
Crib Safety at 12 Months
At 1 year old, your child’s crib should still be free of pillows, which aren’t recommended until age 2 (and even then should be small and firm). Loose blankets are also best avoided for children under 12 months. Once your child is past their first birthday, a thin blanket is generally considered lower risk, but many parents opt for a wearable sleep sack instead, which keeps your child warm without any loose fabric in the crib. Stuffed animals become less of a concern after 12 months, though keeping the sleep space relatively clear remains a good practice.
Sample Sleep Schedule
Every child’s timing will differ based on your family’s routine, but here’s what a typical day might look like for a 1-year-old getting around 13 hours of total sleep:
- Wake up: 6:30 to 7:00 a.m.
- Morning nap: 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. (about 1 hour)
- Afternoon nap: 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. (about 1.5 hours)
- Bedtime: 7:00 to 7:30 p.m.
As your child approaches 15 to 18 months and begins dropping the morning nap, the afternoon nap often stretches longer to compensate, sometimes lasting 2 to 2.5 hours. Bedtime may also shift slightly earlier during that transition to prevent overtiredness.