An 11-month-old typically needs about 13 to 14 hours of total sleep in a 24-hour period, split between nighttime sleep and two daytime naps. Most babies this age get 10 to 12 hours at night (with possible brief wakings) and 2 to 3 hours of daytime sleep spread across their naps.
Nighttime Sleep at 11 Months
Babies at this age can often sleep in stretches of six to eight hours at night, though many still wake briefly once or twice. Those short wakings are actually normal and healthy. A “good sleeper” at this age isn’t a baby who never stirs for 10 hours straight. It’s a baby who wakes briefly and falls back to sleep on their own. Frequent light wakings allow a baby to rouse if something is off, like trouble breathing, so they serve a protective purpose.
Healthy, growing babies at 11 months generally don’t need nighttime feedings. You don’t need to wake your baby to feed them. If your baby is still waking to eat out of habit rather than hunger, this is a reasonable age to begin gently phasing out those feeds.
How Many Naps and How Long
Most 11-month-olds still need two naps per day. A typical pattern is a morning nap and an afternoon nap, totaling roughly 2 to 3 hours of daytime sleep combined. Some babies take two evenly balanced naps, while others lean toward a longer morning nap and a shorter one in the afternoon, or the reverse.
Between each sleep period, your baby needs about 3 to 3.75 hours of awake time. These “wake windows” tend to get slightly longer as the day goes on, so the stretch before bedtime is usually the longest one. If your baby is regularly fighting a nap, try extending their wake window to 3.5 to 3.75 hours before that sleep period rather than assuming something is wrong.
Don’t Drop to One Nap Yet
Around this age, some parents notice nap resistance and wonder if it’s time to switch to a single nap. In most cases, it’s too early. Babies typically transition from two naps to one between 13 and 18 months. At 11 months, their sleep needs are still best met with two naps a day.
Signs that a baby is genuinely ready for one nap (later on) include consistently refusing the second nap for at least one to two weeks, being able to stay awake for four to five hours without getting fussy, and seeming well-rested and content on days when they only get one nap. If your baby isn’t showing those signs, the nap resistance is more likely tied to a developmental leap than a need to change the schedule.
Why Sleep Can Get Bumpy Around This Age
Babies nearing their first birthday are learning to stand, cruise along furniture, and sometimes take early steps. They’re also showing more emotional engagement, better communication, and sharper cognitive skills. All of that brain and body development can make sleep temporarily worse. Restlessness, overstimulation from new physical abilities, and the excitement of practicing new skills in the crib are common culprits.
This disruption is sometimes called a “12-month sleep regression,” and it often starts creeping in around 11 months. It’s not a sign that your baby’s sleep is broken. It usually resolves within a few weeks as your baby adjusts to their new abilities. The best strategy is to keep your schedule consistent and avoid introducing new sleep habits you’ll need to undo later.
Spotting an Overtired Baby
Catching the right sleep window matters more at 11 months than it did when your baby was younger, because an overtired baby is harder to settle. Early signs that your baby is ready for sleep include yawning, rubbing their eyes, pulling on their ears, staring into the distance, and turning away from toys or people. Fussiness, clinginess, and a low whining sound (sometimes called “grizzling”) are signs sleep is needed soon.
If you miss that window, overtiredness kicks in. Your baby’s body releases stress hormones that actually make them wired instead of drowsy. An overtired baby often cries harder and more frantically than usual and may even start sweating. Once a baby reaches this state, it takes significantly longer to get them to fall asleep. Tracking wake windows of 3 to 3.75 hours and watching for those early cues helps you stay ahead of the overtiredness cycle.
Sleep Training at This Age
If your 11-month-old isn’t falling asleep independently, sleep training is still an option. Most babies are ready for sleep training by about 4 to 6 months, so at 11 months your baby is well within the appropriate range. Several approaches work at this age:
- Graduated check-ins (Ferber method): You put your baby down drowsy but awake and return at increasing intervals (three minutes, then five, then ten) to briefly reassure them without picking them up.
- Chair method: You sit in a chair next to the crib until your baby falls asleep, then move the chair farther away every few nights until you’re out of the room.
- Pick up, put down: You pick your baby up to soothe them when they cry, then place them back in the crib once they calm down. This cycle repeats until they fall asleep in the crib.
- Bedtime fading: You shift bedtime earlier by 15 minutes each night until you reach your target time, working with your baby’s natural sleep pressure rather than against it.
No single method is universally best. The right approach depends on your baby’s temperament and what you’re comfortable with. Consistency matters more than which technique you choose.
Keeping the Sleep Environment Safe
At 11 months, your baby is more mobile than ever, which makes the sleep setup especially important. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends placing babies on their backs in their own sleep space, using a crib, bassinet, or portable play yard with a firm, flat mattress and a fitted sheet. Keep loose blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, and bumpers out of the crib. Avoid letting your baby sleep on a couch, armchair, or in a swing or car seat (except while riding in the car). Room-sharing without bed-sharing remains the safest arrangement through at least the first year.