9–12 month old sleep schedule: two naps, wake windows and example days

Babies aged 9–12 months need about 12–16 hours of sleep in 24 hours, including naps, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. KidsHealth on 8–12 month olds says that usually means a night stretch of 9–12 hours plus two naps of anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Commonly used wake windows are about 2.5–4.5 hours, stretching to 3–6 hours by 10–12 months. It's a stage of new skills and big feelings, so expect some patchy weeks even when the schedule is working.

How much sleep does a 9–12 month old need?

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) gives average totals of 14 hours at 9 months and at 1 year, with about 11 hours at night and 3 in the day. The NHS says some babies aged 6–12 months sleep around 15 hours, most of it at night. Sleep Foundation says that by age 1, many babies can sleep 8–9 hours through the night; many others still wake, and both are normal.

What are typical wake windows at 9–12 months?

Cleveland Clinic gives 2.5–4.5 hours for babies aged 7–10 months and 3–6 hours at 10–12 months. Sleep Foundation's chart is wider, at 1.5–6 hours and 3–7.5 hours. No public-health body publishes wake windows, so treat these as a practical convention rather than clinical guidance.

Many families find that on a two-nap day the window before the first nap is the shortest and the one before bed the longest. Sleep Foundation notes that long late-afternoon naps can interfere with night-time sleep at around this age, so if bedtime is drifting late, look at the second nap first. See wake windows by age.

What does a 9–12 month old's day look like?

These days are examples built from the ranges above, not targets. The meals follow the NHS guide to first solid foods, which says that from about 10 months babies should be having 3 meals a day with about 3 milk feeds; breast milk or infant formula stays the main drink for the first year.

Example day — adjust to your baby: two naps (around 10 months)

Wake windows here run about 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes, with about 2 hours 45 minutes of daytime sleep.

Example day — adjust to your baby: after an early wake-up

Shifting the naps earlier and bringing bedtime forward for a day keeps the windows in range without stretching a tired baby. Go back to your usual times the next day.

Why does sleep often get harder around 8–10 months?

The Sleep Foundation guide to the 8-month sleep regression lists teething, emotional development that can increase separation anxiety, and new physical abilities that can make babies restless in bed. Signs include trouble falling asleep, more night wakings and fussiness around bedtime. Sleep Foundation describes it as normally short-lived.

The CDC's 9-month milestones include being shy, clingy or fearful around strangers and reacting when you leave. KidsHealth links night crying at this age to separation anxiety, a normal developmental stage. Sleep Foundation says separation anxiety usually resolves by age 2.

What helps most is consistency: the same short bedtime routine, a regular schedule including naps, and a calm, predictable goodbye. See the 8-month sleep regression and separation anxiety.

What can you do about early waking at this age?

Early waking is frustrating but common. Things worth checking, one at a time over several days:

1. The last wake window. Too long and your baby may go to bed overtired; too short and they may not be tired enough for a long night.
2. The afternoon nap. A very long or late second nap can eat into night sleep.
3. Light and noise. Early sun or household noise can wake some babies. Blockout blinds help some families.
4. How you respond. Treat wake-ups before your usual start time like night wakings, with low light and a quiet voice, as the NHS suggests for night-time care.
5. The morning start. The AAP's healthy sleep habits page suggests keeping the same wake time on weekdays and weekends.

See early morning waking for a fuller plan.

What should you do when your baby stands up in the crib?

The CDC's 1-year milestones include pulling up to stand and walking while holding on to furniture. Many babies practice these at bedtime, then can't work out how to get back down.

• Practice by day. Help your baby practice lowering from standing to sitting at the couch or a low table.
• Lay them down calmly, on their back, then settle as usual. Repeating this a few times is normal while the skill is new.
• Don't keep them in position. Never use wedges, positioners or tightly tucked bedding.
• Lower the mattress as your crib's instructions advise as your baby gets more mobile.

Keeping the crib safe at this age

Australia's Red Nose's six safe sleep recommendations still apply: on the back to sleep, head and face uncovered, smoke-free, a safe sleeping environment night and day, and a safe sleep sack with arms out and no hood. The AAP's safe sleep guidance adds a firm, flat surface and nothing soft or loose in the crib, including no weighted sleep products. KidsHealth on toddler sleep also warns against bumper pads, which a child can use as a step to climb out. See safe sleep.

Do 9–12 month olds still need night feeds?

Some do and some don't. The NHS says babies need fewer night feeds as they grow, and that for some babies between 6 months and 1 year, night feeds may no longer be necessary. KidsHealth notes that even a baby who has been sleeping through will sometimes wake, and that cuddling, feeding or talking at every waking can become what your baby expects.

If night feeds suit your family, there's no deadline to stop. If you'd like to change them, a gradual plan is usually gentler for everyone; see dropping night feeds and night weaning. Check with your doctor or pediatrician first if you have any concerns about your baby's growth.

Is a 9–12 month old ready to move to one nap?

Usually not yet. KidsHealth says that at around 18 months, or sometimes sooner, most toddlers condense two naps into one, and Sleep Foundation describes most children having switched by about 18 to 24 months. Refusing a nap for a few days around 10–12 months can be linked to new skills, teething or a change in routine. Try nudging the nap a little later before dropping it, and keep an earlier bedtime handy for days when a nap fails. See two naps to one and the 12–18 month sleep schedule.

When should you get help with your baby's sleep?

• Call 911 now if your baby is struggling to breathe, has blue, gray, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue, is floppy, difficult to wake or cannot be woken, is much sleepier than usual and not eating or drinking, or is having a seizure. These are on the NHS list of signs needing urgent help.
• See a doctor today (or call your pediatrician's after-hours nurse line) if your baby is eating or drinking much less than usual, has fewer wet diapers than usual, or seems unwell.
• Book a doctor or pediatrician visit soon, rather than waiting for the next check, if your baby snores or breathes noisily in sleep most nights, or snorts or gasps in their sleep. The AAP sleep apnoea guide says to tell your doctor right away about frequent snoring.
• Mention it at the next check with your doctor or pediatrician if sleep problems go on for a long time or keep getting worse, or if they come with fewer feeds or poor weight gain, as Sleep Foundation advises.

If you are so exhausted or low that you have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, call 988 (call or text) or 911 now.

What's worth noting in a sleep log?

Note wake-up time, nap start and end times, bedtime and any night wakings for a week, plus teething or illness days. Patterns such as early waking after a late second nap become easy to spot. A log also helps you describe the problem clearly if you talk to a doctor or pediatrician.