Do Naps Decrease for Toddlers?

Toddlers don't come with a set napping schedule that includes a specific number of hours per day; as with many things involving babies and children, everybody is different. Depending on how much sleep your little one gets at night, her daytime rest may start to decrease as she heads towards the preschool years.

  1. Infant Sleep Schedule

    • During the first year of life, chances are that your child sleeps almost more than he is awake. KidsHealth.org states that infants from birth through 6 months need between 16 and 20 hours of sleep, and 6- to 12-month-olds need roughly 14 or 15 hours per 24-hour period, including naps. While newborns may wake every two to three hours to eat, or for a diaper change, by the time that your baby reaches the 4-month mark, he may sleep for almost through the night. With the bulk of baby's sleep occurring at night, he still needs anywhere from three to five hours of daytime rest -- more if he wakes often -- in the form of naps.

    Toddler Sleep Schedule

    • As your little one reaches the 1-year mark, she may fall into a more regular sleep schedule. Additionally, your toddler requires less rest than an infant, making nap times shorter. KidsHealth.org notes that between 1 and 3 years, most toddlers need between 10 and 13 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period. This means that your toddler's nap times decrease from what they were during infancy. For example, at 10 months, your little one may have taken roughly two two-hour naps during the day, while your 2-year-old may take only one two-hour nap per day.

    How Many Naps?

    • Between 1 and 3 years old, toddlers may decrease their frequency of naps from two to one. Many young toddlers take a morning and afternoon nap to spread the sleep out and keep them well-rested. By the time your toddler reaches about 18 months, he may start taking only one nap per day. This is indicative of the need to sleep less as your child ages.

    Considerations

    • While there's no doubt that your toddler needs a minimum amount of sleep per day, she may have to forgo a nap here and there due to any number of reasons. Your ultra-busy toddler may scoff at the idea of napping and have trouble settling down. A significant change in routine -- such as staying out late while at Grandma's house -- may throw off your toddler's entire sleep schedule and make it either difficult for her to nap or result in her taking extra-long rest breaks. Another cause for decreasing nap times during the toddler years is starting school. If your little one attends preschool or day care, she may have to follow the center's schedule and nap during a set time, rather than on her own natural schedule.

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