Hi, how many naps a day should my 1 year old be taking? Sometimes he sleeps in the morning from 9-11 and then in the afternoon from 2-4. Sometimes he just takes a later nap in the afternoon for a few hours. I'd like to get him on a schedule but I would like some feedback on what other 1 year olds are doing. Thanks!
I would like to thank everyone for letting me in on your experiences! It is so nice to know I'm not the only one trying to figure things out! I guess I will continue with the 2 naps as my son still needs them. His body does know if it needs the rest. Thanks again everyone!
Around the 1 year mark my son was doing the same thing. I think my doctor told me to just go with it because he was adjusting from two naps to one. Some days he needed more sleep and some less. It stinks for a couple of months because they won't be on a good schedule, but then they settle into that one nap in the afternoon and he has been steady with that for probably eight months now. Good luck!!
As long as he sleeps at night, your ok.
I have a 2 yr old and I've also worked in daycares.. My daughter took mornings naps for a while along with afternoon naps when she was 1. Eventually you'll notice they aren't sleeping as long or fight it more.. I'd taper the morning nap off and eventually they'll just have the afternoon nap. Every child is different.. and need different amounts of sleep. I think a one year old should ideally sleep 14 hours a day? Im not positive on that. So if he is sleeping all night for 10 hours or so and wants to take 2 naps that day.. I wouldnt fight it.
Hi M.,
That's the same schedule my 16month old son is one (give or take). It seems to work the best. My daycare provider has tried to get him to take one longer nap from 12-3 or so but it hasn't worked yet. He's not ready to give up his two naps. Your son seems right on track.
J.
I have been threw it 5 times. When a child is that young I don't feel that it is anything wrong with him/her napping that often, as long as he/she is still able to follow his/her bedtime schedule, and his napping is not interfering with your day to day objectives. i think it is ok. Now if you find him/her staying up during the time he/she is to be in bed. Then you may want to cut back on the naps. But this is the time when their body is still growing. So i think it is OK...
Good luck with that
My daughter Aaralynn is 13months old... Our schedule use to be crazy, but we moved into a more stable situation, and she goes to bed around 8pm wakes around 8am and takes a 2.5 to 3hr nap around 12noon. She used to take two naps, but that changed 2 months ago.. Good luck.
my 1 year old is the same, most days he takes a nap from 10-11 then again in the afternoon around 2 and sometimes a short nap from 5-5:30 while we make dinner...i think it is pretty normal not to be on a schedule and just let them sleep when they are tired...eventually it will even out...(lets hope)
M.,
My son is 14months, and I saved an article on this from a "Baby and You" magazine, as my mother in law and sitter had conflicting opinions on it.
"How Much Sleep Should Baby Get?"
These are guidelines, so don't worry if your child's schedule seems quite different...
Months - Hours Total - Nighttime - Daytime
9 / 14.5hrs / 11hrs / 3-4hrs (2 naps)
12 / 14hrs / 11-12hrs / 2-3hrs (1 or 2 naps)
18 / 13.5hrs / 11-12hrs / 2-2.5hrs (1 nap)
24 / 13hrs / 11hrs / 2hrs (1 nap)
I've found this chart to be pretty helpful and correct in comparing how cranky my son is if he gets too little at night or to little during the day... I then just aim to make up the differnce under "hours total."
Hope this works as well for you as it did for me!
~J.
I have a 13 month old daughter and we have been trying to get her on a schedule too... it is difficult but depending on the time she wakes up, we decide on nap times. If she is up at 7 - she naps around 11 for about an hour then if later in the afternoon around 3 or 4 if she is cranky and extremely tired, she goes down for another nap but we wake her after about 45 mins to an hour so that she goes to bed at night. Her normal bedtime is between 7 and 730... if she wakes up earlier in the morning, she goes to nap earlier and that day will most likely have 2 naps. I try to keep it around the same time each day and pretty much now after about 3 months, she knows when it is nap time and bedtime and will find her "blankey" and a drink and curl up to you to take a snooze... I think this all depends on the child - if your child needs two naps then let it be. If he/she can function and not be cranky with one nap then let it be. You kind of have to play it day by day and see what happens!
That is what both my kids did, a nap in the morning and one in the afternoon, your son will tell you that he doesnt want to take more than one nap, usually the morning nap is the one that's skipped. Dont think he's sleeping too much, he wouldnt sleep if he wasn't tired, unless he doesnt sleep durring the night. Then I would try finding a way he would sleep durring the night. But I wouldnt worry, both my kids took 2 naps till they were about 18 months.
Hi, M.. My son, Evan, is 14 months. He seems to be right about where your son is. Sometimes 2 naps, most times 1. I wasn't really worried about a schedule, his body knows what it needs. Also, our doctor said he might be getting to the point where he only needs 1 nap.
T.:)
When my boys were that age they had two naps a day like yours is doing... it sounds like he has gotten himself onto his own schedule, you just need to re-enforce it. Its okay to bend it a half hour or so or for special occasions... I miss those two naps a day... lol... Mine are 3 and 4 now (almost 4 and 5) and I cant get them to even sit still for more than 5 minutes... enjoy it now while you can!
