Your Toddler’s Schedule
Posted by Nicole on August 19th, 2008
This article outlines the average toddler schedule, including feedings, naps and night sleep. If your toddler is having trouble napping, you may be interested in my toddler nap tips. And, for good ideas on feeding your toddler, check out Wholesome Toddler Food. You may also want to encourage your toddler to get involved in his routine by teaching him to tell time with this Melissa and Doug Wooden Shape Sorting Clock.
Two Nap Schedule | One Nap Schedule | No Nap Schedule
Toddler Schedules – General Info
At this age, your toddler should be sleeping through the night, with no night feedings. Obviously, all babies vary, but here are some rough schedules you can use to make your own for your unique baby.
I think of a “toddler” as a 1-3 year old, which is a wide range. Sleep needs change in that time-frame. While your one year old may be sleeping 12 hours at night and 2-3 hours during the day made up of 2 naps, on average, your three year old is likely starting to transition into not napping all together and will do so most likely before the age of four. At 2 years old, the average amount of sleep drops to between 12 and 12 1/2 hours in 24 hours, including just one afternoon nap. The average age for a toddler to transition to just one nap is 15-18 months. Transitioning too soon can have disastrous results with a very cranky toddler.
This article will give an example of 3 different types of schedules, 2 naps, 1 nap and no naps.
7:00 – Wake
7:00/7:30 – Breakfast
9:30 – Light snack if she needs it
10:00 – Morning Nap (at least 1 hour)
11:30/12:00 – Lunch
2:00 – Afternoon Nap (at least 1 hour)
3:30 – Afternoon Snack
5:30 – Dinner
6:30 – Begin bedtime routine
7:00 – Bedtime
7:00 – Wake
7:00/7:30 – Breakfast
9:00 – Light snack if she needs it
11:00 – Lunch
12:00 – Nap (at least 1 hour)
3:30 – Afternoon Snack
5:30 – Dinner
6:30 – Begin bedtime routine
7:00 – Bedtime
7:00 – Wake
7:00/7:30 – Breakfast
9:30 – Light snack if she needs it
12:00 – Lunch
1:00 – Quiet/Rest time (45 minutes to 1 hour)
3:30 – Afternoon Snack
5:30 – Dinner
6:30 – Begin bedtime routine
7:00 – Bedtime
If your toddler is waking too early or going to bed too late, you may be interested in shifting his schedule.
If you’re looking for ways to get your baby or toddler into a healthy sleeping routine during the day, I encourage you to explore Mastering Naps and Schedules, a comprehensive guide to napping routines, nap transitions, and all the other important “how-tos” of good baby sleep. With over 40 sample sleep schedules and planning worksheets, Mastering Naps and Schedules is a hands-on tool ideal for any parenting style. For those persistent nighttime struggles, check out Help Your Child Sleep, a Step-by-Step Guide. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your baby sleep through the night. Or, join our Members Area packed with premium content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, peer support, and more. It actually costs less to join than buying products separately! For those looking for a more customized solution for your unique situation with support along the way, please consider one-on-one baby and toddler sleep consultations.
Share your toddler’s schedule
Tags: 12 month schedule, children schedule, schedule for toddlers, sleep problems, sleep schedule, tips schedule, toddler bedtime, toddler daily schedule, toddler habits, toddler help, toddler nap, toddler patterns, toddler routine, toddler sleep problems, toddler sleep schedule, toddler tips, toddler waking
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August 23rd, 2008
My toddler’s schedule is as follows:
6:00 wake up
7:00 breakfast
10:00 snack
11:30 lunch
12:30 nap (lasts between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 hours)
3:30 snack
6:00 dinner
7:30 bedtime (falls asleep between 8:00 and 8:30!)
January 15th, 2009
My two-year’s old follows this schedule:
7:15 wake up
7:30 breakfast
7:45 watches Baby TV channel
8:30 bath time
9:00 read a story together
9:15 play outside (weather permitting)
9:45 light morning snack
10:00 play in the toy box
11:30 lunch
12:00 run errands with mom
1:30 afternoon nap
2:30-4:30 wreaks havoc in the house
4:30 prepares dinner with mom/glances at evening news
5:30 dinner time
6:00 playtime with daddy
7;00 watches Baby TV
7:45 bedtime story/final playtime with mom
8:30 gets into the bed and plays with stuffed animals
(will actually fall asleep around 9:15)
January 23rd, 2010
My 13 Month Old’s Schedule:
6:15 – 7:15 wake up
7:15 breakfast
9:00 nap (1 – 1.5 hours)
11:30 lunch
1:00 nap (1-1.5 hours)
3:00 snack
5:30 dinner
6:45 bath
7:00 – 7:30 bedtime (Falls asleep within 5-10 min)
February 14th, 2010
@Laurie Thank you for sharing your toddler’s schedule!
February 25th, 2010
Can anyone give me a schedule for my 2.5 y/o who don’t have nap at all? i can’t seem to find the right routine. he wakes up at 8 or the most is 930. i have trouble making him sleep at night.
March 24th, 2010
@ Grace it would be helpful if you could post more information about what your current schedule is and what are your issues with it or how it is affecting your child and his sleep.
April 3rd, 2010
Here’s my 18-month-old’s schedule. I’m wondering if her nap is long enough. I’m not sure how to get a longer nap out of her, so I hope it is. Maybe she’s just getting enough sleep at night not to need a longer nap?
6:30-7:00 – wake up
7:30 – breakfast
8:00 – playtime/errands
10:00 – snack
12:00 – lunch
12:45 – nap (1.5 hours typically, sometimes 2 hours)
3:00 – snack
3:00-6:00 – playtime/errands
6:00 – dinner
6:40 – bath (if bath night)
7:00 – bed (sleeps through the night; 11-12 hours of sleep)
April 9th, 2010
Hi Jennifer,
In looking over Nicole’s post about toddler schedules, with one nap per day, she recommends a nap of at least an hour so it does look like your daughter’s nap is probably long enough. (You can read the post here: http://www.babysleepsite.com/tag/12-month-schedule/) If she doesn’t seem tired after waking or seems to be in good spirits until her bedtime, then her nap is most likely adequate.
April 12th, 2010
My 14 month old: [very active]
bedtime 7-7:30pm
Wake between 3-5 am for a breastfeed…so early…:-(
back to sleep until:
6:30-7 am awake for the morning
7:30/8- Breakfast
between 10 -10:45 first nap [usually for 1hr20min sometimes 1hr 40 min, sometimes 2 hours!
12:30 Lunch
2:30 snack
between 3:30-4:30 optional nap usually for only 30 minutes
5:30 dinner
6:30 bath
7pm bed
——————
Ideally I would love to get rid of the 3-5 am feed, and push her nap until 12 noon making it only one nap a day… but she’s so tired around 10 or 10:45 am, that it’s impossible right now.
How can I drop waking between 3-5 am? I’ve let her CIO, and put her to sleep awake, but cannot stop this from happening.
April 16th, 2010
Hi Lesley,
That time of morning is usually tricky for most babies as it is the lightest sleep cycle of the night and they are pretty well rested from the rest of the night. The trick will be to help her learn to resettle during that time and go back to sleep without the feeding. A toddler this age should be able to make it through the night without a feeding, so at this point, it is most likely a habit as well as her body had trained itself to think it needs to eat at this time. Encourage her to eat through out the day and maybe consider incorporating a snack in to the evening routine just to be sure. Another option is to check out Nicole’s e-book on Shifting Schedules to help with early wakings. You can find more information about it here: http://www.babysleepsite.com/waking-too-early/
April 22nd, 2010
Hi leslie,
We eliminated all night feedings with my now 2.3yr old by replacing nursing with water. he was still comforted but after few days just started sleeping bc the he wasnt used to eating then anymore.
My issue is that this same little cutie wakes-up too early every morning: today was 5am but most is 5:30 or 6. he goes to bed at 8pm and naps for bout 2 hrs day (1-3pm). I’m wondering if i should cut back or eliminate naptime. He gets really cranky without it, but maybe things would even out? would love some feedback on this.
-naomi
April 22nd, 2010
Hi Naomi,
Thanks for chiming in here. It always help to have moms supporting other moms with their own experiences. Sounds like maybe you’ll want to try shorten his nap. Maybe try one hour instead of two and see if he can adjust and if that will help him to sleep later. Maybe see if you can move his nap up a little earlier so he’s awake longer before bedtime.
August 8th, 2010
My 17 month old has been pretty consistent for about 2 months now with this schedule
Wake up between 7:00 and 7:30
Breakfast 8:00
Snack 10:00
Lunch 12:00
Down for a nap 12:30 ( sleeps 2-3 hours)
Snack when he wakes up from his nap 3:00 – 3:30
Family dinner by 6:00
8:00 bedtime (falls asleep usually by 8:30 and 9:00 the latest)
I am wondering if 11 hrs of night sleep is enough? I haven’t noticed any cranky behaviour or that he is very tired by 7 or so
i think our schedule is working pretty well
August 13th, 2010
Hi Veronika,
Yes, between 11-12 hours of sleep at night is what is recommend at this age.
August 13th, 2010
My 13 1/2 months old child been in this schedule since since she’s napping twice a day, and is doing very well on schedule (she started napping twice when she’s 7mo):
7am – wake up
7:30/8am – breakfast
10am – nap (at least 1 hr or 1 1/2 hr)
12:30pm – lunch
2/2:30pm – nap (at least 1 hr or 1 1/2 hr)
4pm – snack
5:30/6pm – dinner
6:30pm – start bedtime routine
7pm – sleep (sometimes she fall asleep 7:30pm the latest) and sleep through the nigh
Recently, its been about more than a week now and I still trying to follow this schedule, i will try to put her to 10am nap but she seems not that too sleep that she lie on her bed trying to soothe herself and for more than 30minutes and would nap for 1 1/2 hrs.
In the afternoon its now a struggle to put her to nap early, she would actually fall asleep late around 3:30pm and sleep for an hour 4:30.
As a result, since she woke up from her afternoon nap very late, it will pushes her night sleep to 8:30pm (sometimes 8pm if i’m lucky). but still tried to start bedtime as early as possible. And still wakes up at 7am in the morning sharp!
Do you think she’s ready for ONE nap now? What should do? Your advice is very much appreciate. Or if anyone who have experience transitioning from 2naps to 1nap….I am just worried if I will put to 1 nap its just too soon for my young child. Thank you all, really appreciate it.
Regards,
Jan
August 15th, 2010
Hi,
I’ve followed the schedules on here since my DD was about 5 months, now she’s 14 months. However, I’m a little confused now as to when I should give her milk in the routine above? Usually it used to be as soon as she woke up from her nap, but there’s no mention of it on here and I’m a little lost.
Jan, I used to have exactly the same routine as yours and since we’ve come back from vacation, she has refused to follow her old routine, pushing her naps to much later meaning her bedtime was much later. Today, she woke up at 8am, had a nap for 1 and a half hours at 11.30 and went to sleep at 7pm with a lot less fussing than usual. I’m not sure whether to transition her to one nap or whether it is a case of her going back into her old routine.
Also, on another note, advice from anybody who bf until quite late – I’m really worried about stopping her bedtime bf and changing it to a bottle as it is obv a sleep association for her. She is usually guarenteed to fall asleep nursing at the breast so has always been put into her cot fast asleep. If I try to put her in awake, she screams and cries until I end up having to lift her out as she is practically hyperventilating. Any advice?
Regards,
Kay
August 15th, 2010
Hello Kay,
Thanks for sharing. Please keep me updated on how would your little one transition to 1 nap if she would any sooner.
With regards to giving milk, I normally give a cup of milk after each meal (so 3x a day), and my little one is in full bottle/formula now. And during the night usually will have her milk just during bedtime but still awake and sleepy then put her on the cot drowsy.
Hope this can help.
Regards,
Jan
August 16th, 2010
Hi Jan,
Thanks for your message. She has already had one nap today but only slept for 1 hour so she will probably have another nap in a little while.
From tomorrow, I’m going to give the bottle to her before she goes to sleep rather than when she wakes up.
Thanks for your help!
Regards,
Kay