Sleep Via the Night time and Naps
10 min read

Set the correct 16 month outdated sleep schedule and your toddler will take 2-3-hour naps and sleep via the night time for 11-12 hours! Many toddlers this age are taking only one nap or transferring in that course. With out the correct schedule, many 16 month olds will wake regularly at night time. This text will share every little thing you want to learn about your 16 month outdated’s sleep schedule to assist them sleep longer and be happier!
On this article:
How A lot Sleep 16 Month Olds Want
Most 16 month olds want 13-14 hours of sleep per day together with 11-12 hours at night time and 2-3 hours throughout the day. At this age, toddlers are sleeping via the night time and taking 2-3-hour naps.
In fact, some toddlers will want roughly than the common quantity of sleep. So, in case your toddler is sleeping roughly than 13-14 hours in a 24-hour interval, in the event that they’re completely satisfied, it’s doubtless superb. One of the best ways to know in case your toddler is getting sufficient sleep is to take a look at their temper, conduct, and different indicators of over-tiredness. Though toddler tantrums are widespread, overtired toddlers are inclined to have extra of them.
16 Month Outdated Sleep Schedule Wake Home windows and Awake Time
The wake window at 16 months, or awake time, is often 5 hours each earlier than and after their nap. If they’re liable to taking a 2.5 to 3-hour nap, you may see a 4.5-hour wake window earlier than and/or after their nap.
If you’re an unfortunate mother or father and your toddler “solely” sleeps 11 hours at night time and “solely” two hours throughout the day (13 hours whole), your toddler’s wake window could possibly be 5.5 hours earlier than and after the nap. This is without doubt one of the harder schedules for a lot of households at this age, although it will get simpler as they strategy 18 months outdated!
How Many Naps Ought to a 16 Month Outdated Take?
Most 16 month olds take only one nap. Observe that the common age to transition to at least one nap is 15 months outdated.
In case your toddler isn’t prepared for only one nap, that’s okay! As a substitute, use the 14 month outdated sleep schedule.
The perfect factor to do is wait to see indicators of dropping to at least one nap earlier than altering their sleep schedule. It’s because transitioning too early may cause night-waking and different sleep issues.
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3 Methods to Transition From 2 Naps to 1 Nap – Discover the Proper Means For Your Toddler
There are just a few eventualities that may imply you must get up your toddler from napping too lengthy:
- In case your 16 month outdated is napping for two to three hours every day and sleeping via the night time: No, you must NOT wake them from their nap.
- In case your toddler is waking up too early the subsequent day resembling 4 or 5 a.m. and sleeping lower than 10 hours: Sure, you could wish to wake them up from their lengthy nap. Nonetheless, in case your toddler is sleeping for 10+ hours at night time and waking up too early, you may merely wish to shift their schedule ahead, as an alternative.
- In case your toddler is awake in the midst of the night time for an hour or longer: We name this “child insomnia” or a cut up night time. In case your toddler continues to be taking two naps, this can be a signal it’s in all probability time to drop a nap (see above). In case your toddler is taking only one nap, it would imply they’re napping too lengthy throughout the day although that typically solely occurs if the nap is 3+ hours.
- In case your toddler is taking two naps however not prepared for a 1-nap schedule: Sure, you could wish to shorten one or each naps to assist handle the schedule earlier than you transition to at least one nap totally. Once more, see our 14 month outdated sleep schedule publish for extra particulars.
What Time Ought to a 16 Month Outdated Go to Mattress?
The commonest bedtime for a 16 month outdated is 7:00 to eight:00 PM.
False begins can happen in case you set your toddler’s bedtime sooner than 7:00 PM. On this case, they get up 30-90 minutes later as if bedtime was a “nap.” In case your bedtime is later than 8:00 PM, your toddler may turn into overtired and this may trigger an early-waking drawback.
If bedtime is earlier or later than the standard vary, and sleep is good in your family, there isn’t a want to vary it.
Pattern 16 Month Outdated Sleep Schedules
The best 16 month outdated sleep schedule can assist your toddler sleep via the night time, nap longer throughout the day, and be happier, general. Use these pattern schedules that can assist you discover the correct one on your distinctive state of affairs.
Pattern 1-Nap Sleep Schedule
In my 15+ years of expertise as a sleep marketing consultant, 16 months is a standard age to be on a 1-nap schedule or transition to it. Understand that in case your toddler takes “simply” a 2-hour nap (which is totally regular), you’ll want to stick with 5-hour wake home windows and try for a 12-hour night time.
Nonetheless, in case your baby takes a 2.5 to 3-hour nap, you may provide a 4 to 4.5-hour wake window earlier than their nap and 4.5 to five hours of awake time earlier than bedtime (or vice versa if it really works higher for them). This works greatest for toddlers delicate to over-tiredness.
In case your toddler is sleeping 11 hours at night time and napping for “simply” 2 hours, you may want 5.5-hour wake home windows. All of it is determined by how a lot sleep your toddler wants in whole. Don’t be afraid to embrace your baby’s uniqueness!
Here’s a quite common 1-nap schedule to think about:
Time | Wake Window | Exercise | Sleep Size |
7:30 AM | Wake* | ||
12:30 PM | 5 Hours | Nap | 2 to three hours |
7:30 PM | 5 Hours | Bedtime (Asleep by this time) |
11-12 hours |
* Ought to You Wake Your Toddler? On a 1-nap schedule, there isn’t as a lot of a must wake your toddler and you’ll often allow them to sleep. Nonetheless, in case your toddler is routinely sleeping longer than 12 hours at night time and taking brief naps, you could wish to restrict nighttime sleep to “depart some” for the daytime. Their whole sleep will keep comparatively fixed so some toddlers can sleep “an excessive amount of” throughout the day or night time which negatively impacts the opposite.
Pattern 1-Nap Sleep Schedule With Meals
Once more, many purchasers wish to know match meals in to arrange their toddler for fulfillment in sleeping via the night time and taking lengthy, luxurious naps. Right here’s a typical 1-nap schedule with meals:
Time | Wake Window | Exercise | Sleep Size |
7:30 AM | Wake* | ||
8:00 AM | Breakfast + Milk | ||
10:00 AM | Snack + Milk | ||
12:00 PM | Lunch + Milk | ||
12:30 PM | 5 Hours | Nap | 2 to three hours |
3:30 PM | Huge Snack + Milk (Second Lunch) |
||
5:30 PM | Small Snack (if essential) |
||
6:30 PM | Dinner + Milk | ||
7:30 PM | 5 Hours | Bedtime (Asleep by this time) |
11 to 12 hours |
* Ought to You Wake Your Toddler? On a 1-nap schedule, there isn’t as a lot of a must wake your toddler and you’ll often allow them to sleep. Nonetheless, in case your toddler is routinely sleeping longer than 12 hours at night time and taking brief naps, you could wish to restrict nighttime sleep to “depart some” for the daytime. Their whole sleep will keep comparatively fixed so some toddlers can sleep “an excessive amount of” throughout the day or night time which negatively impacts the opposite.
Obtain the pattern schedule beneath by clicking on it after which right-clicking:

Pattern Toddler Schedules By Month For All Ages
Do you know we have now pattern toddler schedules by month for all ages? Test it out!
What Ought to You Do If Your Toddler Can’t Sleep 12 Hours?
First, know that even when your toddler by no means slept 12 hours at night time on a 2-nap schedule, it doesn’t imply they gained’t when on a 1-nap schedule. My son solely began sleeping 12 hours at night time as soon as we transitioned from two naps to at least one nap! Ensure you give them 2-3 weeks to regulate to the brand new schedule earlier than you quit!
In case your toddler can’t appear to sleep 12 hours at night time and also you’ve given them a minimum of two weeks to regulate, you may want to regulate your wake home windows to be longer than is comfy in the intervening time. Normally, it’s greatest to have a shorter wake window earlier than the nap and an extended one after the nap, however not at all times. You may must experiment, although, as a result of, through the years, I’ve seen all several types of schedules work!
Why Some 16 Month Olds Wake Up Too Early
In case your 16 month outdated is waking up too early within the morning at 4 or 5 am, for instance, there are a couple of widespread causes:
- Overtiredness at Bedtime – In case your toddler’s wake window is just too lengthy earlier than bedtime, that is the #1 motive for waking up too early the subsequent day. Shorten the wake window proper earlier than bedtime. In case your toddler wakes up crying, that is the almost definitely motive.
- Starvation – In the event you provide dinner too early (e.g. 4:30 or 5:00 PM), this can be a widespread motive for waking up too early. Ideally, dinner shall be no sooner than 6:00 PM, if attainable. Whereas some toddlers can go 13 hours with out consuming, some toddlers merely can’t.
- Dawn – We are supposed to rise with the solar and fall asleep with the sundown. Unnatural gentle has made all of our bedtimes later than pure. Youngsters who’re delicate to gentle may get up too early when the solar begins to shine via their home windows. Think about room-darkening shades, blinds, or curtains.
- Schedule Change – If you’re nonetheless giving your 16 month outdated two naps, it’s in all probability time to drop one.
Though there are a couple of different causes your toddler could possibly be waking up too early, these are the most typical culprits.
Why Some 16 Month Olds Wake Up at Night time and Can You Do Sleep Coaching?
There could possibly be many causes inflicting your toddler to get up at night time. When you can do sleep coaching, that doesn’t repair each trigger. You should definitely resolve the proper drawback and take a look at our article Prime 15 Causes Your Child Is Waking at Night time.
16 Month Outdated Sleep Schedule FAQ
No, it isn’t too early for one nap for many 16 month outdated toddlers.
16 month olds nap for two to three hours whole every single day.
Many 16 month olds take only one nap although a small share are nonetheless taking two naps.
Daytime sleep for 16 month olds ought to whole 2 to three hours.
Wake home windows for 16 month olds are often 5 hours earlier than and after their nap.
A typical bedtime for a 16 month outdated is between 7:00 to eight:00 PM.
In the event you not too long ago transitioned to at least one nap, the almost definitely motive your 16 month outdated is waking up crying each night time is that bedtime is just too late. Transfer bedtime earlier by 20-Half-hour to see if it improves.
No, there may be sometimes NOT a 16 month sleep regression. Greater than doubtless, your toddler is altering their sleep schedule which could appear as if a sleep regression.
There could possibly be many causes your toddler is waking up at night time. When you can do sleep coaching, that doesn’t repair each motive. Resolve the proper drawback! And, make sure to take a look at our article Prime 15 Causes Your Child Is Waking at Night time.
Toddlers ought to drink 16-20 oz of milk per day till they’re 5 years outdated in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics. Though cow’s milk is the most typical, there are a lot of choices these days. The kind of milk you provide ought to have a minimal of 8 grams of protein per serving so watch out about milk substitutes and the quantity of sugar.
Usually, you shouldn’t want to provide your baby below 3 years outdated melatonin. As a substitute, put them on the correct schedule. In case your toddler’s bedtime is just too late or your toddler is taking too lengthy to go to sleep, it’s doubtless as a result of it’s time to drop a nap.
Whereas there isn’t a set age for youngsters to cease napping, typically, most toddlers must take a minimum of one nap till 3 to 4 years outdated, on common. So, sure, 16 months outdated is just too early to cease napping.