One Nap Schedules Perfect for Your Toddler

When should a toddler move to one nap? Find out signs your toddler is ready for one nap, the best age for it, what your schedule should look like on one nap, and get 29 sample schedules that were used by real toddlers.

Napping toddler

Moving to one nap a day with your toddler can sound a little scary. What will it look like? How will you fill all of that awake time together? What time should the nap be?

There are so many questions.

In this post, we will go over when your toddler can move to one nap, what your daily schedule should look like, how long that one nap should be, and sample schedules that have been used by real moms.

When Should a Toddler Go To One Nap?

Before we get into what the daily schedule should look like, we need to make sure we are moving to one nap a day at the right time. If your toddler is not ready for just one nap a day, the schedule will not go well.

Best Age to Move to One Nap

Your kiddo will be ready for one nap sometime between 14-22 months old. Many people wonder if their baby can move to one nap before 14 months old, and the answer is no.

If your older baby, one year old, or 13 month old seems to be struggling with two naps, then you are likely facing a sleep regression, teething, new skills or a need to add more mental or physical stimulation in your day.

>>>Read: Sleep Regressions: Causes, Ages, and What to Do

Your little one might be working on walking or talking and therefore not sleeping well. Teeth might be coming in and disrupting sleep.

It is also very common for older babies and young toddlers to simply just need to get more energy out to sleep well. Simply adding age-appropriate toys, more physical activity, or even just going for a walk can help.

If your pre-toddler is taking short naps (in the 12-18 month old range), you want to rule out other factors before you just jump right to dropping that morning nap. Read more on what to do in What To Do When Your Pre-Toddler is Taking a Short Morning Nap.

It is very common for young toddlers to not quite need two naps a day but also not be ready for just one nap a day. This is an awkward time and difficult to troubleshoot. Learn what to in this post: Dropping the Morning Nap Transition Time

>>>Read: 26 Best Toys for PreToddler: 12-18 Months

Signs Toddler is Ready for 1 Nap

Common signs that a toddler is ready to drop to one nap a day include:

  • Your child is 14-22 months old
  • Morning nap is great but afternoon nap is short
  • Morning nap is short but afternoon nap is great
  • Both naps will be short
  • Toddler can handle a much longer wake time length (or wake window)
  • Night wakings

You will not see all of these signs. You might only see one.

>>>Read: Dropping the Morning Nap Full Guide

What Should a One Nap Schedule Look Like

As you move to one nap a day, you are probably wondering what the 1 nap schedule basics are.

Meal Times

While you have followed an eat/wake/sleep cycle for much of your child’s life to this point, once you are on one nap, this will not be your pattern.

You will have breakfast, lunch, and dinner times. You might also have 1-2 snacks in your day. Your toddler will follow this eating pattern:

  • Breakfast (eat)
  • Possible small snack
  • Lunch (eat)
  • Nap
  • Possible snack
  • Dinner (eat)
  • Bedtime

Sleep Times

Your toddler’s nap should happen some time after lunch. As you transition to one nap, you might need to do lunch a little earlier than you typically would and/or do nap very soon after lunch. This might last 2-4 weeks.

As your toddler adjusts to one nap a day, you will be able to shift the nap to settle in to a typical time.

Bedtime should stay the same as it was before moving to one nap. You might need to do bedtime a little early at first when you move to one nap. This might last 2-4 weeks. As your toddler grows accustomed to just one nap a day, you can move bedtime back to its normal time.

The need to move nap earlier and/or bedtime earlier is more common in younger toddlers (14-17 month olds) than in older toddlers (18-22 months old) who are moving to one nap a day.

Night sleep will stay at 10-12 hours at night. Nighttime sleep doesn’t change much unless you start bedtime a little early.

Even though your kiddo is older, it is still smart to keep your sleep routines. Having a nap routine and a bedtime routine still help your child know it is time to sleep. Even adults benefit from sleep routines.

Wake Windows

The typical toddler will settle in to needing to start nap about 6 hours after morning wake up time. So your first wake window, or wake time length, should be about 6 hours.

As stated earlier, when you first move to one nap a day, your toddler might need a shorter wake time length between the morning wake up time and nap time for the first 2-4 weeks as she adjusts to one nap a day.

The timing of this nap can be just as important as timing naps was with your newborn. You might find you have a 10 minute grace period for starting this nap or your toddler won’t nap well. Work to find the right timing for your toddler and respect that need.

Your wake window after the nap and before bedtime will vary depending on your toddler’s sleep needs. Bedtime should be the same time as it was before moving to one nap.

Again, you might adjust bedtime for the first 2-4 weeks of your 1 nap schedule. The earlier bedtime will just be for a brief time as your toddler gets used to being on one nap.

Consistent Morning Awake Time and Bedtime

It is still important to be consistent with your morning wake up time and your bedtime each day. You can have some flexibility here and there, but try to be consistent as much as possible.

Put extra effort into consistency in those first 2-4 weeks as you are figuring out your toddler’s sleep needs on a one nap schedule.

Playtime Activities

Now that you have just one nap a day, you have more time for playtime activities. Here are things to possibly include in your toddler’s day:

Nap Length

People often wonder how long should toddlers 1 nap be. It should be at least 1.5 hours long but can be as long as 3 hours long. If your toddler is younger, you might even have 3.5 hours long.

Total daytime sleep should be 1.5-3.5 hours long. Most will be 2-3 hours.

Make sure you are aware of what a sleep deficit is and how it might affect your toddler. If you moved to one nap too early, it can take 2 weeks for that to reflect in the schedule. A one hour nap is a sign that your toddler was not actually ready for one nap a day.

>>>Read: How to Fix Your Child’s Sleep Deficit

Sample One-Nap Schedules

Here are some toddler sleep schedules that have been used by real toddlers. All of these schedules have just one nap a day.

These sample schedules all fall in the age range of 14 months old to 22 months old. I have ordered them by morning start time so you can find the schedules that best fit with your day.

6:30-7:00- wake
If wakes before 6:30, she is left in bed until 6:45 (7:00 if still happy).
7:00-7:10 – free play with toys in living room; loves this chance to roam, and “rediscover” her toys
7:15-7:45 – breakfast
milk, oatmeal with PB/yogurt; toast; applesauce; pancakes; fruit; bran cereal; low-fat/low sugar banana bread
7:45-8:00 – play
8:00-8:15 – diaper and dressed
8:30-10:00 – walk outside in stroller/errands
10:00-10:30 – independent play time
10:45-11:15 – read/check mail/play
11:15-11:45 – lunch
cheese, fruit, cheese toast, leftovers, milk
12:00-12:30 – read, diaper change, play outside
12:30-3:00 – nap
varies depending on day (sometimes 1-4, sometimes 12:30-3:30, sometimes shorter); generally at least a 2-hr nap
3:15 – milk
3:30-4:45 – walk in stroller outside
5:00-5:15 – play during supper prep
5:30-6:00 – supper
6:00 – outside play with Mommy/Daddy; cleanup etc.,
6:25 – bath
6:30-6:45 – jammies, milk, teeth brushing, book
7:00 – bed

630-7 DWT
1145-230/3 NAP
715/730 Bedtime

6:30 and bedtime of 6:30.
6:30 up/bottle
7 breakfast
10:30 lunch
10:45-1:15 nap
2:00 snack
5:00 dinner
6:15 bottle
6:30 bed

7:00: eat breakfast (milk included)
12:00: eat lunch (milk included)
1:00: nap
4:30: wake up
5:30ish: Dinner (milk included)
7:30: in bed

7 dress, breakfast, play
8:30-8:50 bottle, nap
9:15-9:30 asleep
10:15 I wake her
11 lunch
12:45 bottle, nap at 12:55
1:15-2 asleep
3-4:15 wakes
5 dinner
6:10 bath, bottle, stories
6:45 bed

7am wake, milk
7:30 breakfast
8 run in jogging stroller
9 nap if we’re home
10:30 snack errands, playdates
12 lunch
1pm nap
3pm snack
3:30 mommy play time
4pm independent play
4:30 sibling play
5:30pm dinner
6:30 bath
7pm bed

7am wake (snack/breakfast)
9am sometimes naps but only if we are home or that I feel she needs it
10am wakes from nap
11:30am Lunch
12:30pm Nap
3-3:30pm Wakes up and snack
5:30pm Dinner
8pm Bed

7:00 – wake, milk, tv time
8:00 – breakfast
8:30 – Room time (independent play)
9:30 – Free play
10:00 – Outing (errands, playdate, etc.)
12:30 – lunch
1:00 – nap
3:30 – milk, reading time, sometimes a snack
4:00 – outside time
5:30 – play time with Daddy
6:30 – dinner
7:30 – bath then bed

7am wake, 8 oz milk
8am breakfast
830-10 playtime – unstructured or with sibling
10-1130 snack and structured playtime with mommy or on a playdate
1130 lunch
1200-200 nap
200 unstructured/independent playtime
300-400 structured playtime and snack
400 free time/sometimes we watch TV at this time
500 playtime with daddy
530 dinner
600 more playtime with daddy
630 bedtime routine, including bath
700 lights out

7am DWT
11:30 lunch
12:00-2:30nap
6:30 dinner
7:30 bedtime

7:00 DWT
7:30 Breakfast
9:30 AM Snack
11:15/11:30 Lunch
12:15/12:30 Nap – usually 1.5-2 hours
PM Snack upon waking from nap
5:00/5:30 Dinner
6:30 Bedtime Routine/Bath
7:15 Read Books
7:30 Bedtime

7:00-7:30am Waketime
8:00am Breakfast
8:30am Independent playtime in room
9:15am Playtime with mom/also helping with laundry!
10:00am Snack
10:15am TV time
10:30am outside/playgroup/library/errands (depending on the day!)
11:30am learning activity (if we’re at home)
12:00pm lunch
1:00pm-4:00pm nap
4:00pm playtime with mom
4:45pm free playtime
5:30pm dinner
6:00pm free playtime with mom & dad
7:00pm bathtime, reading
8:00pm bedtime

7:15: eat breakfast (milk included)
11:30: eat lunch (milk included)
1:00: nap
4:00: wake
5:30ish: Dinner (milk included)
7:00: drink milk (I would give him whatever milk he hadn’t had for the day to equal 24 ounces)
7:30: in bed

7:15: eat breakfast (milk included)
11:30: eat lunch (milk included)
1:00: nap
4:30: wake
5:30ish: Dinner (milk included)
7:30: in bed

7:30 – Breakfast – cereal, fruit, toast, yogurt
8:30 – At Babysitters — playing!!
9:30 – Nap
12:00 – Wake, 8 oz whole milk
1:00 – Lunch
2:30 – Nap
3:30 – 4:00 Wake, snack and play
4:30 – Pick up my princess!!
5:00 – 8 oz of whole milk while mom makes dinner
5:30 – Play with mom and dad
6:00 – Dinner with family
6:45 – Bath
7:00 – PJs, stories, bed

7:30: eat breakfast (milk included)
12:00: eat lunch (milk included)
1:00: nap
4:30: wake up
5:30ish: Dinner (milk included)
7:30: in bed

7:30am Wake and snuggle for a few minutes (may read two books)
7:45am Breakfast
8:30am Help Mommy clean up breakfast stuff
9:00am Independent/Room play time
10:30am Small snack such as Cheerios (may finish milk from breakfast)
10:45am Library/Park/Playdate/Grocery store/anything outside of the house about two to three times per week, the other days we stay in and work on skills or crafts, she may help with laundry,etc
12:00pm Lunch at home
12:30pm Bath time and then read about 5-15 books
1:00pm Nap time
4:00pm Wake and watch a little TV while “helping” Mommy make dinner
5:00pm Daddy home and dinner
6:00pm Family Time/Ice Cream/Bookstore/Pool time
7:30pm Read some books and into bed!

7:30 DWT and milk
10am solids
11:30 milk
12:30-2:30 nap
2:30 solids
3:30 milk
5:30 solids
6:30 milk
7:30 bed

7:30dwt (now 7am on school days)
12-2pm nap (was longer when he was younger, he would nap until 3/3:30)
7pm bed (Sometimes earlier if he hasn’t napped well for a few days or seems particularly tired).

7:45 wake
Bible, breakfast, clean up, then either homeschool preschool (with older sisters he sits in on), swimming lessons, errands, outside, independent playtime…etc)
12:15 lunch
1:00 nap for 2-3 hours
4:00 wake up if not up yet and snack
5:30/6 dinner
Family time
7:30/7:45 bedtime

8:15–wake up. Eat breakfast (fruit, cereal, and milk)
Get ready. Clean with mom.
10:30 Independent Playtime.
11:30 Play
12:00 Lunch.
Play with sibling.
1:00–Nap starts
4:00-4:30–wake up. Snack. Play.
5:15–Dinner
7:30–Sippy of milk, then bedtime. In bed by 8:00.

8:15–wake up. Eat breakfast (fruit, cereal, and milk)
Get ready. Chores.
10:00 Independent Playtime.
11:30 Play
12:00 Lunch.
Play with McKenna.
1:00–Nap starts
4:00-4:30–wake up. Snack. Play.
5:15–Dinner
7:30–Sippy of milk, then bedtime.
8:00–In bed by 8:00.

8:15 Wake up, change clothes and nappy
8:30 Breakfast
9:00-10:00 Free and structured playtime, playtime with mom
10:00-10:20 Blanket time (working on upping the length)
10:30 Play outside/take a walk/play group with friends
11:30 Lunch
12:00-1:00 Free playtime and playtime with mom (reading books)
1:00-3:30 Nap
3:30-4:30 Snack, structured playtime
4:30 Movie
5:00 Dinner
6:00 Playtime with dad
7:00 Bedtime routine including bath
7:30 Lights out

8:15–breakfast
9:00–bath/get ready
9:30–go for a walk
10:00–learning time
10:30–sibling playtime
11:00–Independent playtime
12:00–lunch
1:00–nap
4:00/4:30: get up
5:00–Dinner. Free play and family time
8:00–in bed by this time. Sometimes sooner.

8:15–breakfast
9:00–bath/get ready
10:00–sibling playtime
10:30–independent playtime
11:30–learning time. Sometimes lunch is later and she watches Elmo here.
12:00–lunch. Then play with Brayden and Kaitlyn
1:30–nap
4:00/4:30: get up
5:00–Dinner. Free play and family time
8:00–in bed by this time. Sometimes sooner.

8:15–breakfast
9:00–bath/get ready
10:00–sibling playtime
10:30–independent playtime
11:30–learning time
12:00–lunch
1:00–nap
4:00/4:30: get up
5:00–Dinner. Free play and family time
8:00–in bed by this time. Sometimes sooner.

8:15 AM–Wake up/Breakfast
8:45 AM–Get ready
9:00 AM–Walk/Bike ride
9:30 AM–Outside Time
11:00 AM–Independent Playtime
12:00 Noon–Lunch
12:30 PM–Learning Activity
1:00 PM–Free Play
1:30 PM–Nap
5:00 PM–Free Playtime
5:30 PM–Dinner
6:00 PM–Family Time
7:30 PM–Get Ready for Bed
8:00 PM–Bedtime

8:30/9 wake
Breakfast
Play
9:30 independent play in her popup playard. Rotating toys
Errands, YMCA, park, etc
12:00 lunch
Outside play
1:00 books in bed/nap
(She’s a marathon napper, 3+hours usually)
5:00 dinner
Play w siblings
6:45 Bathtime
7:15 books
7:30 bed

8:45–sippy of milk, fruit, cereal, yogurt, finger foods.
Get ready. Clean with mom.
Independent Playtime.
Lunch.
Play with sibling.
1:00–Nap starts
4:00-4:30–wake up. Snack. Play.
5:15–Dinner
7:30–Sippy of milk, then bedtime. In bed by 8:00.

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