At 13 months, the second nap can feel like a houseguest who will not say whether they are staying. Some days your toddler sleeps twice. On others, the afternoon nap disappears and bedtime falls apart by dinner.
Most 13-month-olds still do best with two naps, but this is a reasonable age to watch for a genuine move to one. Start with a two-nap day. Consider the transition only when the same signs keep showing up for at least 10 to 14 days.
How much sleep does a 13-month-old need?
Children ages 1 to 2 should usually get 11 to 14 hours of sleep in 24 hours, including naps.1 A practical target at 13 months is about 13 to 13.5 hours total, often 10.5 to 11.5 hours overnight plus 2 to 2.5 hours during the day.
That target is not a pass-fail line. A systematic review found wide variation in normal sleep, with toddlers and preschoolers averaging 11.9 hours and a broad observed range around that mean.2 Look at your child's mood, ease of falling asleep, night waking, and total over several days.
Our sleep needs by age guide shows the wider ranges, and the wake windows chart gives you a starting point for spacing naps.
Wake windows at 13 months
At 13 months, a useful planning range is about 3 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 30 minutes between sleeps. Many two-nap days land near 3.5 to 4 hours at a time.
Wake windows are planning tools, not biological deadlines. Real-world sleep data show substantial variation between children and from one day to the next.3 If your toddler is cheerful and sleeping well, there is no prize for stretching a window to match a chart.
The biggest clue is what happens at the end of the day. A later bedtime is associated with a shorter nighttime sleep period in young children, while morning wake time tends to stay much steadier.3 If the second nap keeps pushing bedtime past the point when your toddler can sleep well, the daytime structure may need to change.
A two-nap schedule for 13 months
Use this as a starting template, then shift it around your toddler's real wake time.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 6:30 AM | Wake up |
| 7:00 AM | Breakfast |
| 9:45 AM | Nap 1 (60 to 75 minutes) |
| 11:00 AM | Wake, snack and play |
| 12:30 PM | Lunch |
| 2:30 PM | Nap 2 (45 to 60 minutes) |
| 3:30 PM | Wake, snack and play |
| 5:45 PM | Dinner |
| 6:30 PM | Bedtime routine |
| 7:00 PM | Bedtime |
This day protects roughly two hours of daytime sleep without letting the second nap run too late. If nap 1 lasts two hours, nap 2 may need to be shorter. If nap 1 ends early, offer nap 2 earlier rather than holding your toddler awake just to preserve the clock time.
When one nap may work at 13 months
Thirteen months sits near the early edge of the 2-to-1 transition. Research on childhood napping confirms that sleep consolidates from several daytime periods to one, but the timing varies considerably between children.4 A pediatric sleep reference places the 2-to-1 change across a broad 12-to-18-month span.5
Do not switch because of one refused nap. Look for a pattern:
- The second nap is refused or starts so late that bedtime moves back, most days for two weeks.
- Both naps still happen, but bedtime takes more than 30 minutes and keeps getting later.
- Your toddler can stay content through late morning instead of melting down before lunch.
- A one-nap day produces a long midday nap and a decent night, not a 4 PM crash.
If those signs fit, try one nap on days when your toddler wakes well rested. Our full guide to dropping to one nap covers the transition itself.
A one-nap transition day at 13 months
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 6:30 AM | Wake up |
| 7:00 AM | Breakfast |
| 9:30 AM | Snack and outdoor time |
| 11:15 AM | Early lunch |
| 11:45 AM | Nap (1.5 to 2.5 hours) |
| 1:45 PM | Wake, snack and play |
| 5:15 PM | Dinner |
| 6:15 PM | Bedtime routine |
| 6:45 PM | Bedtime |
The early bedtime is doing real work here. A 13-month-old who takes one nap cannot always make it to the old two-nap bedtime. Moving bedtime 30 to 60 minutes earlier is usually kinder than forcing a second nap at 4 PM.
Some weeks will include both schedules. That is normal during a transition. Use a two-nap day after an early wake or short first nap, and a one-nap day after a solid night when your toddler can comfortably reach lunch.
How to decide without guessing every morning
Track the same four things for two weeks: morning wake time, both nap attempts, actual nap lengths, and bedtime sleep onset. A three-day patch can be teething, illness, travel, or ordinary noise. Two weeks shows a pattern.
Do not judge the schedule by nap refusal alone. Judge the whole 24 hours. A one-nap day that looks tidy on paper but creates repeated night wakes, 5 AM mornings, or miserable afternoons is not working yet.
This is where a sleep log earns its keep. The useful question is not “Did nap 2 fail today?” It is “What happened to bedtime and the night on days when nap 2 failed?”
Common sleep problems at 13 months
The morning nap is easy, but the afternoon nap disappears. Cap the first nap near 60 minutes for several days and offer the second a little earlier. If the second still fails for two weeks, begin testing one nap.
One nap works, then the night gets worse. The nap may be too early or too short, leaving an enormous final wake window. Move the nap toward noon gradually, use an early bedtime, or return to two naps for a few weeks.
Bedtime suddenly takes forever. Check when nap 2 ends before assuming this is a regression. Daytime sleep timing can influence nighttime sleep in toddlers.6
Everything changed after travel or illness. Rebuild the old schedule for several days before declaring a nap transition. A temporary disruption is not the same as a developmental change.
Keep bedtime boring and familiar
A consistent bedtime routine can improve sleep onset and reduce night waking in infants and toddlers.7 It does not need to be elaborate. Pajamas, teeth, one book, one song, bed is enough.
Keep the order steady even when the clock moves earlier. During a nap transition, the familiar sequence tells your toddler what comes next when the daytime schedule feels less predictable.
Frequently asked questions
Is 13 months too early for one nap?
Not always, but it is early. Most 13-month-olds still need two naps. A one-nap trial makes sense when the second nap has failed consistently for 10 to 14 days, bedtime is being pushed late, and your toddler stays reasonably happy through the longer morning.
Should I wake my 13-month-old from the first nap?
Sometimes. If a long first nap repeatedly eliminates nap 2 and pushes bedtime late, cap it near 60 minutes for a week and watch the whole day. If nights improve and nap 2 returns, two naps still fit.
What bedtime works for a 13-month-old?
Most families land between 7 and 8 PM, with an earlier bedtime on short-nap or one-nap transition days. The right time is the one that allows enough overnight sleep without a long bedtime battle.
How long should I test a schedule change?
Give a modest change 5 to 7 days unless your toddler is clearly miserable. For the decision to drop a nap, collect about two weeks of patterns. Longitudinal research shows that sleep duration tracks differently from child to child, so one rough weekend is weak evidence.8
References
1. Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D'Ambrosio C, et al. "Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations: A Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine." J Clin Sleep Med. 2016;12(6):785-786. PubMed Central
2. Galland BC, Taylor BJ, Elder DE, Herbison P. "Normal Sleep Patterns in Infants and Children: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies." Sleep Med Rev. 2012;16(3):213-222. PubMed
3. Mindell JA, Leichman ES, Composto J, et al. "Development of Infant and Toddler Sleep Patterns: Real-World Data from a Mobile Application." J Sleep Res. 2016;25(5):508-516. Wiley
4. Staton S, Rankin PS, Harding M, et al. "Many Naps, One Nap, None: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Napping Patterns in Children 0-12 Years." Sleep Med Rev. 2020;50:101247. PubMed Central
5. Mindell JA, Owens JA. A Clinical Guide to Pediatric Sleep: Diagnosis and Management of Sleep Problems. 3rd ed. Wolters Kluwer; 2015.
6. Nakagawa M, Ohta H, Nagaoki Y, et al. "Daytime Nap Controls Toddlers' Nighttime Sleep." Sci Rep. 2016;6:27246. PubMed Central
7. Mindell JA, Telofski LS, Wiegand B, Kurtz ES. "A Nightly Bedtime Routine: Impact on Sleep in Young Children and Maternal Mood." Sleep. 2009;32(5):599-606. PubMed Central
8. Iglowstein I, Jenni OG, Molinari L, Largo RH. "Sleep Duration from Infancy to Adolescence: Reference Values and Generational Trends." Pediatrics. 2003;111(2):302-307. PubMed
