How much does a one-year-old child sleep per day? Daily sleep requirement for a newborn. What to do if your child sleeps more than normal

What time should you put your baby to bed?

To maintain the correct daily routine, try to put your baby to bed at the same time. It is best to do this after a walk and feeding. Forty minutes before bedtime, do not entertain your child with active games. In the evening, after bathing and feeding, the optimal time for night sleep is nine to ten hours. Some mothers believe that the later they put their baby to bed in the evening, the more he will sleep. In fact, the opposite happens. The baby becomes overtired and his sleep is no longer so sound and long.

How much do babies sleep per day?

A person spends one third of his life sleeping. Scientists are still trying to unravel the mystery of sleep, and why people need it so much. The more research is carried out, the more mysteries are revealed and questions remain. A child's sleep differs in many ways from an adult, who can stay awake during the day while remaining alert. Long sleep has a beneficial effect on a child's development. At this time, the brain works more intensely and processes daily information.

Newborns sleep the longest. The baby wakes up only when he wants to eat. Young mothers often worry whether their baby is sleeping enough, even though this is the calmest period in the life of parents. Very soon the baby will grow up and be awake most day. IN Soviet times There were standards for everything, including sleep for infants. A newborn's sleep should be from twenty to twenty-two hours with short breaks. Modern children sleep less in the first month - from seventeen to eighteen hours. Then the duration of sleep becomes from twelve to sixteen hours. This is entirely within the normal parameters and parents do not need to worry about anything. Now babies are developing much faster, because while they are awake they are carefully trying to study the world. You only need to worry if the baby wakes up too often, especially at night. There may be several reasons for this:

  • the mother does not have enough fat in her milk, and the child does not get enough to eat;
  • tummy problems – colic or dysbacteriosis;
  • skin rashes;
  • elevated body temperature

A newborn cannot distinguish day from night, so after four hours of sleep he wakes up and demands to eat. His sleep consists of several stages. Falling asleep, shallow and deep sleep. The duration of this period is about thirty minutes; for an adult, up to two hours are allotted for this. During infancy, sleep is calm and active. In a baby at six to eight months, it begins with the active phase. The eyes close, and sometimes you can see moving eyeballs. The breathing is not rhythmic, the muscles are in a relaxed state, you can see twitching and a smile. It is possible that this is the time when the baby dreams. After twenty minutes the phase begins good sleep when the eyes are closed, the fists are unclenched, breathing becomes even, the baby no longer flinches and sweats. At this time, it is difficult to wake up the baby, so do not tiptoe and calmly do household chores.

In order for your child to sleep smoothly and calmly, you need to follow the following rules:

  1. Neurologists and psychologists agreed that up to one and a half years, a child can sleep with his mother. He feels safe and maintains the right emotional background.
  2. Daytime sleep on fresh air, at a temperature not lower than – 15°C is the most useful.
  3. Rock a restless baby in a stroller, but only until he falls asleep, otherwise he will quickly get used to it.
  4. If you can't go outside, place the stroller on the balcony.
  5. Do not close the curtains while sleeping and ensure complete silence. Moderate noise, operation of household appliances and conversations are quite acceptable.
  6. The optimal temperature of the room where the baby sleeps should be from eighteen to twenty-two degrees.

In the first and second months, a newborn should sleep from sixteen to twenty hours.

At three and four months this time is about seventeen hours. At five to six months, the total sleep time is sixteen hours, and the number of daytime falls asleep is up to three times.

At seven to nine months, a baby sleeps up to fifteen hours.

From ten to twelve months - up to fourteen hours.

How long should a baby sleep during the day?

In the first month, the newborn sleeps every two hours.

After a month and up to three - one and a half hours, four times a day.

In the period from three to four months - one and a half to two hours three times a day.

At five to six months, the baby sleeps twice during the day for one and a half to three hours.

From six months to eight months, for an hour twice a day.

When the baby turns nine months and up to a year, he sleeps during the day once for an hour and a half.

How long should a baby sleep at night?

The duration of night sleep for a newborn is nine and a half hours. The baby sleeps eight hours a month. From two to three months, five hours each. From three to six months - three and a half hours. From six months to nine months – three hours. After nine and up to a year - two and a half.

The most difficult year with sleepless nights, fears, and worries is behind us. Now your child has grown up, and it has become a little easier for you, but the question of how much sleep a child should sleep is still a burning issue for most parents.

Baby's sleep from 12 months to one and a half years

After 12 months, many babies switch from 2 meals a day nap for 1 time. Often this transition is difficult, children get tired and capricious. Sometimes the way out can be a reasonable alternation of days with one nap and days with two, or putting him to bed early at night if the baby only slept once during the day.

If your one year old child twice sleeps a lot during the day, don't expect him to sleep long at night. Most likely, he will wake you up at 5-6 o’clock in the morning, so that at 10 he will want to go to bed again. If he sleeps at night longer than the hours indicated in the table, then the duration of his daytime sleep will be less than average. As a rule, all children are set to have one nap during the day, and this schedule is maintained until the youngest child. school age.



As a rule, up to the age of one and a half years, the child’s regime gently changes towards a one-time daytime nap, which completely covers the need for rest.

Sleep duration of children from 18 months to 2 years

At one and a half years old, the baby spends about 11-12 hours sleeping at night, and during the day - about 3 hours at a time. If your 18-month-old baby still doesn't mind taking an hour-long nap during the day a second time, don't discourage him. Just don’t let him sleep in the evening for more than an hour, otherwise his bedtime may shift late into the night.

At the age of about 2 years, children are often tormented. Often the baby flatly refuses to be left alone in a dark bedroom; when his mother tries to put him down and leave, he bursts into heart-breaking crying. Under no circumstances should you leave him alone in the dark if he cries and won’t let go of his mother! If he becomes silent, it is not because he has calmed down, but from melancholy and hopelessness. Do not consider this as whims - the baby may really be afraid of something. Remember that he is just a small child, not yet very intelligent. Turn on a night light in the children's room and leave open door so that he knows that mom is nearby and ready to come up at any moment.

If this doesn't help, lie down with him on your bed. As a rule, the baby immediately falls asleep, feeling the security and warmth of his mother. When the baby is fast asleep, you can quietly get up and go about your business. When you return, you should carefully take the sleeping child and put it in a crib, but be prepared for the fact that in the middle of the night the baby will wake up and again ask to be with his mother.

Accustoming a child to sleep with you in an adult bed is not very healthy, but sometimes a mother’s sleep next to her baby is the only salvation from sleepless nights and children’s tears. The inconvenience is temporary, the child will grow up a little and within a month he will understand that he is safe at home and has no one to fear.



Categorical attitude co-sleeping not always necessary. If the baby is very scared or sick, he will fall asleep much more calmly with his mother. The main thing is not to turn an exception into a habit.

Sleep of children 2-3 years old

How much sleep should a child between 2 and 3 years old sleep? Such children need approximately 11-11.5 hours of sleep at night and two hours of rest after lunch. At this age, the following problems may arise with going to bed:

  1. A 2-year-old child has grown enough to climb out of a crib on his own, risking falling and getting injured. Don't get excited about his new skill, but be persistent and get him back to bed. Strictly and calmly tell your child that he should not do this. After a few comments, he might listen. If the child still continues to climb out, then create conditions for his safety: make a lower fencing for the crib, place pillows or soft toys in front of the crib.
  2. The baby may deliberately delay falling asleep at night. Lying in the crib, he calls his mother, asking for one toy, then another, then a drink of water, then another fairy tale to tell. Try to fulfill the child’s requests within reasonable limits, but still kiss him and firmly wish him good night.
  3. There can be no question of any night sleep if the baby has managed to get hungry. Make sure he's not hungry; at the very least, give him an apple or pear.


An older child can learn to leave the crib on his own, but this is fraught with injury, and it is simply not necessary. Attempts should be stopped if possible

How much sleep does a child over 3 years old need?

The older a child gets, the fewer hours he spends sleeping. Finally, your child's sleep pattern has become almost the same as yours. How long does your baby sleep now? Children after 3 years of age usually go to bed around 9 pm and wake up between 7 and 8 am.

Now the child sleeps about 10 hours at night and a couple of hours during the day. It is recommended to follow this schedule until the age of 7. How long a child sleeps at night depends on his well-being and activity during the day. Over time, your son or daughter's naps become shorter and shorter, and by the end of the preschool period, most children do without naps at all.

So, let's look at the average number of hours presented in the table that healthy children 1-7 years old should normally sleep during the day.

The figures given are very average. Each child has a different need for rest, which largely depends on the daily routine of the family where the child is growing up, the condition nervous system and the baby’s psyche, his temperament (is he active or slow), how long does the baby walk in the fresh air, and is he healthy.

Early refusal of daytime sleep

Already in the 4th year of life, some children stop sleeping after lunch. As a rule, this happens due to being carried away by an interesting activity or waking up too late in the morning. Until what age do you let your baby sleep in the morning? If the child is not forced to get up early in the morning to go to kindergarten, his parents feel sorry for him and allow him to sleep in the morning until almost 11 o’clock - this should not be done (see also:). At the age of 3-4 years, daytime naps are still necessary, and parents should make every effort to maintain them for as long as possible.

If your child still stops falling asleep during the day, don’t force him or scold him – it doesn’t make sense. Adults are not able to force themselves to fall asleep when they don’t want to, and what is the demand for 3-5 year old children who still don’t know how to control their reactions?

At 4-5 years old, for a child to fully relax his nervous system, it may be enough to simply lie down in silence and play with his favorite toy. Or lie down with him and read a book to him. An hour of rest for a tired mother will not hurt.

How does the duration of daytime sleep affect nighttime sleep?

Some mothers mistakenly believe that if the child sleeps little during the day (or does not sleep at all), then he will sleep more soundly at night. This is wrong. Tired, but full of impressions from the past day, he will not be able to sleep for a very long time.

Is it necessary to put your child to bed and wake him up at the same time every day? If you see that your baby is clearly overtired or unwell, then nothing bad will happen if you put him to bed early and wake him up later than usual. In this matter, everything depends on the child’s well-being. You should not unnecessarily wake him up too early or put him to bed if he is still alert and active.

Well, your child has grown up, he is 1 year old! The baby has already learned to stand, consciously pronounce sounds, eat solid food and much more. At the same time, his natural biorhythm changed. Now he stays awake more: he moves actively, explores new objects, tries to reach out to everything that interests him. Of course, with such an active lifestyle, your fidget needs a good rest. How much should a 1-year-old child sleep so that he always feels cheerful and cheerful?

The importance of sleep – why sleep?

Sleep is an important component of human life. In a dream, the child rests and gains strength. Sleep is not just a period of saving and storing energy. While the child is sleeping, active work is going on in his body:

  1. Tissues are restored;
  2. The functioning of internal organs is regulated;
  3. There is a cleansing of waste products.

At this time, intensive processes take place in the child’s brain aimed at remembering and assimilating all the information that the baby received during the day. This way they are formed neural connections, the brain develops.

You've probably heard the phrase “a child grows in his sleep.” Of course, this statement should not be taken literally. Its essence is that during night rest the body produces growth hormone.

In addition, while the baby sleeps, his glands produce melatonin, the lack of which can lead to health problems.

Great value good vacation has to normalize mental state child.

Important! A well-rested baby is calm and balanced. It does not require special attention and can be played on its own for a long time.

Constant lack of sleep or bad dream in a 1 year old child it causes a stress reaction in the body, turning the child into a little rebel. If you haven’t watched my free video lessons on healthy baby sleep yet, be sure to subscribe to them and receive them by email by following the link.

Sleep standards

For normal physical and mental development one year old child important good sleep, both day and night. You cannot eliminate daytime naps, as this will lead to overtiredness of the child and seriously undermine his level of health.

So let's look at sleep standards after a year.

Waking time for a one-year-old child = 4-5 hours;

  • At this time, the child moves a lot, is able to fulfill various requests from adults and can express his wishes in the game, masters the first skills of self-care, and shows curiosity;
  • The child does not sit quietly for a minute, and sometimes resists and is stubborn; how to properly respond to the disobedience of an older child, see the course Obedience without screaming and threats >>>
  • Plan all games, walks, educational and developmental activities for the first half of your waking time.

How much sleep should a one-year-old baby sleep?

Daily norm sleep for a child is 12-13 hours.

At the same time, it takes 10-11 hours to sleep at night

Daytime nap: 2-3 hours

There is nothing wrong if your child’s daily routine differs by +- 1 hour in any direction. Observe the child's behavior and well-being. We can say that there is no reason to worry if the child:

  1. Calm and balanced;
  2. Cheerful and cheerful;
  3. Able to concentrate on his actions;
  4. Has a good appetite;
  5. Goes to bed and wakes up easily and without problems.

In this case, the baby sleeps less or more than expected simply because he wants to.

However, if the child sleeps quite a lot, about 16 - 17 hours a day, then this should alert you. It is possible that the child is experiencing illness, which will soon manifest itself with other symptoms.

See also my video lesson about sleep standards at 12 months:

How many times does a 1-year-old child sleep during the day?

  • 1 year is the most early age when a child can reduce the number of daytime naps from 2 to 1;
  • Until this point, children usually sleep twice a day for 1 - 1.5 hours each time. Now the baby begins to switch to one nap during the day. In this case, sleep time can increase to 2-3 hours;
  • The transition to 1 nap strongly depends on the child’s daily routine, namely, on the time of morning awakening:

If he gets up at 6 o’clock, then he is unlikely to be able to stay awake until lunchtime (Read the article on how to properly feed your child >>>). In this case, the child goes to bed at 10-11 o’clock in the afternoon and will naturally want to sleep again (at about 16 o’clock in the evening).

With this schedule, you do not need to let your child sleep for more than 1 hour, otherwise bedtime will be very late at night.

For children with night owl biorhythm, a different schedule is possible. They wake up around 8 o'clock and their naps begin around 1 pm. In this case, babies sleep for almost 2-3 hours. This time is enough for them to last until they fall asleep at night. This regime is more harmonious, simple and easy for mom. But you can expect it only by 1 year 3 months.

If you asked me: how much sleep should a 1.3 year old child sleep, then the most optimal would be a regimen with 1 daytime nap, which lasts 1.5-3 hours and then goes to bed at night around 19-21 hours.

How long does he sleep at night?

  1. Night sleep for a child aged 1 year should last 10 – 11 hours;
  2. Ideally, bedtime will be before 21-00. This will ensure better sleep and a full night's rest;
  3. With two daily rests, the schedule may shift and bedtime becomes later. In any case, by 22-00 the child should already be asleep;

Many parents try to raise their child on an equal footing, and it happens that it is 23, 24, or even one in the morning - and the child is running around, playing and having fun. This happens with my upstairs neighbors, and every time I feel very sorry for the child, because the most complete and restorative sleep occurs from 21-00 to 1 am.

If the child falls asleep on his own, then at night there are 1-2 awakenings (there may be nights without awakenings, but from my work experience, I can say that this is very rare)

Waking up at night always has its own reasons:

  • night terrors;
  • The baby grinds his teeth, if this is a problem for your baby, be sure to read the article Why does a child grind his teeth in his sleep?>>>
  • unsuitable sleeping conditions (stuffy, hot, noisy, etc.);
  • desire to go to the toilet;
  • hunger;
  • inability to fall asleep further on your own.

Under no circumstances should you scold your child for not sleeping! It is necessary to understand the reasons for frequent awakenings at night and this is the mother’s task.

If a child falls asleep only with the breast or with rocking, then at night there may be a lot of night awakenings: from 3 to 15. This is a situation that requires correction and a detailed analysis, which you can conduct as part of a large course on child sleep: How to teach a child to fall asleep and sleep without breastfeeding >>>

A child grows: do sleep standards change from 1 year to 1.5 years?

After the baby turns 1 year old, he increasingly shows independence in actions, but at the same time clearly understands his dependence on his parents. During the period of 1.3 – 1.5 years, the baby’s sleep may worsen. This will manifest itself as follows:

  1. It takes a long time to go to bed;
  2. Has trouble falling asleep;
  3. Wakes up at night, find out why children don't sleep well?>>>;
  4. Gets up very early;
  5. Refuses to sleep during the day.

The norms for how much sleep a child of 1.5 years should sleep are not particularly different from the previous ones. He takes a one-time nap during the day, which lasts a little less - 1-2 hours. Night sleep lasts about 11 hours.

What if a child refuses to sleep during the day?

Daytime sleep cannot be compensated for by increasing the duration of night rest. If the child does not sleep during the day, this can lead to problems with evening bedtime: the child will be overexcited, begin to be capricious and cry. Refusal to sleep during the day at this age may have several reasons:

  • wrong time;
  • sharp transition from fun game to going to bed;
  • unsuitable conditions for recreation;
  • negative associations with daytime sleep;
  • premature transfer of the baby from two daily naps to one.

You should not follow your baby’s lead and cancel daytime naps, since for a 1-year-old child this is a physiological need. How to properly prepare a baby for going to bed during the day is well discussed in the article Bedtime Rituals >>>


Recommendations for improving sleep

Getting your baby to sleep properly is not that difficult.

  1. First of all, you need to correctly create a child’s sleep schedule at 1 year old. It is recommended to monitor how much and when your little one sleeps, and then make the necessary changes to his schedule. You need to move your bedtime and wake-up time gradually, 15 to 30 minutes at a time. You should not radically change your baby’s daily routine; it is advisable that it coincide as much as possible with the natural biorhythms of his body;
  2. You should not give your baby the opportunity to doze off while he is awake;
  3. It is necessary to pay attention to the signs of fatigue in the baby and accordingly change the type of activity to a calmer one;
  4. You can create a special bedtime ritual.
  • ventilate the room every day and regularly carry out wet cleaning;
  • a couple of hours before putting the baby to bed, play active outdoor games, take a walk in the fresh air;
  • Before going to bed, on the contrary, you need to create a calm environment, without unnecessary emotional stress.

Remember that regular lack of sleep has a bad effect on the well-being and development of the baby. Therefore, pay special attention to creating good conditions for sound and restful sleep.

How long does a child sleep after one year? The younger the child, the more time he needs to recuperate... Usually this is individual, but statistics...

Insufficient sleep inevitably leads to nervous exhaustion. This manifests itself especially quickly in young children, because their maturing bodies get tired faster than usual, which means they need to sleep longer. Moreover, the younger the child, the more time he needs to restore strength and energy. Usually this is individual, the child sleeps as much as his body requires, and yet many parents worry whether their child is getting enough sleep.

The most pressing issues related to sleep standards and routines arise after a year, because kindergarten is just around the corner with its own rules and routines.

How to tell if your child is getting enough sleep

Babies who have just been born sleep up to 17-18 hours a day. With each month, the time spent in the arms of Morpheus gradually decreases, and by the year the little one should sleep only 13 or 14 hours.

These are the norms. In life, many babies deviate from the indicated figures by 1-2 hours, which gives their parents another reason for concern.

Lack of sleep can actually be bad for your health. little man and lead to serious neurological damage.

To exclude it, watch your little one:

  • How quickly does he concentrate and how long can he maintain his attention on a subject?
  • Are there situations when he “freezes”, looking at one point for a long time?
  • Have you noticed how he often rubs his eyes, is lethargic and sleepy while awake?
  • Do unreasonable whims and hysterics often arise?

If most of the answers are in the affirmative, then you need to change something in your routine and increase the amount of sleep. Now let's consider the opposite situation: what if your child sleeps too much. Oversleeping may also indicate possible problems.

The child is one year old, however, his daily sleep is 16-17 hours. What to pay attention to: weight gain; how inquisitive and active he is while awake. If everything is fine, then most likely you just gave birth to a sleepyhead!

Norms and numbers for children from one year old

How long does a year old sleep? A baby of this age should sleep about 14 hours, of which 2.5 are in two daytime rests, and 11.5 in the dark. The first daytime sleep occurs after about 3-4 hours of wakefulness. Usually it is shorter; the baby will settle down for the second time during the day, also 3-4 hours after waking up.

How long does a child sleep after one year? Nothing much will change in the coming months, except that he will sleep only once during the day. Optimal time wakefulness before falling asleep in the evening is 5-6 hours for a child of 18 months.

At the same time, children who have increased excitability nervous system, get tired much faster than their calm peers, because they spend more energy. Such children, even at 18 months, sleep twice during the day, needing shorter periods of wakefulness. In the evening it is also better to put them to bed early.

What time should you put your toddler to bed? It is best if at 20:00-21:30 the baby is already asleep. This period is closest to biological rhythms babies, which means rest will bring the greatest benefit.

By the age of two, babies should sleep only 11 hours at night and 1.5 during the day.

Peculiarities of sleep of one-year-olds

The sleep patterns of young children are different from those of adults. Babies fall asleep faster and their sleep becomes deeper sooner. However, it is not so continuous; for example, infants in the first months of life wake up after 3.5 hours.

By 12 months, the baby's sleep is interrupted much less often, and he sleeps until the morning. What problems might arise?

Children who are one year old can be difficult to put to sleep and may have trouble sleeping at night, waking up constantly. This is due to the acquisition of new skills - walking and standing. The little one enjoys training them again and again so much that he does not pay attention to the inappropriate time of day for this.

And yet the baby will have to explain that the night is intended for rest. Someone leaves the child in the crib to calm down and “scream” on his own, someone distracts the baby with a fairy tale and conversations. The weakest ones try to put the rebel to sleep using “sleeping” means, such as motion sickness, or succumb to “persuasion” and play with him in the middle of the night.

Features of sleep at 1.5 years

Starting at 18 months, some children may interrupt their rest and crawl out of their crib. This is fraught with possible falls, so you need to prepare: lower the mattress; remove from the crib everything that can help the fidget get out; Cover potentially dangerous areas with pillows.

Also, don't express admiration when you see your baby climb out of the crib on his own during the day. When the time comes to put the baby to bed, stand nearby, but not in his field of vision, in order to stop attempts to “escape” in time.

How to change your sleep pattern

Although at the age of 1 year - 18 months it is still too early to say whether the baby will be an “owl” or a “lark”, some sleep more during the day and are difficult to put to sleep in the evening, others, on the contrary, go to bed by 7 pm and wake up early in the morning.

If you are not satisfied with what time your child goes to bed and gets up, you should not suddenly change your daily routine. It is better to do this gradually, putting him to bed 15-30 minutes earlier or later than usual.

Calculate how long your baby sleeps, when he goes to bed and when he wakes up. If your baby falls asleep later than 16:00 during the day, it will be difficult to put him to bed before midnight.

If the baby has difficulty getting up in the morning, first of all, the parents themselves should not be lazy and get up. By allowing yourself to sometimes sleep longer than usual, you yourself are disrupting your child’s routine.

If it is difficult to put your child to bed, a short evening walk should help. The main thing is that there are at least 30 minutes left before going to bed, otherwise the child’s activity will increase and he will sleep poorly.

A warm bath with a few drops of lavender oil will calm down a “furious” fidget.

A child should not play in his own bed. Having allowed you to frolic in it once, then it will be difficult to explain that the bed is needed to sleep in.

3 rules for parents

If your baby is difficult to put down, try following these expert tips.

  1. Enlarge physical exercise and duration of walks during the day.
  2. Do not overload the baby’s nervous system at night: refrain from screaming and conflicts, exciting games and entertainment.
  3. Lead by example. To ensure that the child does not resist being put to sleep, adults must maintain sleep hygiene themselves.

Alternate days with one nap and two, depending on how and how much your child slept at night. This will make it easier for him to switch to a one-time “quiet hour.”

Why do children wake up

It is understandable that sick children have sleep disturbances, but why does a healthy 1-year-old child wake up in the middle of the night and sleep poorly?

First, he may be thirsty. All parents know that there should be clean and cool air in the children's bedroom, but they still lay down carpets, turn on heaters, and close the window. As a result, mucous membranes respiratory tract dry out, and the baby does not sleep well at night.

Secondly, children may grind their teeth at night. There are no exact explanations for this phenomenon, but, ultimately, it leads to the fact that the child can ruin his teeth and sleep poorly.

Even if the baby is only a year old, he also has nightmares. He wakes up in the middle of the night and cries loudly, without reacting to adults. And although the nature of dreams has not been studied at all, this often happens due to emotional overload during the day.

After 18 months, children's imagination works better and better, which can be the culprit for the appearance of the first fears. Because of them, kids have trouble falling asleep and are afraid to be left alone. Parents need to treat such phenomena with respect, try to eliminate the irritant (if you are afraid of the dark, turn on the night light) and under no circumstances make fun of the baby.

No matter how old children are, they have two problems with sleep - it’s difficult to put them to sleep and they don’t sleep well. Both of them can be solved only by clear and consistent actions of parents: routine, control of emotional and physical stress, hygiene of the sleeping area. Teach your child to have order from childhood, and then you won’t have to worry in the future!

Finally, your baby has become quite an adult, I’m sure that you didn’t even have time to notice how quickly he grew up. Many have already learned to walk independently, some to speak simple words, such as: mother, father, woman and others. As for the daily routine of the baby at 1 year old, then everything finally began to improve. You know exactly when he will be especially active and you will go to the playground, and when he wants to sleep. Today I propose to discuss the topic of sleep, its place and duration in the daily routine.

Let's find out how much a 1-year-old child sleeps, and what to do if he sleeps poorly or does not sleep at all during the day or at night.


For children of this age it is very difficult to name clear standards. After all, they are all completely different, they themselves and their systems develop differently. Some may need more sleep, while others require more frequent feeding. Based on these features, let's look at several options for how much a child can sleep at 1 year old. So, the daily sleep requirement is 13-14.5 hours. Night time is 10-12 hours, and the remaining time he sleeps during the day.

As for the features of a child’s daytime sleep at 1 year old, there are two options:

  1. For some children, it is enough to sleep once a day, but for 2-3 hours, the rest of the time they are awake, playing and enjoying life. At the same time, they are always cheerful and do not feel a lack of rest.
  2. At the same time, there are children who lack one nap during the day, they become capricious, and it is difficult to distract them and keep them occupied with something. In this case, the daily rest is divided into two times of 1.5 hours each, or one is possible. long sleep, for example, 2-3 hours, and the second, very short, for 20-30 minutes, when the baby gets tired again.

You must monitor your baby and adapt to his needs. If he is not ready to sleep once a day, then there is no need to force him. Otherwise, such changes will not add peace of mind to either you or the baby.

Features of sleep during this period


At this age, children have two sleep-related features: difficulty falling asleep and frequent awakenings at night. Let's take a closer look at each of them. So:

  1. Now your baby has become quite an adult. Believe me, he experiences unreal sensations and feelings if he has already learned to walk independently. In addition, this achievement also becomes a test for his nervous system, since so many new horizons have opened up for the child that he has not yet explored. As a result of all these innovations, the baby may have difficulty falling asleep. Think about how you can sleep when there are so many interesting and unknown things around. Soon his sleep will again become much stronger and calmer, this will happen as soon as he gets used to his new abilities.
  2. You may again feel that the child has a fear of moving away from his mother. He may not let you go for a long time, demand your constant presence, and this may cause the baby to wake up frequently.

How to help your little one sleep more peacefully

  1. If your baby demands your presence and wakes up as soon as you leave, stay close to him. Talk, tell about tomorrow's plans and promise your baby that you will definitely come when he calls. Of course, you need to keep your promises; if you don’t do this, the little one may lose trust in you.
  2. Never forget about the daily routine and those procedures that tell the baby that it will soon be time to rest. If before this time he was not interested in books, then perhaps now is the time to try to get acquainted with reading again. In addition, some quiet games, for example, putting together puzzles or arranging toys in their places and saying goodbye to them, will help the baby calm down after a busy day. Another ritual - or simply in cool water - is useful not only for newborns, but also for older children.
  3. Of course, if you know that something is bothering the baby, for example, teething, then especially before bedtime you should help the baby and remove discomfort special medicine. Be sure to check with your local pediatrician which drug may be right for your baby. In addition, the baby may suffer, then you definitely need to pay due attention.
  4. A very important skill for a 1-year-old toddler is: falling asleep independently. As soon as you see that he is already falling asleep, put him in the crib and let him fall asleep there on his own. If he falls asleep with you only after being rocked to sleep or with a pacifier, bottle or breast, then you should gradually wean him from such habits. For example, the baby fell asleep with the breast, after a while he wakes up, and neither you nor the breast are there. Of course, what further actions could there be?! Of course, he will start looking for you, get up in the crib, call, and your rest will be interrupted. Therefore, at this age it is very important to learn to sleep on your own.
  5. Now the baby is at an age when he wants to control the whole world and confirm his importance every time. In this case, he may demand to continue the game when it is already time to sleep. To avoid evening quarrels and arguments, provide your child with an alternative that, at the same time, suits you. For example, you can ask your child: “What pajamas do you want to sleep in today?” or “Are we going to bed right now or in 5 minutes”? Whatever answer your little one chooses, it will suit you, and the baby will feel important and independent.
  6. Spend your waking hours actively. If your baby can play on his own, great. If he doesn’t have enough of your company to have fun, don’t be lazy and give your little one this time. When he plays enough, his sleep will be much stronger and longer.

Does a child need a regimen at 1 year old?

At this age, the regime is not just necessary, it is one of the main titans, on which not only the physical, but also the mental and emotional development toddler. Knowing the daily routine, the baby feels comfortable and safe.

1 year old baby's night sleep


Indeed, at this age he may often wake up at night. As we discussed above, the reason for this is overstimulation during the day or the lack of what he fell asleep with: rocking, a bottle, a pacifier or music. Most often, if you exclude these moments from your lifestyle, then restless rest will not bother you in the future. However, there is another unpleasant moment associated with sleep. When a child turns 1 year old, he becomes quite old and independent. Now, if he wakes up and does not find you nearby, he may decide to go in search of you, trying to climb over the railing of the crib. As you yourself understand, such tricks are quite dangerous for children.

Therefore, you can take a number of measures to keep your baby safe. To do this you need:

  1. Lower the mattress lower. In this case, it will be much more difficult for your little one to climb the wall of the crib. And at 1 year old he is unlikely to be able to overcome an obstacle of such height.
  2. Remove all toys and pillows from inside. Your little one can use them as steps to get to the top.
  3. Follow him during the day. Stand in a place so that you can control the baby's actions, but at the same time, he cannot see you. As soon as you see that he has begun to climb up the wall of the crib, immediately approach him and calmly but confidently explain that he cannot do this. He may not remember this rule the first time, but after the second or third ban he will stop doing this.
  4. Even if the baby wakes up in the middle of the night and asks you to play with him, or walk around, or do something else, do not agree. Put the baby to bed and talk to him for a short time, try to explain that now is time for rest and everyone around him has gone to bed, including all his toys. He must get used to it and know for sure that night time is for sleep, and it cannot be any other way.

Video

I suggest you watch a short video that tells you about all the rules that parents should follow so that their 1-year-old child’s sleep is sound and long. In addition, you can learn about possible problems and ways to solve them.

As the famous pediatrician Komarovsky says, a dream is considered healthy when not only the child, but also the mother and father can sleep soundly, and it does not matter at all how old your child is: 1 month or a year.