2 year old sleep schedule

At 2 years, most babies take 0–1 naps with wake windows of 5 h 30 min to 7 h, and need 11–14 h of sleep in 24 hours.

Wake window
5 h 30 min – 7 h
Naps a day
0–1
Total sleep / 24 h
11–14 h
Daytime sleep (sample)
about 1 h 30 min

Two-year-olds need about 11–14 hours in 24, usually one nap of 1–2 hours plus 10–12 hours at night.

Moving to a toddler bed is often easier closer to age 3; there is no need to rush it.

Sample day for a 2-year-oldBed 9:24 pmwake 7:00 am · 1 nap
12am6am12pm6pm1 nap24-hour day

Night Nap Awake

  1. 7:00 amWake up, feed
  2. 1:24 pmNap 1 · about 1 h 30 min
  3. 9:24 pmBedtime (start routine 20–30 min before)

Make it fit your baby

This schedule is built from the middle of the wake-window range for this age, with windows that lengthen through the day. If your baby fights naps, try stretching each window by 10–15 minutes; if they melt down before naps, shorten them. For a schedule from your baby's exact age, a sleep pressure clock and an AI helper for specific problems, use the baby sleep schedule calculator.

Feeding and sleep go together: see the baby feeding calculator for how much milk to expect at this age.

Safe sleep: the AAP recommends placing babies on their back on a firm, flat, empty surface, in the parents' room for at least the first 6 months.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a 2-year-old stay awake between naps?

A typical wake window at this age is 5 h 30 min to 7 h, with the shortest window in the morning and the longest before bed. Watch sleepy cues (staring, eye rubbing, yawning, fussing) rather than the clock alone.

How many naps does a 2-year-old take?

Usually 0–1 naps a day. Two-year-olds need about 11–14 hours in 24, usually one nap of 1–2 hours plus 10–12 hours at night.

How much sleep does a 2-year-old need?

About 11–14 h in 24 hours, including naps. This is the range recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and endorsed by the AAP.

What time should a 2-year-old go to bed?

Counted from a 7:00 am wake-up, the sample schedule below lands bedtime at about 9:24 pm. Enter your baby's actual wake-up time to shift the whole day.

Sources: Paruthi S et al., AASM consensus on recommended sleep for pediatric populations (2016), endorsed by the AAP; AAP safe sleep policy statement (2022); HealthyChildren.org. Wake windows are typical ranges compiled from paediatric sleep guidance, not rules.

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