Sleep Guide | How Much Sleep Do Toddlers Need?
Written by: Learning Links Early Childhood Educators (Last Updated: July 2026)
If your toddler used to go down easy and now fights you every night, you’re not the only one. Almost every family goes through it at some point. Sometimes it’s a nap transition. Sometimes it’s just a developmental leap. Sometimes your kid’s just overtired and it snowballs from there. Once you figure out which one you’re dealing with, bedtime will stop feeling like such a battle.
Plunket hears about this more than almost anything else. “We get lots of questions about sleep and it’s no wonder,” says Karen Magrath, the organisation’s principal clinical adviser. “New parents quickly learn that sleep, or a lack of it, affects everyone in the household.”
So how much sleep does a toddler actually need?
Toddler Sleep Guidelines
12–24 Months: 11 to 14 hours total (includes 1–2 daytime naps)
2–4 Years: 10 to 14 hours total (1 short nap or no nap)
Nighttime Sleep: 10 to 12 hours on average
Most toddlers need around 11 – 14 hours a day, split in one or two naps plus 10 – 12 hours at night. Once they hit 2 – 4 years old, it drops a bit to 10 to 14 hours total (usually just one shorter nap or no nap at all). Every kid sits somewhere different in that range though. If yours sleeps on the lower end but is fine during the day and not melting down by 4pm, there’s nothing to worry about!
Read This – Bedtime Routine for Toddler
The nap transition and getting a routine going
Somewhere between 12 and 18 months, most toddlers are ready to drop from two naps down to one. Don’t go by the calendar for this one, go by their behaviour. If one nap goes down easy but the other’s a daily fight, that’s usually your sign to drop it. The remaining nap will probably run short for a few weeks while they adjust, so some quiet time with a book or gentle music can help bridge the gap on rougher days.
A routine that actually works tends to look something like this: up around 7am, a nap of ninety minutes to two hours after lunch, back down somewhere between 6:30 and 7pm. That early bedtime isn’t random either, toddlers hit their deepest sleep between 8pm and midnight, so getting them down by 7 works with their body clock instead of against it. Push bedtime later hoping for a later sleep in and you’ll usually just end up with a more overtired kid the next day, which is no fun for anyone. Watch for the early tired signs too, grizzling, clumsiness, clinginess, going off their food, because miss those and an overtired toddler is a much harder sell on sleep.
Separation anxiety and waking up at night
Around 18 months separation anxiety tends to show up, and it brings more night waking and more pushback at bedtime with it. None of that means your kid’s misbehaving, it’s just development doing its thing. A nightlight and a short, calm check-in after you’ve put them down usually helps more than dragging the routine out longer, dragging it out just gives the anxiety more room to build.
A few things that will make the whole process easier on both of you: cutting any loud, wind-up play at least an hour before bed (screens too), and keeping the routine roughly the same order and time every night so they know what’s coming. A safe comfort item can help them settle on their own, just steer clear of anything with small or loose parts. And before you leave the room, do one last check, comfort item, nightlight, whatever they’d normally ask for, so you’re not walking back in again five minutes later.
Frequently Asked Questions-
Q. 1- How much sleep does a baby need in 24 hours?
- Infant (4-12 months) 12-16 hours (including naps)
- Toddler (1-2 years old) 11-14 hours (including naps)
- Preschool (3-5 years old) 10-13 hours (including naps)
Q. 2 – Should I worry if my baby is not getting the recommended sleep?
Not really. Sleep guidelines are merely suggestions; some babies may sleep less or more. However, if your baby is consistently lacking sleep, appears exhausted, and is having trouble with development, you may want to talk to your pediatrician.
Q. 3- Why do infants sleep so much?
Sleep is crucial for brain development, memory, learning, emotional control, and physical growth. It helps babies gain strength, enhance their motor abilities, and maintain their health as they grow.
Q. 4- Is it normal for babies to take naps?
Yes, absolutely. Naps is also a crucial component of sound sleeping practices. Even though children take fewer naps during the day as they become older, they still require sleep for healthy development.
Q. 5- Is my baby sleeping too much or too little?
Baby sleep differs from baby to baby. The best way to find out is by looking at the overall pattern: Is your baby growing well? Is your baby alert and happy when awake? Is your baby meeting milestones? If so, then sleep is most likely fine. If you have concerns about your baby sleeping much more or much less than expected, it is time to talk to your pediatrician.
Q. 6 – How do caregivers ensure that naps and sleeping are done properly for infants and toddlers?
Caregivers can ensure that naps and sleeping are done right by sticking to a routine when it comes to bedtime, creating a proper environment for sleep, and using appropriate sleeping habits for a child’s age.