11 month old , there are some big milestones on the horizon, including your baby’s first birthday (hooray!) and another possible sleep regression (boo!). Now’s the time to make sure you’ve got a solid sleep schedule that includes two naps per day, a bedtime routine that encourages your baby to sleep independently, and a sleep training method to fall back on if your baby regresses.
IN THIS ARTICLE
- How much should an 11 month old sleep?
- Should I put my 11 month old baby on a sleep schedule?
- What an 11 month old sleep schedule may look like
As your baby approaches their first birthday, their sleep schedule is hopefully holding steady. They’ve likely been sleeping through the night for some months now – and if they haven’t been, there’s good reason to believe it’ll happen any minute! They’re probably taking predictable, twice-daily naps, too.
In other words, if your 11 month old is a decent sleeper, there’s no reason to expect that’ll change too much this month. Here’s what to know about sleep and your 11 month old.
How much should an 11 month old sleep?
Just like they have for the last couple of months, your 11 month old needs about 14 hours of sleep per day. They’ll get most of those hours at bedtime, clocking anywhere from nine to 12 hours of overnight sleep.
Daytime naps will likely take up two to three hours during the day. Naps can last anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on your baby’s nap style and general fatigue (teething or illness that disrupts nighttime sleep may make them more tired than usual during the day).
Your 11 month old’s wake window is probably three to four hours – meaning that between naptimes, your 11 month old should be able to stay awake about three to four hours before needing another snooze.
Should I put my 11 month old baby on a sleep schedule?
Babies love having consistency and knowing what to expect, so the more you stick to a regular schedule, the better prepared they’ll be when it’s naptime and bedtime. If you haven’t put your baby on a schedule yet and they’re struggling to wind down for sleep, carving out a basic routine based on their daily wakeup time and their average wake windows can go a long way toward smoothing out sleep challenges.
As many as 28 percent of babies still aren’t sleeping through the night at this age. While that can be developmentally appropriate for some little ones, it’s still important to assess what’s causing the night wakings. Sometimes babies wake up at night, and want a feeding in the middle of the night, just out of habit.
Hitting new developmental milestones can keep your baby up at night, too, as they practice standing, crawling, and vocalizing new sounds.
It’s also possible that your baby doesn’t know how to sleep independently, and they can’t fall back to sleep during normal sleep cycle disruptions without parental help. If you think that’s the case, then finding a sleep training method that works for your family is a good way to encourage your child to self-soothe (and, as a bonus, your baby will probably sleep longer and better after learning how to do this).
You can also encourage your 11 month old’s healthy sleep habits by:
- Finding and sticking to a peaceful bedtime routine.
- Prioritizing your baby’s schedule so they can take naps around the same time each day.
- Delaying your response, especially at night, when your baby wakes up crying.
- Keeping any night wakings low-key, so your baby doesn’t think it’s playtime.
- Night weaning to discourage habitual feedings.
- Preparing yourself for a possible 12-month sleep regression by resolving any ongoing sleep issues now.
What an 11 month old sleep schedule may look like
Your 11-month-old may already be in a good routine. If not, this sample sleep schedule can help.
- 7 a.m.: Wake for the day, breastfeed or have a bottle, and play.
- 8 a.m.: Breakfast.
- 10:30 a.m.: First nap.
- 11:30 a.m.: Wake, breastfeed or have a bottle, and play.
- 12:30 p.m.: Lunch
- 3 p.m.: Second nap.
- 4:30 p.m.: Wake, breastfeed or have a bottle, and play.
- 6:30 p.m.: Dinner.
- 8 p.m.: Bedtime routine, then bed.
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