11-Month-Old Sleep Schedule: Naps, Bedtime & Nap Transitions

Almost One, and Sleep Is Getting Interesting

The run-up to a baby's first birthday is one of the most developmentally intense periods of early childhood. At 11 months, your baby is likely cruising along furniture, possibly taking first steps, saying a few words, and demonstrating a will of their own that you may not have anticipated quite this soon. All of that neurological activity is wonderful — and it can absolutely wreak havoc on sleep.

If naps have become a negotiation, bedtime is taking longer than it used to, or nights feel inconsistent, you are in very good company. The good news is that most 11-month-old sleep challenges have clear, addressable causes. Here's what to know.

How Much Sleep Does an 11-Month-Old Need?

At 11 months, most babies need around 13 to 14 hours of total sleep in a 24-hour period. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 12-16 hours (including naps) for babies in the 4-12 month range, and the majority of 11-month-olds land in the lower-to-middle part of that window as they become more active and engaged.

Typically, this breaks down as 10 to 11 hours of overnight sleep and 2 to 3 hours of daytime sleep across two naps. Some babies at this age are beginning to consolidate, but two naps remain the right choice for most until somewhere between 13 and 18 months.

A Sample 11-Month-Old Sleep Schedule

Wake windows at 11 months generally run 3 to 3.5 hours, though some babies stretch comfortably to 3.75 hours by the end of the day. Here's what a solid schedule might look like:

• •Morning wake: 6:30–7:00 a.m.
• •Nap 1: Around 9:30–10:00 a.m., lasting 45–90 minutes
• •Nap 2: Around 2:00–2:30 p.m., lasting 45–75 minutes
• •Bedtime: 7:00–7:30 p.m.

The last wake window — from the end of nap two to bedtime — is the most critical one to get right. Too short and your baby won't have built enough sleep pressure to settle easily. Too long and overtiredness kicks in, making bedtime harder and potentially fragmenting overnight sleep.

The Big Question: Is Your 11-Month-Old Ready to Drop to One Nap?

This comes up constantly at this age, and it deserves a thoughtful answer: probably not yet, but the picture is nuanced.

Research and clinical experience from pediatric sleep specialists like Dr. Jodi Mindell suggest that most babies aren't developmentally ready for the 2-to-1 nap transition until 13 to 18 months. The average is closer to 15-16 months. Moving to one nap before a baby is ready almost always backfires — it creates an accumulated sleep debt that shows up as early waking, harder bedtimes, and more frequent night waking.

That said, some 11-month-olds do show genuine signs of readiness early. The signals to look for include consistently refusing the second nap for two to three consecutive weeks (not just two or three days), taking the second nap without trouble but then being unable to fall asleep at bedtime until 8:30 p.m. or later, or waking significantly earlier in the morning than usual.

If only one or two of those signs are present, the safer move is to adjust the schedule rather than drop a nap. Try capping the first nap at 60-75 minutes to protect second nap interest, or shift the first nap slightly later. Most 11-month-olds just need a schedule tweak, not a nap transition.

What's Making Naps Harder Right Now

The 8-to-10 month period is typically associated with a significant developmental surge, and its effects often linger into 11 months. Object permanence — the understanding that things continue to exist when out of sight — is now fully in place, which is part of why many babies this age protest more intensely when a parent leaves the room. Separation anxiety peaks around 9-18 months, and it makes falling asleep independently feel much harder for some babies.

If your 11-month-old was napping reliably and has suddenly started fighting naps or waking early from them, a developmental phase is very likely the culprit. These phases generally resolve within one to three weeks if you stay consistent with the schedule and routine. Introducing new sleep associations during this time — rocking to sleep, feeding to sleep — can extend the disruption well past the developmental phase itself.

Bedtime: Getting the Timing Right

Most 11-month-olds do best with a bedtime between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m., depending on when the second nap ended. A good rule of thumb: if the second nap ends by 3:30 p.m., aim for a 7:00–7:30 p.m. bedtime. If it runs later (closer to 4:00–4:30 p.m.), you can push bedtime slightly to 7:30–8:00 p.m. to avoid putting a baby down who isn't ready.

A predictable bedtime routine remains one of the most evidence-supported tools for better sleep at this age. A study published in Sleep found that babies with a consistent three-step bedtime routine (something like bath, massage, and quiet activity) fell asleep faster, woke fewer times overnight, and had longer total sleep than babies without a routine. Twenty to thirty minutes of the same sequence every night is all it takes.

Common Mistakes That Stall Sleep Progress

Assuming the second nap needs to go when refusal lasts a week. One week is not long enough to confirm readiness. Developmental phases cause temporary nap refusals that resolve on their own. Give it two to three weeks of consistent attempts before drawing conclusions.

Pushing bedtime later to compensate for short or missed naps. A late bedtime doesn't help an overtired baby sleep longer — it usually makes things worse. When naps are rough, the better response is often an earlier bedtime, not a later one.

Abandoning the schedule during a fussy patch. When babies go through a developmental leap or teething phase, routines feel harder to maintain. But consistency during disruption is exactly what helps babies find their way back to good sleep faster.

When to Seek Help

Most 11-month-old sleep challenges resolve with scheduling adjustments and consistent routines. But if your baby seems in pain during night wakings, snores loudly or has noisy or laboured breathing during sleep, isn't gaining weight appropriately, or if you've been working on sleep for several weeks with no improvement, a conversation with your pediatrician is worth having. Conditions like reflux, ear infections, and sleep-disordered breathing can all disrupt sleep and are worth ruling out.

Nearly One — and Sleep Can Be Good

Eleven months is one of those ages that gets unfairly overshadowed by the attention paid to the 12-month mark. But the work you do on sleep now — protecting two naps, holding the schedule, keeping bedtime consistent — sets up a much smoother first birthday transition than you might expect.

LunaCradle's personalised sleep plans adapt as your baby grows, adjusting wake windows and nap counts automatically as they move through each stage. If you want a clear picture of where your 11-month-old's schedule stands and what to tweak, that's exactly what the app is built to show you.

This article is based on published research from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the National Health Service (NHS), and peer-reviewed pediatric sleep studies. It is not medical advice — always consult your pediatrician for individual guidance.