The Ideal 15 Month Old Sleep Schedule
In this post, I’ll provide a sample daily sleep schedule for a 15 month old, offer tips on how to incorporate this schedule into your toddler’s routine, and address common challenges related to developmental milestones that can affect your little one’s sleep at this age. Drawing on my experience both as a pediatric sleep consultant and a mom of four great sleepers, I will share what has been effective for me personally as well as what I recommend to my clients. As you may be learning, both parenting and sleep undergo significant changes as your baby ages. Your toddler has now developed strong opinions and an insatiable curiosity about their surroundings. Having a plan and a schedule can help you ensure your little one gets enough rest and provides some predictability to your day.
15 Month Old Sleep Schedule
Typical 15 month old sleep needs
It’s helpful to know what you can expect for a 15 month old baby based on their age and development. These sleep needs are age-appropriate and based on your little one’s development at 15 months, and they provide the foundation for the schedule provided below.
Most 15 month olds need about 13 to 13.5 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period. This includes both naps and overnight sleep.
Most 15 month olds sleep between 11 and 12 hours overnight by this age.
By 15 months, your toddler will likely have dropped their 2nd nap and is down to one longer nap each day. Most toddlers at this age take this nap near midday to split up the time between morning wake time and bedtime. If they haven’t dropped the second nap yet, don’t worry! You will know they are ready for one nap when they can be awake for 5 to 6 hours in one stretch without becoming overtired.
The maximum wake time for a 15 month old between sleeps is 5 to 6.5 hours. Any longer than this and they may become overtired.
15 month old sleep schedule
Here is what a typical daily sleep schedule might look like for a 15 month old. Keep in mind that this can vary depending on your individual family’s preferences, meal times, and other commitments. It is very easy to customize this to fit your family. You can adjust the morning wake up time and bed time based on the needs of other family members, meals, or work schedules to find a schedule that works for everyone—more on that right below.
6:30am - morning wake up
12:00pm - nap (~2 hours)
7:00pm - bed time
how to implement your 15 month old nap schedule
One of the first things you should do is customize this sleep schedule for your toddler by deciding the morning wake up time—i.e. what time you want to start their day. The morning wake time is the first building block. You can then build the rest of the daily plan from there. Different families’ schedules might look very different based on work schedules, other sibilings’ activities, or other preferences.
Once you decide on your ideal morning wake time, choose a bed time that is approximately 12 - 12.5 hours later. This will become bed time. An ideal bed time for most 15 month olds is between 7 and 8pm.
Then choose a target nap time for a nap. Your little one’s nap will be approximately 2 hours in length but could be as long as 3 hours. The nap timing should be 5-6.5 hours from the morning wake up time and should end no later than 6 hours before bedtime. Again, make sure that it aligns well with your schedule and/or the family’s schedule as best as possible as you will want to keep this fairly consistent each day.
Toddler sleep can be greatly improved by using a bedtime routine. Falling asleep at bedtime can be quick and easy with the right approach. Even a simple bedtime routine can improve nighttime sleep for your little one. An example bedtime routine for a 15 month old could include brushing teeth, diaper change, pajamas on, sleep sack on, read a few stories, sing a song, turn on sound machine, lay in crib, lights out. Little ones thrive on routine and patterns, so be sure to give this a try if you don’t have a routine yet.
troubleshooting your flexible schedule
Follow Your Toddler’s Cues - As you and your toddler are adjusting to the new plan, be sure to monitor your little one for tired cues as you near time for nap and bedtime. Like babies, toddlers are more likely to have a long, restful sleep when they are most ready for sleep (but not overtired!). Look for signs such as rubbing eyes, not making as frequent eye contact, and increased fussiness or tantrums as these can indicate that your baby is tired. While having a daily sleep schedule is something I personally swear by and recommend to all my clients, it’s also important to be able to recognize your little one’s needs so that you can always be responsive to them first and foremost.
Transition Takes Time - It can take a few weeks for your little one to adjust to the new schedule. Two to three weeks is a very common transition period. You can continue tweaking your schedule as needed until you find what works best for your family. For example, if you find your baby starts to take one three hour nap a day, that means they may only need 10 to 10.5 hours of overnight sleep to hit the total sleep need of 13 to 13.5 hours in a 24 hour period. This may mean you need to adjust bedtime or morning wake time.
You Can Adjust Each Day Based On Your Child - Even with a schedule, some days just don’t go as planned. If the daytime nap is short, for example, you can move bed time forward that day. As an example, if normal bedtime is 7pm, you could move bed time to 6 or 6:30pm on a day when the nap was only 1 hour long instead of the usual 2.5 hours. This type of approach could help if the nap was short, your little one is is extremely tired or fussy well before bedtime, or if they are under the weather. Again, follow your child’s lead and watch for those cues that they are ready for sleep. With this flexible schedule approach, you are able to adjust on the fly as needed if sleep doesn’t go as planned. And as you’ve surely discovered in your 15 months of parenting, things don’t always go as planned with our beloved little ones!
Don’t Get Too Fixated On The Clock - Some parents who want a daily schedule for their little one may get stressed if they get off schedule. Keep in mind that life happens. Your child is not a robot—they are a living, breathing, perfectly imperfect tiny human, and they don’t know or care what the clock says. I recommend a very healthy sense of flexibility and knowing that the schedule may not be perfect each day. After all, the sleep schedule should improve your life and your baby’s by making it a little more predictable and providing a plan. It should not become a source of stress or frustration. If your plan has to change for a few days, you and your baby will quickly be able to fall back into the normal pattern without issue. The key to success with any baby or toddler sleep schedule is a flexible approach.
common sleep challenges at 15 months old
On The Move - at this age, your little one is quite the adventurer thanks to some rapid gross motor development. Some 15 month olds are already walking, while others have yet to take their first unsupported steps; regardless of where your little one is on the spectrum, it’s safe to say that they’re on the move! 15 month olds don’t stay still for long whether it’s crawling, cruising, climbing stairs, walking, or a combination of these. It’s also likely that your little one has become a pro at pulling themselves up on their crib slats while in their crib, which can be a fun game for them when they are supposed to be sleeping. Because toddlers are typically eager to practice each new skill, becoming more mobile and definitely impact how quickly they go to sleep once in their crib. This makes looking for tiredness cues and sticking to an age-appropriate sleep schedule rather than “just winging it” very important.
Emotional Development - around this time, your little one may start to feel separation anxiety when they are fearful from being separated from their parents or primary caregivers. This is another developmental milestone that can impact sleep if they suddenly become fearful or anxious when they’re alone in their room at nap or bedtime. Again, looking for cues for tiredness can really help ensure you’re putting your little one down when they’re ready for sleep. This is also a great time to introduce a “lovey” to bring them comfort and security.
No matter what challenges you face with your toddler’s sleep, I recommend you stay consistent with the approach. Like anything new, using a new schedule can take patience. In reality, each day may look a little different as you adjust to nap lengths, signs of sleepiness or hunger, and your little one’s temperament. You now have the information and tools you need to customize your own age-appropriate sleep schedule for your toddler. This will allow them to grow and thrive. Sweet dreams to you and your little one!
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