14 Month Old Sleep Schedule

How long should a 14 month old nap? #

Most 14 month olds need 2-3 hours of sleep during the day. Some 14 month olds are able to reach this total by taking one long nap, while others need two naps per day.

14 Month Old Sleep Schedule with Two Naps: Ideally, your baby is getting 2-3 hours of daytime sleep. What does this look like? For some 14 month olds, two naps of 1.5 hours each is perfect. For others, a 2 hour nap and a 30-45 minute nap works best. If your 14 month old is taking two naps, we do want at least one of those naps to be an hour or longer (to ensure we’re getting good restorative sleep). We also want to avoid letting any single nap go longer than two hours. Doing this allows for enough active awake time to get good night sleep and to hit that sweet spot bedtime of 7:00-8:00 pm. 

14 Month Old Sleep Schedule with One Nap: Ideally, your baby’s nap will be 2-3 hours long. I do recommend waking your baby at 3 hours if they’re still napping. Doing this allows for enough active awake time to protect great night sleep and to aim for the sweet spot bedtime of 7:00-8:00 pm. 

How many naps should a 14 month old take?#

Some 14 month olds need two naps per day, while others will only take one.

While some 14 month old babies are ready to transition to one nap, some just aren’t able to handle the longer wake windows without becoming overtired. (Think 5-6 hours before the nap vs only 3 hours.)

The transition to one nap is usually much smoother when your baby is fully ready for it. What does that look like? Your baby consistently shows signs of being ready to drop a nap for 1-2 weeks. When we drop a nap too early, we often see other sleep issues appear, like night wakings, early morning wakings, and short naps.

Your 14 month old may be ready to transition to one nap if they are consistently showing these signs: 

• Protesting or refusing a nap

• Taking short naps when this wasn’t previously an issue

• Waking before 6:00 am daily or almost daily 

• Taking longer than 20 minutes to fall asleep at naptime and/or bedtime

My 14 month old won’t sleep. Why is my 14 month old refusing to nap? #

If your 14 month old is refusing to sleep, you’re not alone. When your 14 month old is fighting naps or your 14 month old won’t sleep at night, I’d like you to consider if:

• Your baby might have a physical need: When babies suddenly stop sleeping, I always want to make sure that they aren’t sick or teething. Sometimes disrupted sleep is the only sign your baby isn’t feeling well. A quick trip to the pediatrician to get those ears checked might be worth your time.

• Your baby’s wake windows need to be lengthened: As babies get older, wake windows need to lengthen. If your baby is on the lower end of the age-appropriate range, add a few minutes to each wake window. You’ll want to do this gradually to prevent overtiredness. Be sure to give your baby a few days to adjust to any changes and then reassess.

• Your baby is overtired: Being overtired can make it hard for your baby to fall asleep and stay asleep. If wake windows have recently been increased or your baby recently dropped a nap and now they’re fighting sleep, slightly decrease wake windows to see if this helps. 

• Your baby is experiencing separation anxiety: We sometimes see a surge of separation anxiety around 14 months. This may look like crying when entering their room, standing in the crib in protest, or showing strong preference for one caregiver at bedtime. Practice short periods of intentional separation during the day and play games like Peek-a-Boo to help ease separation around sleep times.

• Your baby is learning new skills: When babies learn new skills, giving them opportunities to practice those skills during awake time decreases their motivation to practice during sleep time.

• Your baby’s body needs more active awake time: Consider adding in more activity during your baby’s awake time. Dance around the kitchen, create an obstacle course out of couch pillows, or play in the backyard together to get out that energy. Being able to move their body and explore during active awake time also helps your baby be tired enough for consolidated naps and nights.

• Your baby’s sleep environment needs adjusting: We want the room to be really dark (use code Cara for 10% off) with a sound machine (use code CARA20 for 20% off). This helps minimize any stimulating light or noise. It’s also important to make sure that your baby is dressed comfortably for sleep, especially as seasons change. Sleep environment is key to sleep success.

• Your baby needs time to wind down: Giving your baby time to wind down before a nap helps with transitioning from awake time to sleep. This doesn’t need to be complicated, but following a few predictable steps before a nap really does cue your baby’s brain that it’s time for sleep. Here’s an example: diaper change, zip up sleep sack, sing a song, darken the room, and turn on the sound machine. 

If sleep has always been tough, my 5-24 Month Collection is here for you. I’ll teach you an emotionally-connected, holistic, and fully-customizable sleep plan for great nights, predictable days, and easier transitions from now to 24 months. If your nights are great, but naps are a constant struggle, my Conquering Naps class can help. Let me walk you step-by-step through a customized approach to better naps and less stressful days, that meets your family right where you are.

What is a sample sleep schedule for a 14 month old?#

As you’re looking at the sample 14 month sleep schedules below, please remember, your days will likely vary based on when your baby wakes up, how long your baby naps, and when your baby needs to eat.

14 Month Old Sleep Schedule with Two Naps:

This is one possible daily routine for a 14 month old. Notice, we are still offering food and drink about every 2-3.5 hours. Remember: For some 14 month olds, two naps of 1.5 hours each is perfect. For others, a 2 hour nap and a 30-60 minute nap works best.