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You've almost made it through the first year. At 10–12 months, your baby is cruising along furniture, maybe taking first steps, and developing a proper personality, but sleep can get bumpy again right when you thought you had it sorted.
This guide covers wake windows, nap schedules, and regression survival for 10, 11, and 12 months, with sample routines following Red Nose Australia, Tresillian, and Karitane guidelines.
In this guide:
At 10–12 months, your baby's sleep is shaped by motor milestones (pulling to stand, cruising, first steps), language development, and changing sleep needs. Most still need 12–14 hours total sleep across two naps and overnight, with wake windows of 3–4 hours. Some show early signs of the 2-to-1 nap transition, though most aren't ready until 13–18 months. See the Toddler Sleep Guide for what's next →
At 10 months, most babies are firmly on two naps with wake windows of 3–3.5 hours. Balance is key, enough awake time to build sleep pressure, but not so much that your baby becomes overtired.
Here is a typical 10-month sleep schedule:
At 10 months, your baby is likely having three solid meals a day plus two to three milk feeds. Milk still provides key nutrition, don't drop feeds without checking with your GP or child health nurse.
If naps are short: Try stretching the wake window by 15 minutes. A baby napping only 30–40 minutes often needs more awake time. If no improvement after 3–4 days, they may be overtired, pull the nap earlier by 15 minutes instead.
The 10-month sleep regression is real, driven by motor milestones (crawling, pulling to stand, cruising), a language burst, and a fresh wave of separation anxiety. Unlike the 4-month regression which was neurological, this one is behavioural, your baby is too excited about new skills to switch off.
Signs you're in the 10-month regression:
This regression typically lasts 1–3 weeks. Don't introduce new sleep associations. Respond with brief comfort, a quick cuddle, a calm lay-back-down, a pat, but keep lights off and voice low. Give lots of daytime floor time for practice.
Separation anxiety tip: Play peek-a-boo and hide-and-seek during the day. These games teach your baby that you disappear and come back, the exact lesson they need for sleep. A consistent bedtime routine also helps your baby feel secure.
At 11 months, wake windows extend to 3.25–3.75 hours. Your baby can handle more awake time but still needs two solid naps. This is the age where the morning nap often needs capping to preserve the afternoon nap.
At 11 months, the afternoon nap is often the harder one. If your baby fights it, check the morning nap length first, cap it before changing anything else.
Three things collide at 11 months: walking or cruising (your baby is getting vertical and mobile), a language explosion (understanding commands, maybe saying a few words), and separation anxiety round two.
Signs you're in the 11-month regression:
Lasts 1–3 weeks. Stay consistent, go in, lie them down with a quiet "it's sleep time," give a quick pat, and leave. Lots of daytime practice helps reduce the night-time drive to practise.
This is the most common question from parents of 10–12 month olds. For most babies, 11 months is too early. The 2-to-1 nap transition typically happens between 13–18 months, according to Tresillian and Karitane. What looks like one-nap readiness at this age is more often a regression, a schedule tweak, or teething.
Genuine signs of one-nap readiness (not just regression):
If your 11-month-old is fighting naps but doesn't meet these criteria, try capping the morning nap at 45–60 minutes to preserve the afternoon nap. If your baby genuinely meets the criteria at 12 months, shift the single nap to 11:30 AM–12:00 PM, aim for 2–2.5 hours, and bring bedtime forward to 6:30 PM. See the Toddler Sleep Guide →
At 12 months, most babies are still on two naps with wake windows of 3.5–4 hours. Some are beginning the shift toward one nap, if your 12-month-old is fighting the second nap consistently and meeting the readiness signs above, start the transition cautiously. Most 12-month-olds still do best on two naps.
Typical 12-month sleep needs:
At 12 months, milk feeds typically drop to 2–3 per day. If your baby is still waking for night feeds, it's likely habit rather than hunger, check with your GP or child health nurse before night-weaning.
The 12-month sleep regression can hit around the first birthday, driven by walking, language development, and separation anxiety. It usually lasts 1–3 weeks. Stay consistent, keep night interactions brief, and ride it out.
First birthday sleep tips: Schedule the party for late morning or early afternoon to avoid derailing nap time. One disrupted nap is fine, two plus an overtired baby at bedtime is a recipe for a rough night. If they stay up late celebrating? Worth it. Just get back on schedule the next day.
Finding your baby standing in the cot at 2 AM, grinning and practising new skills, is one of the most frustrating things at this age. They're not crying, they're just busy. This is normal. Your baby's brain is prioritising motor development over sleep.
If your baby is standing and distressed, help them lie down with a quick pat. But if they're happily chatting, leave them be, intervening reinforces it. This phase usually passes within a couple of weeks.
From nap transitions to toddler regressions and cot-to-bed moves, everything you need for 12–36 months in one complete guide.
Read the Full Toddler Sleep Guide →Safe sleep doesn't stop being important after the newborn stage. Here's what Red Nose Australia recommends:
For the complete safe sleep checklist, see our Safe Sleep & SIDS Prevention Guide.
A 10-month-old typically needs 12–14 hours total: 10–12 hours at night and 2–3 hours across two naps. Tresillian recommends watching your baby's mood rather than fixating on exact numbers.
A good bedtime is between 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM, assuming a 6:00–7:00 AM wake time and two naps. If naps are short, bring bedtime as early as 6:00 PM, an earlier bedtime often improves night sleep.
Yes, driven by walking/cruising, a language explosion, and separation anxiety. It typically lasts 1–3 weeks. Stay consistent and don't bring your baby into your bed, habits formed during a regression outlast it.
The 12-month regression typically lasts 1–3 weeks, driven by walking, language, and separation anxiety. It can also be the first sign of the 2-to-1 nap transition. Keep your routine consistent.
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