A simple and easy-to-follow one year old schedule including daily morning wake time, meal time, two nap times, and bedtime.
As adults, most of us thrive on schedules even if we don’t intentionally start one. For example, we normally wake up, go to bed, eat meals, and go to work at predictable times every day.
Babies and toddlers are the same way! Most babies and toddlers thrive on structure and a predictable (yet flexible when needed) schedule every day. We love schedules for our kids and have started both on a flexible schedule or daily routine very early on.
Should a One Year Old Take One or Two Naps?
Depending on the child, both one or two naps can be appropriate for a one year old.
Around one year of age is when most babies drop a nap and switch from two naps to one nap per day. Some babies will do this slightly before one years old, while others will stay on two naps until closer to two years old.
The switch to one nap can vary greatly depending on a variety of factors including your child’s temperament, your family’s schedule, or whether or not they go to daycare. A good way to determine whether or not your child is ready for one nap is to watch for certain signs that can tell you they are ready.
Major signs of needing to switch to one nap including:
- refusing at least one of the prior scheduled naps per day
- taking a long time to fall asleep at night
- pushing bedtime unreasonably late
- waking early in the morning
Most babies will start showing these signs around 11-15 months old. My oldest son stayed on two naps until he was 14 months old, while my younger son transitioned to one nap around 11 months old. All babies are different and have different sleep needs, so follow your baby’s leads to determine when they may be ready to drop to 1 nap.
Prior 10-Month Old Schedule
Before our one year old schedule we were on a similar 10 month old schedule. A ten month old schedule and one year old schedule can be very similar, especially the number and timing of naps.
One major change with our one year old schedule, is that we have dropped all bottles and formula and offer regular milk with meals and snacks. Follow your gut and your baby’s queues when to make the switch to drop bottles and also always consult with your pediatrician if you have questions.
One Year Old Schedule (with Two Naps)
Our one year old schedule broken down into a series of wake times, nap times, and meal times each day. For a two nap schedule, here is the routine that we follow.
Wake Up Time: my toddler sleeps through the night and we normally have to wake him up every morning at 7am. If he does wake early we leave him in his crib and he hangs out quietly until we come and get him.
Morning: the morning is normally when we get out of the house to go on a walk or is when we get all of our chores done. Its also when we may do a structured activity like one from this list: Toddler Activities for 1 Year Olds
Morning Nap: my toddler takes a short 45-60 minute nap in the morning. I like keeping the morning nap short so it trains him to take a longer nap in the afternoon. His morning nap is normally around 10 a.m. or about 3 hours after he wakes up.
Lunch: meal time is after his first nap around 11:30 a.m. Here are some examples of his favorite meals: 15 Easy Toddler Lunch Ideas For 1-year-olds
Afternoon: after lunch is normally the time of day we get out of the house to run errands. We may go to the grocery store or even the park.
Afternoon nap: my toddler’s afternoon nap is normally around 2:30 pm or 3-3.5 hours after he woke up from his morning nap. This is a good stretch of time for him to be tired again and take a good second nap. His second nap is normally the longest.
Evening: after his second nap he normally wakes up and has a snack. We normally hang out around the house while I make dinner or get other things done. Dinner is around 5:30-6:00 pm
Bedtime: after dinner we often go on a walk as a family and then come home for a bath and bedtime routine. My toddler normally goes to bed around 7:30-8:00 pm, although if he took bad naps at daycare that day he might go to bed as early as 7:00pm. For bed time we always follow a very similar bedtime routine including a bath, lotion & pjs, sleep sack, and reading two books.
<<< Shop our favorite sleep sacks from Baby Dee Dee >>>
Our favorite sleep sacks are the sleep nest for younger toddlers and the sleep kicker with feet out for older toddlers. They come in a variety of weights for warm weather and cold weather. I always sleep better knowing my babies and toddlers don’t have loose blankets in the crib and that they are still warm and cozy. My kids LOVE their sleep sacks and have been in them since they were a few months old and transitioned out of the swaddle.
- 7:00 am – wake up, milk in a sippy cup
- 8:00 am – breakfast
- 8:30 am – outdoor play time, get out of the house or go on a walk
- 9:30 am – snack
- 10:00 am – nap (1 hr)
- 12:00 pm – lunch
- 12:30 – 1:30 pm – indoor play time
- 1:45 pm – milk in a sippy cup
- 2:00 pm – nap (1.5 hrs)
- 3:30 pm – snack
- 5:30 pm – dinner
- 7:00 pm – milk in a sippy cup
- 7:30 – 8:00pm bedtime routine
- Our bedtime routine is normally a bath, lotion & pjs, put on his sleep sack (these are our favorite sleep sacks) and read 2 stories. Then down to sleep wide awake. Read more about our Bedtime Routine
One Year Old Schedule (with One Nap)
Once your one year old is showing the signs of readiness to switch to one nap, you can go ahead and drop their morning nap, keeping a long afternoon nap. Our overall schedule shifted very slightly and meal times remained mostly the same.
- 7:00 am – wake up, milk in a sippy cup
- 8:00 am – breakfast
- 8:30 am – outdoor play time, get out of the house or go on a walk
- 11:00 am – lunch
- 11:45 am – milk in a sippy cup
- 12:00 pm – nap (2-3)
- 3:30 pm – snack
- 5:30 pm – dinner
- 7:00 pm – milk in a sippy cup
- 7:30 – 8:00pm bedtime routine
Schedule Tips
Milk. These Weighted Straw Cups are our favorite cups for transitioning off the bottle! The are leak-proof and baby can tip almost any angle and the weighted straw lets them keep drinking.
Water. We also offer water often throughout the day. Our son just got this water bottle for his first birthday and loves it! Its just the right size for him to hold. And there is a non-slip grip on the bottom.
Eat-Wake-Sleep Schedule. If you are interested in more baby schedules or the parent directed feeding approach in general I HIGHLY recommend checking out On Becoming Babywise for more tips and tricks.
Thanks for stopping by!
Does your 1 year old take one or two naps? Most toddlers transition to one nap during this time so there’s probably an even split! Let me know in the comments below.
You might also like these related posts:
- Toddler Activities for 1 Year Olds
- 15 Easy Toddler Lunch Ideas For 1-year-olds
- 15 One Year Old Gift Ideas
