Do you need help making sure your 10 month old can fall asleep consistently and independently? Here’s everything you need to know to optimize your 10 month old sleep schedule!
If you have a 10 month old, you might notice that their sleep schedule hasn’t gone through any major changes since you dropped the third nap a few months ago.
You’ve probably heard me say that once your baby reaches this stage of development, they won’t have any more major schedule shake-ups until around their first birthday.
But that doesn’t mean you won’t have to make little tweaks to your 10 month old schedule to make sure you’re building up the appropriate sleep pressure between sleeps.
There’s also the potential for your 10 month old to hit a sleep regression around this time, especially if they weren’t impacted by a 9 month sleep regression.
If you’re wondering what a 10 month old sleep schedule should look like, I’ve got you covered. As with all ages, a reliable sleep schedule for your baby starts with age-appropriate wake windows.
10 Month Old Wake Windows
I recommend you keep your 10 month old wake windows between 3 to 3.5 hours.
The goal of adjusting your baby’s wake windows is to hit just the right amount of awake time in their day. This allows your baby to build up enough sleep pressure to be tired enough to fall asleep easily, without getting overtired.
The wake window clock starts when you get your baby out of their crib in the morning. That means that after you pick up your 10 month old from the crib, it’ll be anywhere from 3 to 3.5 hours before their first nap.
On average, 10 month olds need about 12 to 14 hours of sleep each day, which includes 2 to 3 hours of daytime sleep each day.
Is 10 Months Too Early for One Nap?
I know you’ve already made the 3 to 2 nap transition, but are you beginning to wonder if it’s time to transition to one nap soon?
My honest opinion is that 10 months is way too early to cut down to just one nap for the day.
Your 10 month old needs between 2 to 3 hours of daytime sleep, and they’re most likely not able to consistently string that much time together in just one nap session.
But even if your 10 month old can nap for 2+ hours at a time, only having one midday nap in their schedule means you would have to stretch their wake windows much longer than recommended.
Staying on a 2-nap schedule allows your baby to build up sleep pressure during their wake window without getting completely overtired.
I recommend that you do your best to hold off on making the 2 to 1 nap transition until sometime after your little one’s first birthday. Any sleep disruptions you are noticing at 10 months is more likely due to wake windows or the 10-month sleep regression.
Why Does My 10 Month Old Keep Waking Up At Night?
If you notice that your once solid sleeper is now fighting bedtime or naps, or is waking up when they used to sleep longer, it could be a sign of a sleep regression.
Common sleep regressions are named after the age they most commonly occur. But if your baby doesn’t hit a sleep regression right on schedule, you still might not be out of the woods just yet.
Your 10 month old could hit the 9 month sleep regression a little late, depending on when they are hitting some other important milestones.
If your baby is hitting milestones like rolling or sitting up a little later, the 9 month sleep regression might be more of a 10 month sleep regression.
However, before you automatically assume that your baby’s sleep woes are due to a commonplace sleep regression, you’ll want to check in on their wake windows.
If you just went through the 9 month sleep regression, chances are good that your 10 month old’s disrupted sleep schedule isn’t another full-blown regression. They could just need more awake time during the day to build up enough sleep pressure to fall asleep easily.
It’s important to avoid making sweeping sleep schedule changes in response to a sleep regression, so I always recommend checking wake windows first and then re-doubling sleep training efforts to see if that will help weather the sleep setback.
At 10 months old, babies are capable of sleeping through the night and sticking to a consistent 2-nap schedule. If they are struggling with either of those things, I can help.
Sleep Training for Your 10 Month Old
Some families decide to start sleep training as early as 4 months old, but if you haven’t started yet, you’re not behind.
It often takes a major sleep regression to motivate families to embrace a sleep training method. Maybe a difficult sleep setback with your 10 month old has finally pushed you over the edge.
If you are interested in sleep training your 10 month old, check out my post on some of the most common sleep training methods.
If you’ve already used a sleep training method successfully in the past, you can try re-implementing that same method to address issues like sleep regressions or suddenly shorter naps.
When you are sleep training your 10 month old, be sure to remain calm, confident, and consistent. Your baby needs those things from you in order to go through sleep training successfully.
Get More Help With the Baby Sleep Schedule Binder
Are you looking for more help with wake windows based on your baby’s age? I’ve got something for you.
The Baby Sleep Schedule Binder includes easy-to-follow wake window guides broken down by age. You’ll also receive sample sleep schedules all they way up to 4 years old.
If you’re looking to adjust your 10-month-old’s wake windows and sleep schedule, the Baby Sleep Schedule Binder is a great resource.
What is A Good Schedule for A 10 Month Old Baby?
Here’s a sample 10 month old sleep and feed schedule:
7:00 am — Wake for the day + nurse or bottle
8:00 am — Solids/Breakfast
10:00 to 11:15 am — Nap 1
11:15 am — Nurse or bottle
12:15 pm — Solids/Lunch
2:15 pm — Small nurse or bottle if needed
2:45 to 4:00 pm — Nap 2
4:00 pm — Nurse or bottle
5:00 pm — Solids/Dinner
7:00 pm — Nurse or bottle + Start bedtime routine
7:30 pm — Bedtime
Questions about the 10-month old sleep schedule? Check out the Baby Sleep Schedule Binder for more sample schedules.
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