Looking for an optimal 11 month old sleep schedule? See what naps, wake windows, and night sleep should look like for your 11 month old.
Can you believe you almost have a one year old?
It’s pretty rewarding to sit back and reflect on this first year, and realize how far both of you have come.
Hopefully you’ve been enjoying some more relaxed days as your confidence as a parent builds and you get to know your baby’s emerging personality.
At 11 months old, your baby has probably been trucking along on a pretty consistent daily routine for a couple months now. How great is that?
Let’s talk about how to optimize your 11 month old’s sleep with a baby sleep schedule.
What Time Should an 11 Month Old Go To Bed?
The sweet spot for bedtime at this age is between 7 and 8 p.m.
At this age, I’ve seen that 11 month olds typically need between 11 to 12 hours of sleep each night.
Make sure that you have enough awake time in between your baby’s last nap of the day and bedtime to ensure their sleep pressure is built up.
How Many Naps Should an 11 Month Old Take?
Your 11 month old still needs two naps, a morning nap and an afternoon nap, totaling between 2.5 to 3 hours of daytime sleep.
I’ve seen some parents need to shorten their baby’s naps a bit, if baby is waking up too early, waking in the middle of the night, or having false starts at bedtime.
At this age, your baby likely isn’t able to string together enough daytime sleep hours over the course of just one nap. They’ll get there soon enough as the transition to one nap usually happens between 13 and 18 months.
11 Month Old Wake Windows
Wake windows are the amount of time your baby can stay awake before they need to sleep again.
I recommend you try to keep your 11 month old wake windows between 3 to 3.5 hours.
If your baby doesn’t get enough awake time during the day, they won’t build up enough sleep pressure to help them fall asleep for naps or at bedtime.
On the flip side, too much awake time during the day can translate to an overtired baby.
At this age, your baby’s wake window will start when you get them out of the crib. The wake window ends when you set them down again for a nap or bedtime.
For your 11 month old, that means it’ll be between 3 to 3.5 hours between when they wake up in the morning and their first nap of the day.
Sample 11 Month Old Sleep Schedule
Here’s an example of an 11 month old sleep schedule that uses the appropriate wake windows and number of naps:
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
Frequently Asked Questions About the 11 Month Old Sleep Schedule
Is 11 Months Too Early for One Nap?
In my experience 11 months is typically too early to transition to just one nap.
The transition to one nap typically takes place between 13 to 18 months old. Try not to rush it!
Instead of dropping a nap altogether in response to your baby fighting sleep, try adding 15 or 30 minutes to one or two of their wake windows instead.
Is There A Sleep Regression at 11 Months?
Around this age this is most commonly known as the 12-month sleep regression, but it can also hit around 11 months, or even as a 10 month old sleep regression.
Each regression is typically caused by the same thing: your baby’s brain is growing and they are learning new skills and meeting new milestones! When your baby reaches those new milestones can vary.
If your baby is learning new skills like cruising along furniture, pulling themself to stand, getting ready to take their first steps, or already walking, then their sleep could be impacted.
Why Is My 11 Month Old Waking Up at Night?
There could be a number of reasons why your 11 month old is waking up at night including: sleep regression, wake windows needing to increase, or your baby not knowing how to fall asleep on their own at bedtime.
Can You Sleep Training An 11 Month Old?
Yes, you can use a sleep training method to help your baby self soothe.
This is a great age before the toddler years hit!
Overall, my biggest tip for sleep training your 11 month old is to stay calm and consistent, because that’s what will help you see good and long-lasting results.
If you want a step-by-step walkthrough of everything that goes into sleep training and how to get results, check out the Baby D.R.E.A.M. System.
