---
title: "The 12 month sleep regression: walking, naps and new wakings"
description: "Why sleep can slip around the first birthday, how long it lasts, whether your 1-year-old is really ready for one nap, and what helps."
source: "tiho, the baby sleep tracker"
canonical: https://tihoapp.com/blog/12-month-sleep-regression/
category: guides
published: 26 October 2026
author: "tiho"
---

# The 12 month sleep regression: walking, naps and new wakings

> Why sleep can slip around the first birthday, how long it lasts, whether your 1-year-old is really ready for one nap, and what helps.

## Key takeaways

- The 12 month sleep regression, around 51 to 55 weeks, is named less often than the earlier ones and lasts 1 to 2 weeks. Not every baby has it.
- It often lines up with first steps and with a second nap that starts to wobble.
- A refused nap at 12 months rarely means it's time for one nap: only about 17% of babies are on one nap at their first birthday, and about 56% at 15 months.
- On two naps, most 1-year-olds are comfortable awake for 3 to 4 hours at a time.
- Separation anxiety can still be strong at this age. Short daytime separations and a predictable goodnight help.

The 12 month sleep regression shows up around the first birthday, about 51 to 55 weeks, as new night wakings, refused naps or a harder bedtime. It's named less often than the earlier regressions, lasts 1 to 2 weeks, and not every baby has one. It often lines up with first steps and with a second nap that starts to wobble, which is easy to mistake for readiness for one nap.

## What causes the 12 month sleep regression?

Three things tend to meet around the first birthday:

- **Walking.** First steps usually arrive somewhere between 12 and 15 months, and like crawling before them, a new motor skill can disturb sleep for a few days to two weeks, often until it's mastered.
- **Separation.** Separation anxiety starts earlier, around 8 or 9 months, and a phase of it often lasts several months. Many 1-year-olds still protest at being left at bedtime.
- **Naps on the move.** Most babies drop from two naps to one between their first birthday and 18 months. The weeks before that move can look a lot like a regression.

It's the fourth of the [common sleep regression ages](/blog/sleep-regression-ages/), after [8 to 10 months](/blog/8-month-sleep-regression/), and before [18 months](/blog/18-month-sleep-regression/) and [2 years](/blog/2-year-sleep-regression/).

## Is my 1-year-old ready for one nap?

> **Figure.** Babies already on one nap: about 17% at 12 months, 56% at 15 months, 77% at 18 months and 95% at 2 years. At the first birthday, most babies still take two naps.

Probably not yet. At 12 months, only about 17% of babies have moved to one nap. That rises to about 56% at 15 months, 77% at 18 months, 88% at 21 months and 95% at 2 years.

| Age | On one nap |
| --- | --- |
| 12 months | about 17% |
| 15 months | about 56% |
| 18 months | about 77% |
| 21 months | about 88% |
| 2 years | about 95% |

A few days of refused naps at or before the first birthday rarely mean it's time. Signs that it is: for a couple of weeks, the morning nap stays easy while the afternoon one becomes a battle, or bedtime keeps getting pushed late. The switch itself can take a few weeks, with some two-nap and some one-nap days. [Dropping a nap](/blog/dropping-a-nap-the-3-to-2-and-2-to-1-transitions/) covers how to make the move.

> **Figure.** At 12 months, on two naps, most babies are comfortable awake for 3 to 4 hours between sleeps. On one nap the stretch grows to about 5 to 6 hours.

On two naps, most 1-year-olds are comfortable awake for 3 to 4 hours between sleeps, with about 2 to 3 hours of day sleep in total and 10 to 12 hours at night. Bedtime usually lands between 7:00 and 8:30 pm, most often around 7:30. If naps have started running short, check the windows before deciding a nap has to go.

## How long does the 12 month regression last?

Usually 1 to 2 weeks. If sleep is still rough after about a month, something else is likely holding the pattern in place: a nap schedule that needs adjusting, or a way of getting through the hard nights (rocking, feeding or holding back to sleep) that has become the new routine. That's not a mistake; you can decide whether to keep it or change it gently.

## What helps

1. **Keep two naps for now.** Adjust the timing before dropping one: 3 to 4 hours awake between sleeps, and an earlier bedtime on days a nap goes missing.
2. **Make goodbyes predictable.** The same short routine and goodnight line every night, and no sneaking out once your baby is asleep, so they don't wake to a surprise.
3. **Play separation games in the day.** Peekaboo, stepping out of sight and coming straight back: practice for the idea that you return.
4. **Let walking happen in the day.** Lots of time on their feet makes the crib less of a practice space.
5. **Keep the night response steady.** Whatever helps your baby fall asleep at bedtime is what they look for at each waking.

Some night waking is still normal at this age: anywhere from none to two or more wakings a night falls within the normal range for 1- to 2-year-olds, and night sleep keeps consolidating through the second year.

**Behavioral:** hold the routine you have and keep any extra help from becoming a new habit. **Responsive:** give more closeness and comfort through the rough patch, and keep your night response consistent.

When the second nap starts to slip, tiho shows a nap transition card with the signs of the move to one nap and what helps, matched to your method.

> **Where the advice differs.** Some sources name 12 months as a regression window; others don't describe age-based regressions at all, and see new waking at this age as a nap schedule that no longer fits, separation anxiety, or a habit picked up during an illness or a trip. Sources also differ on timing the move to one nap, from soon after the first birthday to 18 months or later. tiho's plan keeps two naps at this age and watches your baby's own log for the signs.

## Is it the regression or teething?

They can overlap. In a large study that tracked babies daily up to their first birthday, teething symptoms such as irritability and wakefulness clustered in the 4 days before a tooth came through to the 3 days after. Teething tends to explain a few rough nights, not weeks.

## When to talk to your pediatrician

Check in if new wakings come with fever, ear pulling, poor feeding, fewer wet diapers or unusual sleepiness, if your child snores loudly or seems to pause in breathing during sleep, or if sleep is still very disrupted after a few weeks with no new skill, illness or change to explain it.

## Related reading

- [Sleep regressions by age](/blog/sleep-regression-ages/)
- [The 8 month sleep regression](/blog/8-month-sleep-regression/)
- [Dropping a nap: the 3-to-2 and 2-to-1 transitions](/blog/dropping-a-nap-the-3-to-2-and-2-to-1-transitions/)
- [Wake windows by age: the cheat sheet](/blog/wake-windows-by-age-a-calm-cheat-sheet/)

## FAQ

### How long does the 12 month sleep regression last?

Usually 1 to 2 weeks. If sleep is still rough after about a month, look for another cause, most often a nap schedule that needs adjusting or a temporary fix that has become the new routine.

### Is my 12 month old ready to drop to one nap?

Probably not yet. Only about 17% of babies are on one nap at 12 months. Most make the move between the first birthday and 18 months, and a few days of refused naps before or around the first birthday usually don't mean it's time. Signs that it is: the morning nap stays easy while the afternoon one becomes a battle for a couple of weeks, or bedtime keeps getting pushed late.

### How many naps should a 12 month old take?

Most take two, with about 3 to 4 hours awake between sleeps and 2 to 3 hours of day sleep in total. On one nap, the stretches awake grow to about 5 to 6 hours.

### Is there a 1 year sleep regression?

It's the same one: the 12 month regression, around 51 to 55 weeks. Some sources name it and some don't, and many babies pass their first birthday with no change in sleep.

### Is it the 12 month regression or teething?

Teething tends to cause a few unsettled days around the moment a tooth comes through, not weeks of broken sleep. Fever, poor feeding or seeming unwell point to illness, and to a call to your pediatrician.

### Why is my 12 month old suddenly waking at night?

Common reasons at this age are a new skill like walking, separation anxiety, a nap schedule that no longer fits, illness, or a change at home. Some night waking is still normal: anywhere from none to two or more wakings a night falls within the normal range for 1- to 2-year-olds.

## Sources

- [Normal sleep patterns in infants and children: a systematic review of observational studies](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21784676/) — Sleep Medicine Reviews
- [Normal sleep development in infants: findings from two large birth cohorts](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32087408/) — Sleep Medicine
- [Symptoms associated with infant teething: a prospective study](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10742315/) — Pediatrics