An 11-month-old needs 12 to 16 hours of total sleep per day, including 9 to 12 hours at night and roughly 2.5 to 3 hours spread across daytime naps. That’s a wide range, and where your baby falls within it depends on their individual temperament, activity level, and how well their naps are going. Here’s what a healthy sleep pattern looks like at this age and what to do when it goes off track.
Nighttime Sleep at 11 Months
Most 11-month-olds are capable of sleeping 9 to 12 hours overnight. Some babies at this age sleep through the night consistently, while others still wake once or twice. Developmental changes happening around this age, like pulling to stand, cruising along furniture, and early attempts at walking, can temporarily disrupt nighttime sleep even in babies who were previously sleeping well.
This restlessness is sometimes called a sleep regression, and it tends to show up as babies approach their first birthday. Increased physical activity during the day, along with heightened emotional engagement and new communication skills, can leave a baby’s brain too wired to settle easily. These disruptions are normal and typically resolve within a few weeks without any major changes to your routine.
How Many Naps and How Long
Two naps per day is standard at 11 months: one in the mid-morning and one in the early afternoon. Each nap typically lasts 1 to 1.5 hours, adding up to about 2.5 to 3 hours of daytime sleep total. Some babies nap as briefly as 30 minutes, while others stretch closer to 2 hours per nap.
If your baby is fighting one or both naps, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ready to drop to one nap. Most children aren’t truly ready for a single-nap schedule until 14 to 18 months. Dropping a nap too early can backfire, leading to overtiredness that actually makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep at night. The result is often more fussiness, more night waking, and earlier morning wake-ups. At 11 months, the better move is usually to adjust the timing of naps rather than eliminate one.
Wake Windows Between Sleeps
At 11 months, most babies need about 3 to 3.75 hours of awake time between sleep periods. These windows tend to get longer as the day goes on, so the stretch before bedtime is usually the longest one. A typical day might look like waking at 7 a.m., first nap around 10 a.m., second nap around 2:30 p.m., and bedtime around 7:30 p.m.
If your baby is regularly resisting naps, try stretching wake windows to 3.5 to 3.75 hours before assuming it’s a regression. Sometimes babies at this age simply need a bit more awake time to build enough sleep pressure for a solid nap. Small adjustments of 15 to 30 minutes can make a noticeable difference.
Signs the Schedule Needs Adjusting
A few patterns suggest your baby’s current routine isn’t quite right:
- Resisting the second nap consistently. This is the most common early sign that wake windows need lengthening, not that a nap should be dropped entirely.
- Taking very short naps. Naps under 30 minutes often mean the baby wasn’t tired enough or was overtired when put down.
- Waking for long stretches in the middle of the night. Sometimes called “split nights,” these happen when a baby gets too much daytime sleep or is put to bed before they’re ready.
- Consistently getting less than 10 hours of night sleep. If this is happening on a two-nap schedule, it may be worth gradually shifting toward longer wake windows to consolidate nighttime sleep.
Keeping the Crib Safe
At 11 months, safe sleep guidelines still apply. Your baby’s crib should have a firm, flat mattress with a fitted sheet and nothing else. No blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, bumper pads, or loose bedding. These recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics apply to all babies under 1 year. Even though your baby can likely roll both ways and move around the crib freely, soft objects still pose a suffocation risk at this age.
If you’re worried about your baby being cold, a sleep sack (a wearable blanket) is a safe alternative to loose blankets. Once your child turns 1, the guidelines around soft bedding become more flexible.
Putting It All Together
A reasonable target for an 11-month-old is 10 to 12 hours of nighttime sleep plus two naps totaling 2.5 to 3 hours, with wake windows of 3 to 3.75 hours in between. Not every day will hit these numbers perfectly. Teething, illness, travel, and developmental leaps all throw things off temporarily. The goal is a consistent pattern over the course of a week, not a rigid daily schedule. If your baby is generally happy during wake windows, falling asleep without a prolonged struggle, and waking rested, they’re likely getting enough sleep regardless of where they fall within the recommended range.