ToddlerGuide Start here
A wooden house-shaped nightlight with star cutouts glows beside a stack of botanical picture books, folded cream and teal blankets, and star-patterned pillows on a rug.

Pillar

Sleep

Tired toddlers do not become reasonable. They become louder. The useful number is hours in a full day, including the nap, not a fantasy of 12 silent nights.

Hours AAP stands behind

AAP endorsed the American Academy of Sleep Medicine duration ranges. For children 1 to 2 years, that is 11 to 14 hours per 24 hours, including naps. For children 3 to 5 years, that is 10 to 13 hours, including naps. CDC's family pages use 11 to 14 hours for the toddler years.

The hour total at 12, 16, 17, and 26 months is on the toddler sleep schedule. Naps count. CDC does not publish a separate clock for those months.

A bedtime that can be repeated

CDC's wording is almost the same on every toddler checklist: make a calm, quiet bedtime. Pajamas, teeth, one or two books. Keep sleep times as steady as the household can manage.

From the blog

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A toddler in a sage hoodie crouches on backyard grass arranging wooden blocks and felt balls while an adult in a cream sweater watches from behind.
Care

First daycare drop-off

A short goodbye. Tears at the door are common.
A tablet lies face-down on a wood table beside a hardcover book and a bowl of apple slices. In the background, an adult and toddler stand at a kitchen sink.
Media

Screen time limits ages 2-3

About an hour of high-quality media, with you in the room.
A wooden house-shaped nightlight with star cutouts glows beside a stack of botanical picture books, folded cream and teal blankets, and star-patterned pillows on a rug.
Sleep

18-month sleep regressions

Keep the day total and a boring wind-down.
Cream toddler Velcro shoes and a sage sippy cup sit on a woven rug in a sunlit entryway beside a wooden bench, a plant, and a basket of textiles.
Behavior

Tantrums in public

Safety, a nearby adult, the same limit as at home.
A wooden house-shaped nightlight with star cutouts glows beside a stack of botanical picture books, folded cream and teal blankets, and star-patterned pillows on a rug.
Sleep

Moving from two naps to one

Keep the day total. Put the second nap back if nights fall apart.
A wooden house-shaped nightlight with star cutouts glows beside a stack of botanical picture books, folded cream and teal blankets, and star-patterned pillows on a rug.
Sleep

Early morning waking

Five a.m. is still night. Protect the last stretch of sleep.