Need a 2 year old sleep schedule to combat sleep regression? These daily schedules can help you reset your toddler’s sleep once and for all!
Once my toddler hit 2 years old, I had no idea how I ever managed to put him down for a nap three, four, and sometimes five times a day in the past. With only one nap to contend with in the toddler stage, our schedule got a lot less complicated and freed up our time much more.
That said, I know all too well when a 2 year old sleep schedule goes out of whack, both for naps and the bedtime routine.
Rather than sleeping right away in his crib, he talked to his lovey, played, or sang, sometimes for up to an hour and a half. Adorable, yes, but also enough to throw his entire schedule off. To make things worse, he’d wake up at his usual time, extra cranky from not getting much sleep.
Maybe you can relate. Perhaps your toddler has been waking up two to three times a night for the past few months from who knows what. You’ve tried dropping the nap completely, but that only leaves her overtired by the early evening and even less likely to fall asleep.
20 examples of a 2 year old sleep schedule
A new schedule can sometimes be all you need to reset your 2 year old’s sleep. That said, we don’t always have a ton of fellow parents of 2 year olds we can ask out of the blue.
That’s why I did the work for you—below, you’ll find samples for inspiration to develop healthy sleep habits.
I surveyed and researched what other parents do for their schedules and listed them here. Since most 2 year olds take one nap a day, I only included daily schedules that included just that. And I stuck to those with reasonable wake-up and bedtimes.
Take a look at these examples and recommendations to find a sample schedule that works for you:
Example 1
- Wake up: 6am
- Nap: 1-2pm
- Bedtime: 7pm
Example 2
- Wake up: 6am
- Nap: 1-3pm
- Bedtime: 8pm
Example 3
- Wake up: 6:30am
- Nap: 11am-1pm
- Bedtime: 8pm
Example 4
- Wake up: 6:30am
- Nap: 12-3pm
- Bedtime: 7pm
Example 5
- Wake up: 6:30am
- Nap: 12:30-3pm
- Bedtime: 7:30pm
Example 6
- Wake up: 6:30am
- Nap: 1-3:30pm
- Bedtime: 8pm
Example 7
- Wake up: 6:30am
- Nap: 1-4pm
- Bedtime: 8:30pm
Example 8
- Wake up: 6:45am
- Nap: 12-2pm
- Bedtime: 7:15pm
Example 9
- Wake up: 7am
- Nap: 11am-1pm
- Bedtime: 7:30pm
Check out these 2 year old sleep regression solutions that work.
Example 10
- Wake up: 7am
- Nap: 11am-1:30pm
- Bedtime: 7pm
Example 11
- Wake up: 7am
- Nap: 12-1pm
- Bedtime: 7:30pm
Example 12
- Wake up: 7am
- Nap: 12-2pm
- Bedtime: 7:30pm
Example 13
- Wake up: 7am
- Nap: 12:30-3:30pm
- Bedtime: 8pm
Example 14
- Wake up: 7:30am
- Nap: 12-2pm
- Bedtime: 8:30pm
Example 15
- Wake up: 7:30am
- Nap: 1-3pm
- Bedtime: 7:45pm
Example 16
- Wake up: 7:30am
- Nap: 1:30-4pm
- Bedtime: 8:30pm
Example 17
- Wake up: 7:30am
- Nap: 1:30-4pm
- Bedtime: 8pm
Example 18
- Wake up: 7:30am
- Nap: 2-4pm
- Bedtime: 7:30pm
Example 19
- Wake up: 8am
- Nap: 1-3pm
- Bedtime: 8pm
Example 20
- Wake up: 8:45am
- Nap: 2-4pm
- Bedtime: 8:30pm
Free resource: Do you struggle with getting your child to take a nap? Grab The Five Habits That Will Make Your Child’s Naps Easier! Discover the five steps you need to do to finally get a break while your child naps. Get your copy below. You’ll also get my newsletters, which readers say they LOVE:
“I babysit my 2.5-year-old granddaughter and I’ve taken your advice successfully, several times. Thank you!” -Jeannette B.
Best practices for changing a 2 year old sleep schedule
Regardless of which schedule you’d like to try, keep these best practices in mind to avoid potential 2 year old sleep problems:
- Try a shorter nap. If your 2-year-old takes forever to fall asleep, his extra-long nap may be preventing him from being sleepy enough come bedtime. A shorter nap can give him enough awake time before bedtime.
- Put him to sleep earlier. Sometimes toddlers can’t sleep because they’re overtired. As ironic as it is, lack of sleep doesn’t make for good quality sleep. Instead, try putting him to sleep or nap earlier than usual. Even 15-minute increments can work wonders.
- Stick to any change for five days. It’s tempting to try a new toddler sleep schedule, only to give up when it doesn’t work immediately. The thing is, change often needs to happen through consistent repetition. Give it at least five days to work before you call it quits or try something else.
- Have him stay in bed until the “official” wake up time. You don’t have to end nap time because he woke up. Instead, encourage him to keep sleeping—or at least stay in bed for quiet time—until nap time officially ends, or when your morning begins. That way, he learns that waking up early doesn’t mean it’s time to get up. Even better: he might even fall back asleep!
What time should a 2 year old go to bed?
As you can see from the sleep patterns above, the time a 2 year old goes to bed varies. I generally recommend no later than 8:30pm, assuming that works with your schedule. From the examples above, a typical 2 year old sleeps anywhere between 7-8:30pm.
You can also fiddle with bedtime depending on what time your child wakes up the next morning. Most kids sleep for 10-12 hours at night. If the amount of sleep she needs is only 10 hours, a 7pm bedtime could mean a 5am wake-up. If that’s too early, you might want to push bedtime back to 8pm.
Get more tips on establishing a 2 year old bedtime.
How long should a 2 year old nap for?
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Just as bedtimes vary, so too does the length of daytime sleep for a 2 year old. The length depends on how long your toddler slept at night, so it’s best to take into account the entire 24-hour period, rather than only the nap. For instance, a two-hour nap may sound good, but not if he’s only getting nine hours of sleep at night.
In general though, kids in this age group usually nap about two to two-and-a-half hours a day.
p.s. Check out The Napping House by Audrey Wood, one of our favorite children’s books to help kids take daytime naps:
Conclusion
Any time our kids throw us for a loop—taking forever to fall asleep, a sleep regression, interrupted nighttime sleep—it’s easy to get frustrated. Thankfully, you now have several examples of a 2 year old sleep schedule to try and reset your child’s days.
If anything, at least you only have to deal with one nap a day now—and not the three, four, or even five from the months gone by.
Get more tips:
- Need a Toddler Schedule? 15 Examples That Can Make Life Easier
- 5 Tips to Help Your Overtired Toddler Finally Go to Sleep
- What to Do When Your Toddler Suddenly Won’t Sleep
- 5 Ways to Stop Toddler Power Struggles Many Parents Don’t Think to Do
- How to Get Through the 2 Year Old Sleep Regression
Don’t forget: Join my newsletter and grab your free copy of The Five Habits That Will Make Your Child’s Naps Easier below:
My toddler was waking up at 8am, nap time at 1-3/330, then fighting bedtime at 830 to the point where he was staying up until 12am or later. His pediatrician told us to cut his nap time out completely. So yesterday we did that. He woke up at 8am, we skipped nap time…he was grumpy but we figured that was to be expected. He went right to sleep ay 830pm…it was like magic! He slept until 8am! So today we skipped the nap again, bedtime at 830 but he fought me until 9ish. And now as I type it is 320am and he’s been up since 2am. In bed, seemingly content but talking and shouting and playing with his hands. Now I don’t know what to do. Should I stop his new schedule? Should I let him sleep in if he wants to? Should I continue to try and cut his nap out? His pediatrician also prescribed him melatonin which I haven’t been wanting to use. I just don’t know what else to do. I need advice. Please help.
Hi Jess, that’s great you sought your pediatrician’s advice, as she would know his situation well. But if it didn’t work the second night, personally I try to give a new schedule a few days before calling it quits. Sometimes you need to be consistent with change for it to “sink in.” That said, if you find that you’ve tried cutting the nap for a few days and he’s still up at night or even getting worse, then I would try something new. Two-years-old seems young to cut nap completely, so if that doesn’t work, maybe you can experiment with, say, an 8pm bedtime, or 12:30-2:30pm nap, etc.