22 Month Old Sleep Schedule: Naps, Wake Windows & Bedtime

A typical 22 month old sleep schedule has one afternoon nap and long awake stretches on either side: wake around 7:00, nap from about 12:45 to 2:45, and lights out between 7:30 and 8:00. That is roughly five and a half to six hours awake before the nap and a little over five after it. The CDC puts one- to two-year-olds at “11–14 hours (including naps)” per 24 hours, so a nap of about two hours and a night of about eleven fits comfortably. Twenty-two months is a steady age on paper. The common problems are a nap strike that looks like the nap ending, and mornings that start too early.

The shape of the day

Time	Block
7:00	Wake + milk
7:45	Breakfast
9:00	Outside time
10:00	Snack
10:30	Play, errands or a class
12:00	Lunch
12:45–2:45	Nap
3:15	Snack
3:45	Outside time round two
5:30	Dinner
6:45	Bath + wind-down
7:30–8:00	Lights out

Move the grid to fit your child’s real wake time and keep the spacing. If your toddler’s day still looks like the 20 month old schedule, that is fine. The two ages run on almost the same pattern, and windows lengthen slowly.

Wake windows at twenty-two months

	Typical at 22 months
Awake before the nap	roughly 5½–6 hours
Nap length	roughly 1½–2 hours
Awake after the nap	roughly 5–5¾ hours
Night sleep	roughly 11–12 hours

These are common patterns, not targets. The best check is how your child settles. Falling asleep within 15 to 20 minutes at nap time and bedtime means the windows fit. A toddler who chats or plays in the crib for 40 minutes before the nap needs a slightly longer morning. One who is falling apart before lunch needs a shorter one, or an earlier lunch.

What is changing as two gets closer

Not much on the grid, but a few things shift in the last months before the second birthday:

The morning window keeps growing. A nap that started easily at 12:30 a few months ago may now need 12:45 or 1:00.
The nap may shorten a little. Many toddlers settle at about an hour and a half to two hours. A shorter nap with a happy afternoon is fine.
Bedtime gets argued with. More words and more independence mean more requests at bedtime. Hold the order of the routine steady and keep it short.
The schedule meets the 24-month version. The 2 year old schedule entry has the full day at two, including how meals and play blocks change.

The AAP’s sleep guidance puts the same idea simply: “The same waking time (both on weekdays and weekends), mealtimes, nap time and play times will help your child feel secure and comfortable, and help with a smooth bedtime.”

A nap strike is not the nap ending

At twenty-two months, a run of refused naps is common and almost never means your child is ready to drop the nap. Most toddlers nap well past their second birthday, and the signs that the nap is really ending are in the when toddlers stop napping entry. A strike usually has one of three causes:

What you see	Common cause	What to try
Plays happily in the crib, then naps late	Morning window too short	Start the nap 15 minutes later for a few days
Refuses, then melts down by 4:00	Overtired, nap offered too late	Move lunch and the nap earlier
Refuses during a wider sleep upheaval	Part of a regression	Keep offering the nap at the same time

Keep offering the nap at its usual time, in the dark, for at least an hour, even on days it doesn’t happen. Quiet time in the crib can still rest a toddler, and it keeps the habit in place for the days the nap comes back. On a day with no nap, move bedtime 30 to 60 minutes earlier. If the nap strike arrives alongside new night waking, new fears and a lot of bedtime protest, it may be the start of the 2 year old sleep regression, which can begin a little before the birthday itself.

Cross-reference When the nap and the night stop fitting together Betteroo builds a sleep plan for children from newborn to age 6 around your child's nap, bedtime and early-morning pattern. Take the free 3-minute quiz →

Night sleep and early waking

The AAP’s sleep-hours page says the published ranges “reflect total sleep hours in a 24-hour period. So if your son or daughter still naps, you’ll need to take that into account.” So at twenty-two months, if the nap runs two hours, the night only needs to supply about eleven. Betteroo has a breakdown of sleep totals at two if you want to check your child’s day against the next age.

A toddler who wakes at 5:30 and is up for the day usually needs one of three fixes:

More darkness. Early sun through thin curtains is a common cause, especially in summer. Blackout panels like NICETOWN’s keep the room dark until your real wake time.
An earlier bedtime for a few nights. An overtired toddler often wakes earlier, not later.
A nap that doesn’t start too soon after waking. If the nap starts at 11:30 because your child was up at 5:30, the early morning keeps repeating. Hold the nap near its usual time and use a short quiet rest to bridge the morning.

When to check with your pediatrician

This entry describes typical patterns, not your child specifically. Talk to your pediatrician if your toddler snores or breathes noisily most nights, wakes often for weeks, seems exhausted despite enough time to sleep, or if a change in sleep comes with fever, ear pain or a change in eating. Bring a week of notes on wake time, nap and bedtime. None of this is medical advice; it’s a well-organized head start for that conversation.

FAQ: 22 month old sleep schedule

What is a good 22 month old sleep schedule?

One nap starting about five and a half to six hours after waking, and a bedtime a little over five hours after the nap ends. From a 7:00 wake, that means a nap around 12:45 to 2:45 and lights out between 7:30 and 8:00.

How long should a 22 month old nap?

Commonly about one and a half to two hours. A shorter nap is fine if your child is happy through the afternoon and settles well at bedtime.

Is my 22 month old ready to drop the nap?

Very unlikely. Most toddlers nap well past two. Refused naps at this age usually mean the timing needs adjusting, or a short phase that passes.

What time should a 22 month old go to bed?

Usually between 7:00 and 8:00. Go earlier on days with a short nap or no nap, and for toddlers who wake before 6:00.