Month-by-month sleep guide
23-Month-Old Sleep Schedule
- ⏰ Wake window: 6 hours
- 🍼 Naps per day: 1
- 🌙 Bedtime: 8:30 PM
- 😴 Total sleep: 11–13 hours
Reviewed by the BabyNapCalc Editorial Team — our content is reviewed for accuracy against pediatric sleep guidance (AAP/NSF). This is general information, not medical advice.
Almost two! Complex pretend play and big opinions — the 23-month-old sleep schedule, plus a preview of what changes at 24 months.
23-month-old sleep at a glance
Typical ranges for 23 months — every toddler is different, so treat these as a starting point.
6 h
Between sleep periods
Typical at 23 months
1
1 nap
Rest of sleep at night
11–13 h
Naps + night combined
Typical for this age
Sample 23-month-old schedule
An example day with a 7:00 AM wake, built from this month’s wake windows. Use the mini calculator above with your real wake time.
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Nap 1
About 90 minutes
8:30 PM
Bedtime
End of the day
Sleep at 23 months
Twenty-three months — the last month before the second birthday. Sleep looks much like it has for months: 6-hour wake windows, one midday nap, 11–13 hours of total sleep. What’s new is your toddler: complex pretend play (elaborate scenarios with dolls and toys), big opinions about everything, and a sense of humor that’s suddenly, hilariously present. Savor the routine; age two brings its own sleep curveballs.
Same schedule, slightly longer days
Wake at 7 AM, nap 1–3 PM, bedtime around 8 PM continues to serve most 23-month-olds well. Some toddlers start stretching the last wake window toward 6.5 hours, which nudges bedtime to 8:30 PM — acceptable if mornings stay consistent and total sleep holds. Don't let bedtime drift just because your toddler seems “not tired”; at this age, wired often means overtired. And protect the morning anchor above all: a consistent wake time stabilizes the entire day more than any other single habit.
Pretend play peaks — and so do bedtime stories
Complex pretend play means your 23-month-old may start reenacting the bedtime routine with stuffed animals (deeply cute) or inventing reasons to delay it (deeply strategic). Lean into the routine as a story they co-author: same steps, same order, same calm ending. Toddlers this age find genuine comfort in repetition, even as they pretend to resist it, and a predictable sequence makes the transition to sleep feel safe.
Looking ahead: the 2-year-old transition
Around the second birthday, some toddlers begin resisting the nap — not because they're ready to drop it (they aren't), but because independence peaks again. The playbook: keep offering the nap at the same time daily, keep it boring, and add quiet time as a backstop. Expect bedtime to need firmer boundaries too; the “one more” requests multiply at this age. Our 24-month sleep schedule covers the 2-year-old nap-resistance phase in detail.
23-month-old sleep questions, answered
Quick answers to the questions parents ask most about sleep at 23 months.
How much sleep does a 23-month-old need?
11–13 hours per 24 hours — usually around 10.5–11.5 hours at night plus a 1.5–2.5 hour nap.
What changes about sleep at 2 years old?
The schedule itself barely changes, but many 2-year-olds start resisting the nap and testing bedtime boundaries as independence surges. The answer is consistency, not schedule redesign.
Should I move my almost-2-year-old to a toddler bed?
Not for sleep reasons alone. Most children sleep safest in a crib until closer to age 3, unless climbing out has become unstoppable.
My 23-month-old suddenly hates the nap. Is it over?
Almost certainly not — this is the classic pre-2 nap resistance. Keep the nap slot sacred for 2–3 weeks before drawing conclusions; most toddlers this age still need the nap for years. If refusal is total, enforce a quiet rest hour in the crib so the rhythm survives until the phase passes.
This page is a planning guide based on general pediatric sleep guidance, not medical advice. Every toddler is different — talk to your pediatrician with concerns about your child’s sleep.