Your 14-month-old baby’s sleep has changed tremendously over the past year: they went from a newborn with chaotic sleep “patterns” to a baby who can sleep through the night. Now that your baby’s over 1 year old, there are more sleep changes ahead, including nap transitions.
Your baby’s shifting sleep can lead to a lot of questions for parents and guardians, including How do I sleep train while teething and “How do I minimize separation anxiety?”
This article answers those and other questions. Here we’ve gathered expert advice for and insights into how to help your 14-month-old sleep.
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For guidance on how to maintain sleep coaching as your baby grows or to start sleep training your baby, download the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™.
It’s an easy-to-use app that can help any parent help any baby learn to sleep independently. With 1-click sleep tracking and step-by-step guidance, the Smart Sleep Coach is so effective, many users see results in less than 1 week!
A Sample 14-Month-Old’s Sleep Schedule
Please note that we use these times as examples. Each baby is unique, including your own, so when sleep coaching, focus less on specific clock times and more on your baby’s wake windows and sleepy cues.
A wake window is the amount of time between naps and sleeps, while the sleepy cues are the signs your baby’s tired, like yawning or getting glassy eyed. When you see a sleepy cue, it means your baby’s wake window is ending and it’s time to start your bedtime routine.
Working with wake windows and sleepy cues helps you align your baby’s sleep schedule with their circadian rhythm, creating a consistent schedule that is natural, nurturing, and predictable.
Learn more about wake windows and sleepy cues by checking out the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™.
Also, one more note: Many babies this age may be transitioning from 2-to-1 nap, so we’ve included sample schedules for both. For more information on nap transitions, read our piece on when to nap transition.
Sample Sleep Schedule for 14-Month-Olds with 2 Naps
How Many Total Hours Should a 14-Month-Old Sleep?
Experts agree that a 14-month-old should sleep about 14-15 hours a day. This includes night and day sleeps.
Can a 14-month-old baby sleep through the night?
Yes. With proper sleep coaching and nourishment, most 14-month-olds sleep through the night no problem.
Sleep coaching helps babies sleep longer for two reasons: one, sleep coaching aligns their sleep schedule and circadian rhythm; and, two, sleep coaching strengthens your baby’s self-soothing powers: if they wake up at night, they can put themselves back to sleep solo, instead of crying out for help.
This leads to more restful nights for your baby, and for you. For more information on sleep coaching, check out the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™.
How much nighttime sleep for a 14-month-old?
For nighttime sleep, a 14-month-old should sleep about 11 hours each night.
How much daytime sleep for a 14-month-old?
If your baby takes one nap, it should ideally be about 2-3 hours. If they’re still taking 2, each nap should be about 1-2 hours. If your baby is struggling to sleep during their second nap or they’re waking at night, it may be time to complete the 2-to-1 nap transition. Read about how to do that in our article on nap transitions.
What is a 14-month-old’s wake window?
If your baby is taking 1 nap, wake windows are about 5 hours. If your baby takes 2 naps, the first wake window will be about 3 hours, 15 minutes, while the second is between 3.5 hours and 3 hours and 45 minutes.
Is there a 14-month-old regression?
No – there’s no 14-month regression. The next major regression may come around 18 months. However, there are a few potential sleep disruptions at 14 months: active protests, teething, and separation anxiety.
How to Deal with Bedtime Protests
A 14-month-old is more verbal and more independent. This is great, of course, but can also lead to some robust protests at bedtime. Even if your baby is tired, they may still resist bedtime.
If your baby protests bedtime, try these two expert-level suggestions:
Extend Your Bedtime Routine: Adding another activity or story to your bedtime routine can help increase your baby’s sleep drive and reduce protests.
Involve Your Baby in their Bedtime Routine: Involving your baby in the routine can help them feel more in control, which can reduce to protests.
To involve your baby more in their bedtime routine, ask them to select their pajamas, book, or the toy they may want to sleep with.
If your baby refuses to pick something out, do it for them and move on with the routine – it’s more important to keep the routine going and put your baby down than argue right before bed.
Does Teething Disrupt Sleep Training?
Your 14-month-old is likely well into their teething journey, which typically begins between 6-12 months.
While teething is super exciting developmental milestone, it can be uncomfortable for your baby and, yes, teething may temporarily disrupt your baby’s sleep training.
Here are some quick tips on how to help your baby sleep through teething:
- Wipe Away Drool: This will prevent drool rash that can keep babies up.
- Gum Massages: Gently massaging your baby’s gum with a clean finger can help alleviate their teething discomfort.
- Cool Fruit or Wash Cloth: Cool objects numb the pain to help your baby sleep. Note: Objects should not be frozen.
- Non-Gel Teething Rings: Soft teething rings let your baby “target” the sore area on their own.
- Topical Treatment: Consult your toddler’s pediatrician before using any over-the-counter baby teething gel.
How to Minimize Separation Anxiety in Babies
There are ways to minimize separation anxiety in babies, though, and the methods are all really fun.
Peek-a-Boo: This simple-seeming game actually teaches your baby that “disappeared” people will return to them – a key element of overcoming separation anxiety.
“I’ll Be Right Back:” A more involved and more powerful way to minimize separation anxiety in your toddler is to play “I’ll be right back,” which is basically a full-sized version of peek-a-boo.
To play “I’ll be Be Right Back,” you simply place your baby in a safe space with toys, tell them “I’ll be right back” and step away for a minute or two. Then, when you return, offer a cheery, enthusiastic “I’m back!”
For the next round, lengthen the amount of time before you re-enter the room. This exercise reinforces the truth that you’ll always return for your little one AND helps build “alone stamina” by lengthening the amount of time your baby is alone.
Independent Play: Experts advise allowing your baby independent play time starting at 6 months, at which point most babies can play alone for 5 minutes before becoming anxious.
With practice, that amount of time gets longer: by 12 months, your baby may be playing alone for ten minutes, and by 18-months, it’s 20.. In addition to acclimating your baby to being alone, independent play boosts focus, imagination, and attention span. Plus, it gives you a moment of independence time, too. Everybody wins!
Note: When playing “I’ll be right back” or allowing your baby independent play, be sure to keep a close ear or use a baby monitor to make sure they’re safe when you step out of the room.
For more on sleep regressions, please read our piece explaining when to expect them and how to thrive through them.
And for answers to any other questions about your baby’s sleep, check out the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™. In addition to sleep coaching guidance, it’s stocked with mini-articles on basically anything you need or want to know about your baby’s sleep, from coping with the witching hour to how to sleep coach while traveling.
Sources:
“Sleep Physiology in Toddlers: Effects of Missing a Nap on Subsequent Night Sleep,” Neurobiology of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms.
“Predictive Factors of Toddlers' Sleep and Parental Stress,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
“Night-to-Night Variability in the Bedtime Routine Predicts Sleep in Toddlers,” Early Childhood Research Quarterly.
How We Wrote This Article:
The information in this article is based on the expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. You can find a full list of sources used for this article below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.
