How long will my toddler sleep?

You are the best judge of how much sleep your toddler needs. There's a wide range of normal, but generally a toddler between the ages of 1 and 2 requires about 10-13 hours of sleep a day. Whether all these hours are slept at night or split up between nighttime sleeping and 1 or 2 daytime naps is up to you.

Some parents find that their kids need that sleep during the day. Others find that daytime napping interferes with a good night's sleep and that a rest period (quiet playing or reading) works better. If this occurs, you may want to combine two short naps into one or do away with the nap altogether. That's OK. Your child doesn't need to nap every single day.

It may take several weeks of experimenting until you find the combination of sleep and naps that works best for your toddler. Just make sure he is getting enough rest. It can mean the difference between a happy, sunny disposition and a cranky, hard-to-manage child. Try to get in tune with your child's needs and personality.