Baby Sleep at 10 Months: Sleep Needs, Naps & the 10-Month Sleep Regression

Your baby is 10 months old now and is moving through a very special, sometimes genuinely demanding stretch of development. And that development tends to show up in their sleep.

By this age, most babies have dropped from three naps to two. That makes it much easier to settle into a predictable daily rhythm, and it lowers the risk of overtiredness before bedtime, which usually means fewer wake-ups at night. On the other hand, this is also the month when separation anxiety and often another round of sleep regression arrive.

Here is everything that matters about sleep in your baby's tenth month.

How Much Should a 10-Month-Old Sleep?

Altogether, 10-month-old babies need roughly 13.5 to 14.5 hours of sleep in 24 hours, which is very close to what they needed the two months before.

About 11 to 12 hours of that should happen at night, which leaves 2 to 3 hours to be split across two naps. Ideally, each of those naps, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, lasts at least one hour.

Daily Schedule and Wake Windows at 10 Months

Wake Windows for a 10-Month-Old

10-month-old babies handle wake windows of about 2.5 to 3 hours. The last one before bedtime can stretch to as much as 4 hours. (As always, there are babies who prove the exception.)

What Is the Best Bedtime for a 10-Month-Old?

The goal is 11 to 12 hours of night sleep, which means bedtime should land roughly 12 to 13 hours after your baby wakes up in the morning.

If your baby tends to sleep longer during the day than the averages above, they will probably sleep a bit less at night. As a general rule, though, try not to let night sleep drop below 10 hours.

Sample Daily Schedule for a 10-Month-Old

A typical day for a 10-month-old baby could look like this:

(The exact nap times and bedtime naturally vary from baby to baby. These are meant as a rough guide.)

The 10-Month Sleep Regression: What Helps?

By 10 months, you have probably already met a sleep regression or two. These temporary sleep setbacks throw your whole sleep plan into disarray every now and then, and many families run into them around month four or month six. But month ten can be a rough patch of its own.

During a sleep regression, babies are generally more restless. They wake up suddenly, fuss a lot, have a harder time falling asleep, and want nothing more than to be in Mom's or Dad's arms all day long.

Right now, somewhere between month eight and month ten, it tends to happen again. The main reason is the enormous developmental leaps your child is working through.

Physically, for instance, your baby is learning to crawl, to pull up to standing, maybe even to say their first words. And when bedtime rolls around, those brand-new skills can seriously interfere with the usual routine or with night wakings. After all, what could be more exciting than exploring your own crib?

The new ability to tell people apart more easily also affects sleep quite a bit. All of those fresh impressions have to be processed somewhere, and a lot of that happens at night.

Separation anxiety plays a big part in sleep regressions too. Most babies this age really do not like it when their closest people suddenly leave the room or disappear from view. (Babies still have to learn that Mom or Dad is still there even when they cannot be seen.)

And that separation anxiety often shows up at night, much to their parents' dismay.

Still, it helps to remember that this is completely natural development and entirely normal behavior for a baby this age. In most cases, the sleep regression is over after two to four weeks. (Which does not automatically mean your child will go back to sleeping well on their own, though.)

Why Does My 10-Month-Old Have Sleep Problems?

Here are the sleep problems that come up most often in month ten.

Poor Sleep Because of Teething

Teeth pushing through can be genuinely uncomfortable for babies, and that discomfort can have a real effect on their sleep.

Signs that point toward teething:

• Chewing on their hand or on other objects
• General restlessness
• Drooling
• Eating less than usual
• Diarrhea
• A stronger need for physical closeness and contact
• Fever

A teething ring (chilled, if your baby likes it that way), a cold damp washcloth, or a teething gel can help here. If it is really painful, a mild pain reliever is an option too.

Waking Up Too Early

It happens fairly often that 10-month-olds wake up too early in the morning, meaning before 6:00 AM. Usually the cause is a bedtime that is too late or, sometimes, not enough daytime sleep.

Trouble Falling Asleep Independently

When a baby has a hard time falling asleep on their own, that almost always shows up at night as well. They struggle to bridge the gap between sleep cycles, when they briefly surface or sleep more lightly. Instead of drifting back off, they wake up fully and protest, because they want the sleep aid they are used to. If that happens to be nursing or a bottle, they will ask for it insistently and will not settle again until they get it.

So it is genuinely worth teaching a 10-month-old to fall asleep on their own. You will find more on this in When and How Babies Learn to Fall Asleep on Their Own: The Ultimate Guide.

How You Can Help Your 10-Month-Old Sleep Better

If your baby is sleeping poorly, the reasons can be all sorts of things. But there are a few things that help little ones (and us big ones) get through this stretch considerably better.

Keep Things Calm

At bedtime especially, try to keep everything very calm. A cool, dark room with few sounds and lights will help your sweetheart settle down and get ready for sleep.

Routines

Whether it is bedtime, getting a meal ready, or naps, steady structures and routines help babies enormously. They provide security through all of these developmental steps and changes.

Naps in Their Own Crib

Your baby will get more sleep if they nap mainly in their own crib during the day as well. It reinforces the routine of falling asleep, which in turn helps in the evening and at night.

Naps in the stroller or car seat are of course fine too. They just should not become the norm.

Do Not Give Up the Morning Nap

Some 10-month-olds start acting like they want to drop their morning nap, even though almost all babies this age still need it. When that first nap of the day disappears, overtiredness follows, and bedtime turns into an even bigger challenge.

If it truly cannot be saved on a given day, try to extend the afternoon nap and move bedtime earlier.

Big Developments Are Happening

When your child is very needy or sleeping badly, it helps to keep in mind that something good is going on underneath all of it. They are developing and learning a whole set of new skills. And it is a phase that only lasts a limited time.

Where you can, try not to establish new sleep associations you do not actually want (falling asleep in your arms, at the breast, and so on). Undoing them later can be a long and tiring process. (If that has already happened, have a look at "My Baby Only Falls Asleep While Nursing. What Can I Do?" (3 Methods).)

I hope this article has given you a good overview of 10-month-old babies, and I wish you a healthy stretch of development ahead and peaceful, dreamy nights.

Warmly, Sarah

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should naps be for a 10-month-old?

Night sleep should cover 11 to 12 hours, which leaves 2 to 3 hours of sleep to be split across two naps. Ideally, each nap, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, lasts at least one hour.

How much should a 10-month-old sleep?

Babies this age need a total of 13.5 to 14.5 hours of sleep per day. That includes 11 to 12 hours at night and 2 to 3 hours during the day, split across two naps.

When should the last nap be for a 10-month-old?

The last nap should end roughly 2.5 to 3 hours before night sleep begins. Ideally it lasts at least an hour, so overtiredness does not build up before bedtime.

When should a 10-month-old go to bed?

The easiest way to work out the ideal bedtime is to count from your baby's morning wake-up time. Since night sleep should run 11 to 12 hours, bedtime should land about 12 to 13 hours after they wake up. So if your baby wakes at 7:00 AM, a bedtime between 7:00 and 8:00 PM would be a good fit.