What we’ll cover:
- Is there a 15 month sleep regression?
- Common sleep issues for 15 month olds
- 15 month old sleep training
- 15 month old sleep schedules
- FAQs
Boy, oh boy, my baby struggled hard with the 15 month sleep regression. He was learning to walk (which is notorious for disrupting sleep) and it seems like his entire 15th month was one long regression. But many other families I’ve worked with as a baby sleep consultant sailed through the age of 15 months without the slightest hint of a regression. What gives?
Why do some babies seem to go through the 15 month sleep regression, and others don’t? And if your 15 month old is waking up at night and crying or not taking naps- could something else be causing it?
This article explains the most common sleep struggles for 15 month olds and helps you decide if your baby is going through a sleep regression or not. Plus, it gives specific tips to get your little one’s sleep back on track! You can grab a free copy of my Sleep Regression Survival Guide here so you can get your toddler sleeping well ASAP!
This post may contain affiliate links.
Is there a 15 month sleep regression?
Many parents wonder whether the 15 month old sleep regression actually exists, and if so, what causes it. I can tell you that it does exist! Let’s start by looking at what a sleep regression is.
Sleep regressions are temporary disruptions in your baby’s sleep that arise when your baby undergoes big developmental changes. These developmental changes can be either physical or cognitive.
At the age of 15 months, the developmental milestones your baby may be mastering are both physical and cognitive.
Developmental Milestones at 15 Months Old
Walking:
At 15 months, 50% of babies are still learning how to walk or have just taken their first steps. The other 50% are already walking, running, or learning to walk backwards.
Identifying:
Your toddler is learning the meaning of words and the use of everyday objects. When you name certain things in the house, they might be able to point and identify them. It’s common to see toddlers imitating our everyday events like sweeping, putting on shoes and talking on the phone (which is super cute.)
Talking:
Understanding and identifying things also affects your baby’s speech. You may notice your baby babbling or trying to imitate adult speech. Around this age, many little ones can say a few real words that have meaning! (For example, dog, milk, book, ball.)
The underlying cause for sleep regressions are actually these developmental changes.
As your toddler gains mobility and the ability to interact with you, their world changes. It’s a lot for their brains and bodies to process, so it’s completely natural to see other aspects (like sleep) suffer temporarily. Their system needs time to process these new skills.
You may sense that your toddler is restless and finds it hard to settle or relax. Once their newfound skills become “second nature” for them, they’ll be able to sleep well again.
Many parents think the 15 month sleep regression isn’t real, because it isn’t as infamous as other well-known regressions like the 4 month regression, the 12 month regression and the 2 year regression.
However, what I have discovered working with thousands of parents (and being one myself) is that regressions don’t always happen at the exact time they’re “supposed to.”
For example, my son started walking at 15 months, and holy moly did he regress HARD. But he sailed through the ages of 4 and 12 months, with no disruptions to his sleep.
Each baby is different, and their pace of development will determine when (and if) they experience sleep regressions.
Common Sleep Issues for 15 Month Olds
#1: 15 month old not sleeping through the night
Has your 15 month old started fighting bedtime or waking up more at night? Is your 15 month old screaming in the middle of the night or tossing and turning all night long? Being a mama myself, I truly understand how tiring it is to be up at 3 am with a rambunctious toddler.
The good news is that at this age, your little one has the ability to happily fall asleep on their own, and sleep through the night. Most toddlers won’t do this naturally, though, they have to be taught!
Big milestones (like learning to walk and talk) can definitely cause your toddler to start waking up at night. It’s so hard for their system to settle down and sleep 12 hours straight.
This disruption should only last for a short time, though. If your 15 month old has been waking up at night for several weeks (or even months) it’s time to find a solution to get them sleeping through the night.
The key to getting your toddler baby sleeping through the night is to teach them to self soothe at bedtime and during any night wakings.
When toddlers babies are helped to sleep (whether by rocking, bouncing, feeding, holding, or patting) they’re also going to need help falling back to sleep when they wake or stir during the night. There’s nothing inherently wrong or “bad” about helping your toddler baby fall asleep. It’s perfectly natural, and when our babies are young, it’s necessary.
But many parents discover that their older babies don’t settle as easily or start waking more often at night, needing to be helped back to sleep several times. That’s a sign that it’s time for your young toddler to learn to self soothe.
So if you’re exhausted and ready to get your toddler sleeping great ASAP, check out my step-by-step program here that gives you options for sleep training.
#2: 15 month old won’t take naps
Nap refusal at this age is typically caused by the need to transition to one nap. Over many years of helping families with sleep training, I’ve found that 15 months is the “magic age” where many toddlers are ready for one nap.
It’s best to wait until your toddler shows obvious signs that they are ready before you start this transition, though. Some little ones aren’t ready until closer to 18 months.
In general, your toddler is ready to drop to one nap if he is consistently fighting one or both naps, suddenly taking short naps, pushing naps later than the usual time, or taking two naps is worsening his night sleep. Here is my detailed guide on when and how to transition to one nap. If your baby is showing signs of being ready for 1 nap, I do recommend waiting to transition until AFTER the regression has passed.
#3: 15 month old waking up early
Why, oh why, do toddlers love rising with the sun? While it’s true that young children sleep best with early bedtimes, we can expect your little one to sleep until at least 6 am. Anything earlier than this is considered a night waking.
When I help parents troubleshoot early wakings we look at your baby’s daily schedule to ensure they’re napping enough. We also work on getting your toddler sleep trained and sleeping independently, as this helps them sleep later in the morning. Lastly, we consider any early morning habits that might have formed by exhausted parents being woken at 5 am (ahem, like Peppa Pig.)
There are various reasons your 15 month old could be waking early in the morning. Generally, toddlers wake this early because their bedroom is too bright, they’re hungry, bedtime is too late, they may have had a bad nap day, or they may not be going to sleep independently (sleep training fixes this.)
However, if your toddler was previously waking at a decent hour, the cause for early wakings may very well be a sleep regression.
Remember, our toddlers’’ brains are on overdrive as they master new developmental skills. In the early morning hours, melatonin, the “sleep hormone”, has worn off causing your little one to wake up early ready to experiment with their new skills.
If your toddler is currently going through the 15 month sleep regression and waking early, you may need to ride it out a few days. But after 1-3 weeks of disrupted sleep, it’s safe to assume that the regression has passed and the best way to get your toddler sleeping later is to begin sleep training.
Check out my proven and gentle sleep training program here.
RELATED: How To Stop Your Toddler Waking at 5 am!
#4: Separation anxiety
Separation anxiety causes your toddler to become unsettled or upset when they are separated from you. This can also be extended into feeling anxious when seeing unfamiliar faces.
Your little one may suddenly cry more, cling onto you when you’re about to leave, display sudden shyness to new people or show insecurity in new places.
Separation anxiety is a normal and healthy part of our children’s lives. It happens on and off in the first few years of their life, especially in the first 1-2 years when they can’t yet fully express themselves verbally.
Research shows that babies express distress when seeing new faces, or when their caretakers leave the room, as a response to the “unfamiliar.”
When going through big developmental changes, our toddlers are biologically more vulnerable. This makes them cling to the most familiar and loving people around them. It’s their survival instinct!
Going into the crib at bedtime, and being separated from parents, can cause sudden distress for a toddler experiencing separation anxiety. It’s tough for parents who want to continue encouraging independent sleep habits, but who have a 15 month old who seems to suddenly be afraid of the crib,waking up at night and won’t go back to sleep.
One of the methods in my sleep training program was created for little ones struggling with separation anxiety. It allows you to stay with your child, but teach them to sleep in the crib all night.
If you want to help your little one with their separation anxiety, my brand new FREE ‘Sleep Regression Survival Guide’ explains exactly what you need to do! Separation anxiety is very closely connected to sleep regressions, and you’ll learn all about it in the guide, including what to do to help your toddler through it.
It’s totally free and you can get it here.
15 month old sleep training
If your 15 month old toddler has never slept through the night, it’s never too late to begin sleep training!
An advantage of sleep training your 15 month old is that most toddlers aren’t able to climb out of the crib yet, which helps sleep training go much easier. At this time when your toddler is becoming more mobile and growing up, the need for restorative sleep is as important as ever. If your 15 month old is showing signs of trying to climb a great way to keep them in the bed is to keep using a sleep sack. Here are some of my favorite baby sleep sacks.
Through sleep training, you’ll be able to help your toddler have restful sleep, which gives them enough energy to fuel their days of happy learning and playing. And of course, YOUR rest is a top priority too. When toddlers sleep through the night, it has been proven that parental mental health improves.
My 21 Days to Peace and Quiet program has detailed sleep training guides, personal support and customizable sleep training methods to fit your family’s needs. I don’t believe in “one size fits all” sleep training – my approach is to help every family find their own path to restful sleep. Taking my toddler personality quiz can help you understand what methods will work best for your 15 month old.
By now you should have a good idea whether the cause of your 15 month old’s sleep struggles is a regression or something else. If this is a recent development, try to ride it out for a few days. Many babies bounce back to sleeping well again.
Whatever the cause, just know that it’s definitely possible to get your 15 month old falling asleep on their own and sleeping all night. Whether you’re sleep training for the first time or doing a quick sleep training “tune up,” a few nights of solid commitment can get your 15 month sleeping great.
Check out my sleep training program here, which gives you several step-by-step methods to choose from depending on your toddler’s age, temperament and your parenting style. When it comes to getting toddlers sleeping great, there’s always a way!
15 month old sleep schedules
(2 naps and 1 nap)
Many 15 month old toddlers are taking 2 naps per day and I recommend following wake windows of 2.5-3.5 hours. This means that your baby should be awake for 2.5-3.5 hours between sleep periods. Sticking to these wake windows helps toddlers nap longer and sleep longer stretches at night.
The first 2-nap schedule allows for your 15 month old to sleep 11 hours at night and nap for 3 hours. It shows you how to follow the recommended wake windows and ensure your toddler sleeps enough everyday.
The second 2-nap schedule allows for your 15 month old to sleep 12 hours at night and nap for 3 hours. It shows you how to follow the recommended wake windows and ensure your toddler sleeps enough everyday.
2 Naps
(If toddler sleeps 11 hours at night)
7:00 Wake
7:30 Breakfast
9:30 Snack
10:00 Morning Nap
12:30 Lunch
3:00 Afternoon Nap
4:30 Snack
6:30 Dinner
7:00 Start bedtime routine
7:45 Lights out
For the schedule above, I recommend that you follow wake windows of 3-3.5-3.5. If your toddler does end up sleeping closer to 11.5 hours overnight, then drop the second wake window to 3 hours. Your toddler may still be drinking breastmilk or formula at this age. You don’t have to follow the snack times exactly. You may want to determine the best snack times and milk sessions that work best for your little one.
2 naps
(If toddler sleeps 12 hours at night)
7:00 Wake
8:00 Breakfast
9:30 Morning Nap
11:00 Snack
1:00 Lunch
2:00 Afternoon Nap
3:30 Snack
5:30 Dinner
6:00 Start bedtime routine
6:45 Lights out
For the schedule above, I recommend that you follow awake times of 2.5-3-3.5. If your little one ends up only sleeping 11.5 hours at night, then I recommend changing the first wake window from 2.5 to 3 hours. Your toddler may still be drinking breastmilk or formula at this age. You don’t have to follow the snack times exactly. You may want to determine the best snack times and milk sessions that work best for your little one.
Many 15 month old toddlers start to transition to 1 nap right after this regression passes. However, there are some toddlers that are already taking 1 nap when they turn 15 months. If your toddler is taking 1 nap, then I recommend following wake windows of 4-5 hours. This means that your toddler should be awake for 4-5 hours between sleep periods. Sticking to these wake windows helps them nap longer and sleep longer stretches at night.
The first 1-nap schedule allows for your 15 month old to sleep 11 hours at night and nap for 3 hours. It shows you how to follow the recommended wake windows and ensure your toddler sleeps enough everyday.
The second 2-nap schedule allows for your 15 month old to sleep 12 hours at night and nap for 3 hours. It shows you how to follow the recommended wake windows and ensure your toddler sleeps enough everyday.
1 nap
(If toddler sleeps 11 hours at night)
7:00 Wake
7:30 Breakfast
9:30 Snack
11:15 Lunch
12:00 Nap
3:00 Snack
6:30 Dinner
7:00 Start bedtime routine
7:45 Lights out
For the schedule above, I recommend that you follow wake windows of 5-5 hours. If your toddler does end up sleeping closer to 11.5 hours overnight, then drop the wake window (before nap) to 4.5 hours.Your toddler may still be drinking breastmilk or formula at this age. You don’t have to follow the snack times exactly. You may want to determine the best snack times and milk sessions that work best for your little one.
1 nap
(If toddler sleeps 12 hours at night)
7:00 Wake
7:30 Breakfast
9:00 Snack
11:00 (½) Lunch
11:30 Nap
2:30 (½) Lunch
3:30 Snack
5:30 Dinner
6:00 Start bedtime routine
6:45 Lights out
For the schedule above, I recommend that you follow wake windows of 4.5-4.5 hours. If your toddler does end up sleeping closer to 11.5 hours overnight, then push the second wake window to 5 hours. When your toddler takes 1 nap, you may realize that the nap is right in the middle of lunch time. I recommend giving your little one ½ of the lunch before nap and the second ½ of lunch after nap. This helps to ensure your toddler’s belly is nice and full before a long nap. Your toddler may still be drinking breastmilk or formula at this age. You don’t have to follow the snack times exactly. You may want to determine the best snack times and milk sessions that work best for your little one.
Just remember, these are 15 month sleep schedule examples! Your little one may take a slightly shorter nap such as 2 hours or 2.5 hours. In this case, just follow the recommended wake windows and adjust accordingly for your little one!
Final Thoughts
Sleep problems are very common at this age. I promise you are not alone! Two unique challenges at 15 months are determining if the “sleep chaos” is due to a regression or the need to adjust your little one’s schedule. The good news is that me and my consultants are ready to help you figure out the reason and get sleep back on track! If your baby is struggling with night sleep, definitely check out my 21 Days to Peace and Quiet program. If your baby is falling asleep independently at night time, but still struggling to take long naps, I suggest looking into my Downtime in the Daytime naps program.
FAQs
Why is my 15 month old waking up at night?
I am sure you are exhausted with your 15 month old waking up at night! There are several reasons that could explain why your toddler is waking up at night. These include: teething, illness, 15 month regression, milestone development, and sleep associations. Regressions, teething, and illness have to run their course, but then sleep will get back on track! If your little one still needs your support to fall asleep (i.e. nursing to sleep, rocking to sleep), then I recommend eliminating these sleep associations and teaching your toddler to fall asleep independently. Once your toddler can sleep independently, then she can sleep through the night! I know how tough it can be to teach this skill to your toddler. This is the reason why I created the 21 Days to Peace and Quiet program. I wanted parents to be able to get step by step guidance to walk them through the sleep training process and take the guessing game out of what to do!
How long does the 15 month regression last?
Most regressions last between 1-3 weeks, however, every toddler experiences a different sleep journey. Some toddlers may completely skip regressions and others may hit every regression. Some toddlers may only regress for one week while another toddler lasts the full three weeks. Try not to compare your toddler to a family member or a friend’s child because every little one is different! If you feel like your little one’s regression has lasted for more than three weeks, it could be that new habits have formed. You may have to do some retraining and teach your little one how to fall asleep independently and self-soothe.
How to get my 15 month old to sleep through the night?
The majority of 15 month old toddlers are capable of sleeping 11-12 hours straight! I recommend starting with a consistent bedtime routine. This can help set the stage for a peaceful evening. My Exhausted Mom’s Starter Kit will walk you through the bedtime routine steps that will make your evenings more peaceful. It is also important to follow the proper wake windows and ensure your toddler gets enough day sleep. Being overtired can lead to an increase in night wakings. Lastly, I recommend sleep training your 15 month old! My 21 Days to Peace and Quiet program will help you teach your toddler to fall asleep independently and resettle independently in the middle of the night. I promise that amazing sleep is just around the corner!
My son is 14.5 months. He used to sleep through the night and two naps that were either 30 minutes to an hour each. Now, some days is a 20 minute nap to none. He isn’t sleeping through the night like he used. He wakes up screaming and crying, I’m to the point we’re I just put him in bed with me. I’ve tried to rock him and place him back in his crib but he just wakes back up and stares at me.
Hi Jadyn,
Thanks for your message. It could very well be the 15-month sleep regression, and it could also be an indication that he is ready to begin transitioning to one nap a day instead of two- this usually happens anywhere from 15-18 months. You could try giving him two naps every other day and see how he responds. Our Naps program goes into detail about all of this; we would love to have you in the program. Here is the link:
https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/naps-getting-downtime-in-the-daytime/
Kind regards,
Ingrid, BSMS Support Team
Hi!
My 15 moths old has been sleeping in his own room for 8 months and has always sleept through the night and woken up at 8-9 in the morning.
Now he wakes up 3-4 times at night and then takes morning at 5…
He just started kindergarten. And has been walking since 9 months old. What do I do?
So sorry to hear this, Felicia.
The best place for us to help you is in our program:
https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/baby-sleep-consultant/
There, we can stop the early wakings and the night wakings and get him sleeping peacefully and later in the morning.
Can’t wait to work with you!
Artemis, BSMS Support Team
What if my 15 month old is refusing naps but he already transitioned to 1 nap a few months ago?? He’s been completely sleep trained for over 6 months and we have not had issues with naps or nighttime until suddenly BAM, refusing to nap. He switched to a 1-nap schedule around 12.5 months so it isn’t a recent transition, and he’s been walking for 4 months already so that isn’t a new skill either.
Hi Laila,
How’s his night sleep? If he sleeps 11-12 hours straight at night in his crib, without any help from you, we can help you with naps in this program:
https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/naps-getting-downtime-in-the-daytime/
If he needs some help falling asleep, or has a few night wakings, you should start here:
https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/baby-sleep-consultant/
Can’t wait to get your little one sleeping amazingly, you both deserve for him to have a long 2-3 hour nap in the middle of the day. He’ll need it for a few more years, so it’s good to take the time to extend that nap now that he’s younger!
Have a nice week,
Artemis, BSMS Support Team
Hi!
Our little girl, 15 months for the past week has been taking over 2 hours to go to sleep once the bedtime routine is done she has gone down to one nap a day but she’s not sleeping until gone 9pm at night and by then our evenings are over! Does this sound like regression?
Hi Katy,
It might be a regression, but it could also be a schedule issue OR she could have trouble self-soothing. In either case, we can solve this issue in our sleep program here:
https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/baby-sleep-consultant/
Let’s get your 15 month old falling asleep peacefully at bedtime and sleeping all night!
Artemis, BSMS Support Team
My 15-mo old started to take two short 30-min naps accompanied with crying. His morning nap shortened (or even skipped) at 14.5 months. He also just started walking 4 days ago (right after he turned 15 mo). I wonder if it is a sleep regression or he’s ready for one nap? His schedule has never been very strict because I focused on wakefulness time rather than the clock. I tried one nap for 5 days and he developed a lot of crying around naps which is very frustrating. I sleep trained him at 4 months and he’s been falling asleep on his own since then.
Thank you!
Hi Olga,
Sorry to hear your 15 month old has been struggling with naps lately.
The fact that he’s sleep trained is great, it will make it so much easier to help him through this little rough patch!
There’s a lot going on with your little one’s sleep right now (nap issues & a possible nap transition), so I highly recommend you get our Naps Program so we can provide personalized help. Here is the link:
https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/naps-getting-downtime-in-the-daytime/
In the program, you will get all the clarity and guidance you need on your little one’s schedule & naps. If you get the support option, you can talk to us 7 days/week and we can help you with the nap transition as well.
Since your baby sleeps independently, we can get him back on track (and sleeping amazingly for naps) in no time.
Hope to see you in the program soon!
Artemis, BSMS Support Team
Hi Becca. My son is 14.5 months old and for the past 2 weeks he’s been sleeping worse at night. In recent months he’s been a good sleeper, taking 2 naps a day (40 minutes in the morning (from 9.30am) and around 2 hours in the afternoon (from 12.30pm) and sleeping through from 7.30pm – 7am. However, he now wakes up about 5.45am-6am in the morning, and sometimes wakes during the night. My wife and I are exhausted and we’re wondering what to do. I think this is some form of sleep regression due to naps, so we’ve tried cutting down to 1 nap during the day. Is this right? We’ve kept bedtime the same at around 7.30pm, and he has 1 nap from around 10.30am-1.00pm. The first night he slept through until 6am, but last night he was wide awake at 3am and wouldn’t go back to sleep! I’ve read that for 1 nap babies/toddlers, they shouldn’t be awake for more than 5 hours during the day. Maybe this is a factor as his nap is slightly too early. The problem is that he is ready to sleep by 11am. Should we move his nap slightly later each day until he goes down at 12pm? That way he should (in theory) be awake in the morning for around 5 hours and 5 hours in the afternoon. Any help would be appreciated!
Hi, Martyn!
Sounds like your little toddler was sleeping amazingly, until he probably reached a regression.
From what I understand you need help adjusting his schedule, fixing early wakings, and getting him to sleep through the night. Is that right?
I think the best place for us to help you is in our sleep training program, 21 Days to Peace and Quiet. The link is here:
https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/baby-sleep-consultant
In the program, we can help you with everything you need. Also, it’s been 2 weeks now, which means your baby is passed the regression and he’s now only waking out of habit. You’re ready to start sleep training!
Hope to help you in the program soon!
Artemis, BSMS Support Team
Love your material! My 15 month girls is having a hard time staying asleep and she gets hungry (its real hunger because she really drinks the whole bottle). She can stay awake 3 hours in the middle of the night, trying to sleep..
Should I stick to her waking time even if I know she needs sleep?
Hi, Mia!
Nice to hear you find Baby Sleep Made Simple helpful 🙂 We appreciate it!
Yes, even though it can be difficult, always wake your toddler up at the same time every morning. You could just have an early bedtime instead to make up for the bad night.
If you’re interested in sleep training her, we can help you overcome all the issues you just described in our sleep training program 21 Days to Peace & Quiet. We’d love to help you!
Here is the link:
https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/baby-sleep-consultant
Hope to see you in our program soon, message us any questions you have about sleep training in the chatbot if you’d like!
Artemis, BSMS Support Team
15 month old wakes up screeming and would not settle down matter what.takes 2 to 4 hourd to go back to sleep.
Hi Lizelle, I have sent you an email to get a little more information from you so that I can help you the best way that I can! Keep a look out in your inbox and spam folder for an email from support@babysleepmadesimple.com I look forward to hearing from you so we can help you find some answers! Becca, BSMS Support Team