What is usually behind it
- Freshly learned motor skills. In the middle of the night, the crib becomes the place to rehearse pulling up, standing and cruising.
- Separation anxiety. The AAP explains that it starts during the second half of the first year and can mean many nights of broken sleep. Most children grow out of it around their second birthday.
- A nap shift that doesn’t suit your baby. A few days of nap refusal at one year doesn’t always mean the nap is ready to go. Cut it too soon and you may end up with an overtired baby who wakes more overnight.
That’s the gap Actually Sleeping fills. Dr. Sam writes one plan for your one-year-old that brings nights, naps and the nap schedule together, and we coach you thoroughly before night one so you start out confident.
Why waiting it out doesn’t always work
Separation anxiety is measured in months rather than days. In the meantime, habits take hold quickly at this age: extra rocking, night feeds creeping back, or bringing your baby into your bed to survive a hard week can all turn into your baby’s nightly expectation in no time. One-year-olds also pick up on inconsistency and push against it. And a baby who never learned to fall asleep independently has no skill to lean on when a new milestone or a burst of anxiety shows up.
Why your one-year-old needs a plan of their own
No two toddlers bring the same combination: the way they fall asleep today, their number of naps, daycare or a nanny, siblings, temperament, and how hard they protest. A baby who used to sleep well and has slipped calls for a different plan than one who has never slept independently — yet generic advice handles both the same way.
Our approach at Actually Sleeping
We coach babies and toddlers from newborn on. Dr. Sam writes your plan, we run bootcamp-style coaching before the first night, you get daily 1:1 check-ins, and we keep coaching naps until they are solid — nap transitions included. Night feeds are handled according to your baby’s age, as laid out in your custom plan. And the outcome is guaranteed: “We guarantee that your baby will sleep 8–12 hours through the night within 14 days of consistent, correct implementation of your sleep plan.” Otherwise, you receive a full refund.
Read what other parents have shared in our reviews from families of 10 to 12 month olds, then book a free consultation and walk us through what your nights look like right now.
Ready for help with your own baby’s sleep?
With Actually Sleeping you get 1:1 coaching built around your child: Dr. Sam writes a sleep plan for your baby, we run bootcamp-style coaching before Night 1, and we check in every day until it is working. We have coached 700+ families, collected 129 video reviews, and put our promise in writing: 8–12 hours through the night within 14 days, or a full refund.
Book your free consultation → Hear from families we’ve coached
Questions parents ask
How long will the 12 month sleep regression go on?
Waking tied to a new skill often passes quickly. Separation anxiety is different: the AAP notes it can disrupt sleep for months, and it typically eases around the second birthday. When the waking has turned into an every-night pattern, an Actually Sleeping plan written for your one-year-old is built to address it.
Is it time for my 12 month old to move to one nap?
That varies from baby to baby. Going to one nap too soon is a frequent reason for overtired waking at night, so a few days of refusing a nap does not necessarily mean the switch is due. Dr. Sam builds nap timing into the plan, and our daily check-ins fine-tune it as your baby moves through the transition.
Could my 1 year old be teething?
Possibly. If teething pain seems to be the issue, check with your pediatrician or pharmacist about what is safe for comfort. When the waking repeats the same way night after night for weeks, though, it usually has more to do with how your baby is falling asleep — and that is something an Actually Sleeping plan can change.