18-Month-Old Baby: Feeding, Sleep, and Milestones by Month

It’s hard to believe your once tiny newborn is now an energetic toddler with seemingly boundless energy! At 18 months old, your toddler will continue to make leaps and bounds in their milestones. Watching them grow brings excitement and joy, but it can also bring about some questions. This article will cover what milestones they’ll reach, their feeding and sleep schedule, fun activities to do with your 18-month-old, and more to give you a better idea of what to expect.

This month is all about learning. Your toddler will learn new words, skills, and ways to express their emotions. New milestones you can expect your 18-month-old to achieve include:^1,2

• Walking independently
• Climbing on stairs and furniture
• Copying you doing chores and wanting to help
• Drinking from a cup without a lid
• Scribbling
• Helping to dress themselves
• Expressing their emotions by throwing tantrums
• Naming animals and knowing their sounds

By 18 months old, your toddler’s communication is ever-evolving. Your 18-month-old will be saying many words and following simple commands. They may start to name items and animals in pictures and name body parts when you point to them, although this milestone is typically achieved by 2 years old.²

With all that running around and exploring, your toddler will develop quite the appetite. They’ll need three meals a day and two snacks. You can offer these snacks mid-morning and mid-afternoon, as well as another one before bedtime if needed. Your toddler should eat their meals with the rest of the family from their high chair or booster chair.³

With your toddler’s increasing appetite, offer them a wide range of foods to ensure they receive the proper nutrients. Provide them with various fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meats, cheeses, and yogurts.⁴ Toddlers over a year old can have whole cow’s milk, fortified soy milk, or breast milk. By 18 months old, your toddler should be drinking their milk from a cup instead of a bottle and can have 16-24 ounces of milk daily.³ If your toddler wants some water during the day, limit the amount to about 4-8 ounces daily.⁴

Toddlers can have water at meals or snacks and whenever they’re thirsty. Milk and water are the main beverages they should be drinking; juice, soda, and caffeinated drinks are not recommended. If you decide to give them juice, limit it to a max of 4 ounces per day and have them drink it in one sitting. Letting them sip sugary beverages throughout the day can lead to dental problems and overall health issues.¹² The exception to this rule is that if they’re sick and not eating or drinking well, you can offer drinks that help keep them hydrated and keep their blood sugars normal, such as oral rehydration solution or juice, in addition to water.¹³

Planning meals and figuring out portion sizes for your toddler can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Your toddler may eat relatively small portions compared to you, so offer them small amounts and let them eat what they want. To help with meal planning, here are a few ideas:³

• Breakfast: 1 cup of whole milk with one slice of whole grain bread with peanut butter or one scrambled egg with cheese and sliced bell pepper
• Lunch and dinner: 1 cup of whole milk and a small portion of the family’s meal (Make sure to include small amounts of vegetables, proteins, such as meat, fish, or beans, and whole grains, such as pasta, bread, or brown rice)
• Snacks: 1 cup of milk or water with one container of yogurt or one piece of toast with peanut butter, or whole-grain crackers with cheese or a few pieces of fruit

Now that your toddler is 18 months old, you may wonder about their sleep schedule and if their sleep habits will change. Their sleep habits will likely mirror their habits from months prior. They’ll still need between 11 and 14 hours of sleep daily and a two- to three-hour afternoon nap.⁵

Even though your 18-month-old’s sleep habits will stay pretty consistent throughout this year, there may be times when they experience a bit of sleep regression. Sleep regression is a time when your toddler has a change to their sleeping habits, usually having difficulty falling or staying asleep. A variety of things can cause it, but the most common reasons include:⁶

There’s no doubt that sleep regression is hard, but thankfully, there are ways to help your toddler sleep better during these times, depending on your family’s sleep preferences. These include:⁶

• Maintaining a consistent routine and bedtime
• Avoiding screen time
• Having your toddler sleep in their crib
• Putting them to bed while they’re drowsy but not yet asleep
• Allowing them to fuss for a few minutes before comforting them
• Providing them with comfort and reassurance while they’re still in their crib
• Making sure they have access to their comfort items, such as their blanket, throughout the night

Keeping a consistent schedule will give your little one structure and help with periods of sleep regression. At 18 months old, your toddler’s daily schedule will revolve around meal and nap time. They will take one afternoon nap that lasts for about two to three hours. This nap typically starts around 1:00 p.m. Setting a bedtime around 7:30 p.m. is still appropriate at this age, allowing for the recommended amount of nighttime sleep.⁵

Your toddler should eat their meals alongside the rest of the family. Each family has different needs, so schedule your meals around the best time for yours. In addition to scheduled meal times, your toddler will need at least two snacks daily. These snacks typically happen between breakfast and lunch, between lunch and dinner, and sometimes before bedtime.³

At 18 months old, your toddler will have another well-child visit to check their physical health, development, and weight and to update their vaccines.¹¹ Your doctor will make sure your 18-month-old is on track to gain an average of 3 to 5 pounds of weight and 3 inches between 12 and 24 months old.⁷

During this well-child visit, your doctor will determine if your toddler needs vaccines. The vaccines your toddler may receive include:¹¹

• DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis), if not given at 15 months
• Hepatitis A
• Annual COVID and flu shot

If your toddler is high risk, they may also receive the meningococcal and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccines. Your doctor will let you know if your toddler falls into this category.⁸

Even with a well-child check-up, your toddler is virtually guaranteed to experience childhood illnesses. Toddlers can have six to eight colds a year, more if they’re in daycare, so knowing how to treat them at home is essential. Your toddler can’t have over-the-counter cough and cold medicines or aspirin, so keep a supply of Tylenol and ibuprofen to treat any pains or fevers.⁹ Follow the package directions or check with your doctor for the proper dosages.

In addition to the common cold, your toddler may experience several other common childhood illnesses. These include:¹⁰

• Ear infections: These cause pain, fever, irritability, and difficulty sleeping.
• Bronchiolitis: This can lead to swelling of the airways and excessive mucus, resulting in coughing, fatigue, and trouble breathing.
• Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV): RSV causes mild cold-like symptoms in most children. However, it can cause an excessive cough, trouble breathing, and pneumonia in other children.
• Hand, foot, and mouth disease: This typically causes sores to the mouth, hands, and feet. It can be painful and make it difficult for the child to eat.
• Stomach flu: This causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Your toddler will likely recover from these illnesses at home without difficulty, but some symptoms need immediate medical attention:⁹

• Excessive sleepiness with little to no facial expressions
• Very difficult to console
• Weak or no cry
• Refuses food and drink or only takes a few small sips or bites for more than a day
• Dark yellow urine, no tears, or a dry mouth

Call 911 if your child experiences any of the following:

• Extreme trouble breathing
• Abnormal coloring such as gray, blue, or very pale
• Loss of consciousness

Your toddler is becoming more and more verbal every day. Talking, singing, and reading to them is the best way to encourage language development. Here are some other activities to promote your 18-month-old’s development and independence:^1,2

• Ask them simple questions and allow them to respond. For example, “What color is the ball?”
• Give them simple choices, such as allowing them to pick between two different pairs of shoes.
• Limit screen time for both your toddler and yourself.
• Talk to them at eye level.
• Teach them the names of their body parts, like their nose, eyes, ears, and mouth.
• Roll a ball back and forth with them or push a toy car back and forth.
• Read to them and allow them to babble along. Point out objects on the page and have them tell you what those are.
• Give them pretend toys to play with, like a toy broom or baby doll.
• Teach them how to say “please” and “thank you.”

With your toddlers’ ever-increasing energy and curiosity, keeping them safe is a top priority. Maintaining a safe environment that allows your toddler to learn and explore without the risk of injury is important. To help craft a safe home, implement the following safety standards:²

• Install window guards on all windows.
• Install gates at the top and bottom of all stairs.
• Install cabinet locks on all lower cabinets and drawers.
• Install toilet seat locks.
• Install outlet covers on all unused outlets.
• Secure all cords out of reach.
• Keep all medications and cleaning solutions out of reach.
• Keep all guns and ammunition locked up, and keep guns unloaded.
• Supervise your toddler around all water, including bathtubs, pools, rivers, lakes, streams, and ponds. Stay within arm’s length at all times.
• Use a rear-facing car seat.

Seeing your once-little newborn grow into a toddler is a joyous and adventurous time for all. Toddlers are continually exploring their world and figuring out their part in it. They’re learning how to interact with their environment by watching how you interact with yours. Helping them learn how to interact with the world appropriately is one of the most rewarding parts of parenthood.