The Best 18 Month Old Schedule for Your Busy Toddler

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If you’re looking for what the best 18 month old schedule is then this post should help you out.

Sleep needs can change dramatically around this age…or they might not.

As a mom of three kids, I’ve learned that the best thing to do is avoid comparison.

Sure, it can be helpful to see a range of “normal” in order to see if what your child is doing is way outside of the realm of that.

However, the best thing to do is focus on them and what it seems like they need.

Sample 18 Month Old Sleep Schedules

I’m going to share some sample schedules for toddlers around this age, but realise that they are samples.

Your child may not fit into this, and your life may not suit these times.

Take what works for you and don’t sweat the rest.

18-Month Old Schedule With Two Naps

Many 18-month olds have either dropped to just one nap or are transitioning towards it at this time.

However, there is also a good chunk of toddlers that hang onto the morning nap as well.

This is true for my youngest child.

In fact, she’s 19-months old and still napping every morning.

Here’s what her schedule looks like:

• 7:00 AM – Wake Up
• 8:00 AM – Breakfast
• 9:00-10AM – Nap
• 10:00 AM – Snack
• 10:15-11:00 AM – Independent Playtime
• 11-12:00 PM – Free play (usually outside with older siblings)
• 12/12:30 PM – Lunch
• 1:00-3:30 PM – Nap
• 3:30 PM – Snack
• 3:45-5:30 PM – Free play
• 5:30 PM – Dinner
• 6:30 PM – Bath
• 7:00 PM Bed

Do bear in mind that my daughter is on the higher end of sleep needs.

Neither of my older children still had two naps at this age. In fact, I think my firstborn was done with his around 13-15 months.

Whether your child still needs two naps or they are fine with one doesn’t mean there is anything wrong.

There is a range of normal.

18 Month Old Schedule With One Nap

This is the schedule that my second child was on at 18-months.

As you can see, she had dropped down to one nap at this point and had less sleep overall than my youngest daughter.

What works for one may not work for another, so don’t feel as though you have to match what everyone else is doing.

If your child is not taking two naps, there’s nothing wrong with that.

However, if they’re happily still napping both in the morning and afternoon, then don’t feel as though you need to change it.

I’m going to talk about the 2-1 nap transition down below, so keep scrolling for that.

• 7 DWT
• 7:30/8 Breakfast
• 9-10:15 Independent Playtime
• 10:30 Snack
• 11:30 Lunch
• 12-3 Nap
• 3 Snack
• 5/5:30 Dinner
• 6:30/7 Bed

I’ll talk more about this below, but take note of the fact that her bedtime is a bit earlier. Or at least I allowed for the flexibility of that to happen.

It is so important to allow our children the opportunity to sleep if they need to and not keep them up consistently late.

It will always backfire.

The 2-1 Nap Transition

Going from 2 to 1 naps is one of the tricker nap transitions.

There’s more than one way to do it but you can read about the way I suggest in this post.

I think the thing to keep in mind is that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Try to be flexible to take note of what your child might need.

They may be okay going 2 or 3 days with just one nap, but by day 4 they just can’t make it.

That’s totally fine. Add in the morning nap and then work on transitioning some more.

The biggest thing to keep in mind is that they will need an earlier bedtime during the transition.

Otherwise you’ll find you have an overtired toddler on your hands and that is no fun for anyone.

18-Month Sleep Regression

Some parents find that their child may go through a kind of sleep regression around 18 months.

I personally haven’t dealt with this with my three children, but it is definitely well documented by others.

What I believe some parents may call a sleep regression is really a reshuffling of sleep needs.

Your child may need to drop to one nap but if you don’t do it slowly they will get overtired and then sleep poorly overall.

It can be a nasty cycle that is difficult to get out of.

Take things slowly and don’t be afraid to bring the morning nap back in or bring bedtime forward if they’re struggling.

Another thing that I always suggest with sleep regressions is to keep some consistency.

If you throw all routine out the door then your child will almost certainly become more unsettled.

Their sleep needs are likely changing, so try and keep what you can normal for them.

Independent Playtime

Independent playtime really comes into it’s own around this age.

I love it for my babies but my goodness does it work wonders for busy (and mischievous) little toddlers!

If you’ve not done any independent playtime with your child then you can read about how to start it late in this post.

Having your child have structured independent playtime has oodles of benefits both for your child and for yourself.

I find it super helpful for when everyone needs some time alone or a mood reset.

It’s never used for punishment or discipline, but I do find that my kids come out happier than before they started.

You’ll likely find it very helpful for those times when you just need them to be happily contained while you deal with difficult chores.

Trust me on this one…independent playtime is a godsend.

Favourite Toys for 18-Month Olds

We’re not a “lots of toys” household.

A lot of that has to do with the fact that our home isn’t overly large and my headspace cannot deal with clutter.

The other part is that my kids honestly play outside or imaginary games more than they do with chores.

However, there are some stock items that I like to have for my toddlers which I’ve linked to below.