{"id":"2d6c171c2a34f0cf9f5bc7f4cef6d2cb","slug":"my-18-month-old-suddenly-wont-sleep-whats-happening","question":"My 18 month old suddenly won't sleep — what's happening?","answer":"At 18 months, nap transitions are really common—your child might be shifting from two naps to one, which can look like sudden sleep refusal. Signs they're ready are fighting the nap, taking ages to fall asleep, or not seeming tired at the usual time. This transition typically happens anywhere between 12–18 months, so you're right in the window.\n\nIt's worth checking the basics too: Is bedtime getting later than usual? Are they genuinely tired, or is the timing off? Sometimes what looks like \"won't sleep\" is actually a schedule that no longer fits their needs.\n\nNormal total sleep at 18 months is 11–14 hours in 24 hours, including one nap. If they're consistently sleeping fewer than 9 hours total or snoring loudly most nights, that's worth mentioning to your pediatrician. But if the total is solid and they're just resisting *when* you expect sleep, it's likely a rhythm shift—which is developmentally right on track.\n\nA consistent, calm routine helps anchor them through this change, even as the nap schedule adjusts.","sources":"[{\"title\":\"Neonatal Sleep-Wake Analyses Predict 18-month Neurodevelopmental Outcomes.\",\"journal\":\"Sleep\",\"year\":\"2017\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28958087/\",\"score\":0.72},{\"title\":\"The curious case of the Zzz's.\",\"journal\":\"Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine\",\"year\":\"2023\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36740920/\",\"score\":0.71},{\"title\":\"Parental Discontent with Infant Sleep During the First Two Years of Life.\",\"journal\":\"Behavioral sleep medicine\",\"year\":\"2023\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36625550/\",\"score\":0.7},{\"title\":\"Child Maltreatment Severity and Sleep Variability Predict Mother-Infant RSA Coregulation.\",\"journal\":\"Development and psychopathology\",\"year\":\"2021\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35431464/\",\"score\":0.7},{\"title\":\"Parent-Reported Toddler Dysregulation and Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia Predict Trajectories of Childhood Externalizing Behaviors.\",\"journal\":\"Developmental psychobiology\",\"year\":\"2025\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40341499/\",\"score\":0.7}]","view_count":0,"created_at":"2026-07-09T02:42:21.202Z"}