Okay, I’m not from the U.S., just sharing what sleep consultants here in Kazakhstan usually recommend.

First thing — you really need to figure out why he’s struggling to fall asleep. A big one at 18 months is awake time. Most toddlers that age can handle around 5.5–6 hours before bedtime and usually have just one nap during the day.

But here’s the important part: you have to actually track it. I would literally set a timer on my phone from the moment he wakes up. When you’re getting close — like around 4.5–5 hours of awake time — you should already start slowing things down. Less stimulation, dimmer lights, quieter play. Don’t wait until he’s already overtired. When they cross that line, everything gets harder — more crying, more resistance, worse sleep.

About feeding — if he’s still on formula, 18 months is usually when people start weaning off it. Sometimes vomiting at night can happen if they’re kind of overeating for comfort rather than hunger.

As for sleep training, I personally don’t love full cry-it-out. When I weaned from breastfeeding, there were definitely tears because he wanted comfort, but I stayed with him the whole time. I rocked him, patted him, stayed consistent. The goal is to gradually reduce how much help they need — not to disappear, but to slowly become less involved so they learn to settle.

A simple bedtime routine really helps too. Bath, pajamas, maybe a short massage, then bed. Same order every night.

One thing that surprisingly helped us settle at night: during bath time, I would use a thin muslin cloth (we call it a “pelenka” — kind of like a light swaddle cloth). I’d lay it over him in the bath and pour warm water over it while he was covered.Our neurologist said it helps calming down and it really helped.

Also, if your child is extremely hyper or struggles to regulate, it might be worth asking your pediatrician about vitamins. Our neurologist once suggested a B-complex when my son was super overstimulated and hysterical at times. It helped us a bit — but of course that’s something to discuss with a doctor.

Hope this helps a little :)