The Sleep Store posted
Moving from a cot to a bed - do you have any handy tips to share with us? Thanks heaps :-)
Moving from Cot to Bed Thread
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When my son transferred at just over 2 y/o a couple of months back, he was Thomas (tank engine) mad, so we got him a Thomas duvet and he loves his new 'Thomas' bed!
Get them used to bedding instead of a sleeping bag first. As soon as DD had the side off on the cot, she refused to get into a sleeping bag - so she'd stop sleeping through as she'd kick off the covers and wake up cold. Of course it doesn't help that Pooh Bear can now fall out of bed as well....
I found that the cots that turn in to beds don't provide enough room for a wriggly toddler and they fall out, so we got a 'car bed' that has slightly raised sides, so he doesn't fall out, but he can still climb in and out. Meaning we can put him in his room when it's bed time and he can put himself actually in to bed when he's ready (which he usually decides to do within 10-15min) - beats all the going to bed tantrums!!
No tips, my son was a nightmare in and out in and out for months until he got the hang of it! Think I did it too early, I was pregnant with our 2nd and thought I had to get him into a bed a long time before baby arrived. In hindsight I think he was too young (maybe not in years but in his own development) to handle it. Mr 15months will be staying in his cot until he asks me to get out!! LOL
We moved both our girls from a cot to a bed by age 1. We used a rail on one side of the bed and had the other side against the wall. We also used a safe T sleep for around 6 months. It worked well. Winter time we use a sleeping bag ( bought from the Sleep store).
A low bed, and we put the cot mattress on the floor beside it, in case of middle of the night roll offs. Only happened a few times though, but he didn't even realise it had happened!
Having a pillow helped too....DD was a real mover and would up all over the cot. I introduced a pillow shortly before we took the side off the cot and it stopped her moving around. She fell out a couple of times but after putting in a rolled up towel underneath the mattress protector she's not fallen out since.
I've heard putting one of those pool noodle things under the fitted sheet stops them falling out and is cheaper than buying a rail
We took the side off the cot first and he slept like that for a couple of months. We put a rolled up towel under the mattress so that he was sleeping close to the side with the bars and couldn't roll out easily. I started putting a blanket on him for his day sleep so that he got used to that too. When he went into the big bed we had no issues at all. But not sure if that was from the prep or just b/c he loves his sleep. He still prefers to lie in bed in the morning waiting for me to come and get him up.
We set up her bed a few months before we planned to do the change while she was still in her cot and she ended up wanting to sleep in bed at 17 months
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I gave my daughter a pillow whilst in her cot for a few months then got rid of the cot and introduced her to her "Dora big girl bed". I made a big deal about her being a big girl. Oh i put her in a bed at 2y/o. I also doubled over her bottom sheet so her feet wouldn't get cold having a big bed and all. Hope that helps.
We started by taking the legs off the bed so that if they do roll off it's not so far to fall :)
Get them involved as much as feasible. Liv helped choose her bed, her duvet cover and her pillow. Then when the bed arrived she got involved putting it together. We then made a special certificate that she got to hang beside her bed saying I am ready for my big girl bed...
We moved our son into a big bed at 1 because he refused to sleep in his cot, we started off with day sleeps on the bed then eventually night. We just used rolled up towels to lift the side of the mattress, not sure what we will do with number 2 as he's happy as Larry in his cot :)
We started our 17 month old in his bed for day sleeps for a month. Once we had the bed we put it in his room for a few weeks made up and then 1 day just tried him in his big boy bed, with a pillow down the side. He hasn't tried to get out once, he stays in a better position under the duvet and has been a gem with it all. So after a month of day sleeps we tried over night, same result. After 2 weeks of night sleeps we have taken the cot out of his room and he hasn't batted a eyelid. We have kept him in his summer sleepsac for comfort and never told him to stay put or not to get out etc etc. Havent made a huge deal about it and seems to have worked out perfectly, so far!! We need the cot for no 2 in a few weeks time so figured it was worth ago before it got too close. He has been sleeping better, longer day sleeps and later wakings as well since he has been in his bed.
We made up the bed in his room while he was still in the cot and each day gave him the choice of bed or cot, eventually he choose bed more but could climb into the cot (side down) if he wanted during the night. It worked really well and wasn't stressful at all. We took it at his pace (well before new baby came).
Go and check out the Moving Smart blogs - they had a great article and ideas to help children move from cot to bed!
We have started with day sleeps in the bed At around 17 months. But the reason was mainly for me as it was getting harder to put her into cot as my pregnancy progressed. So i'm waiting for the day she wants to get in there for night sleeps too. But at the moment i'm happy with her in cot for night time so she can't come into our bed in morning.
When our baby was in a bassinet I used to use the cot as a change table in her room so that she was used to it when it was time to move to the cot, I also put a sheepskin in it when she first moved to cot so she was extra snuggly, she also had the same mobile above cot as above bassinet for familiarity
when I moved my son into his bed i put the mattress on the ground so he could get used to the size of the mattress and if he fell off it didn't matter and once he was used to that i put the base under and once he got used to that i put the legs on can take anywhere from a month+ to get used to it but its worked well he's 3 and half now and been in his bed since he was 1 and hes never fallen out of his bed and we never had a prob with transition to bed either
We moved our 21mth old boy into a new room with his cot and a king single bed next to each other. He loved to play pretend "nigh-nighs" in the big bed and every night we would read stories and snuggle on the big bed before putting him down in his cot. Then one day he just decided he wanted to sleep in the big bed for the day sleep and that was it. Every sleep from then on was in the big bed. I wasn't ready but he was! It helped that the end of the cot was up against the side of the bed so he felt enclosed. We left it like that for a few weeks and over the last few days have slowly moved the cot further away from the bed and put a pillow down the side of the bed next to him so he doesn't roll out. His sleeping patterns have been exactly the same and I feel really great that he made the decision himself. One thing I would advise is to really have a good think about what kind of bedding you want to use, sheets & a blanket or a duvet, as we found the duvet was too heavy for him to manoeuvre and didn't provide much warmth if he climbed out of bed and lay on top of it, whereas his wool blanket isn't very heavy yet gives him warmth whether hes under it or on top!
Get a sleep suit, its a sleeping bag with legs, snug time do them. Also put the cot mattress on the floor next to the bed, if they fall out it's a soft landing!
simply moved her from cot (in safety sleep still at 22months) and in sleeping bag into her king single, and no issues at all. dropped sleeping bag after week, still in safety sleep, have just bought bed rail, so that's this weeks experiment ,,,,,, hehehe ....
cot down and put away out of sight. Brought in bed - with pull out trundler for safe landing if so happens to fall out. No problem - my son fell out 3 times in total.
We moved our son into a big bed at 16mths. He didn't figure out he could climb out for ages - and even now at 5.5yrs will call out if he needs us in the night rather than appear at our bed. One thing we noticed though was that he'd end up waking up sideways across the bed (not something he'd ever done before) so finally figured out his bed was a different direction to what his cot had been... changed it around and he was back to sleeping the length of the bed again. He was also in a sleep sack and we introduced a pillow.
We had to take the side off Sé's cot at about 20 something mths as he was climbing out IN a sleeping bag. Death on legs! After a couple of muddly weeks trying to sort out how to get the wee fiend to STAY there we adjusted VR to a door closed checking method. at about 2.1/2 years we started talking about a big bed for him. Took him along to the bed shop a couple of times, to 'help' choose (had no opinion though) Then would update on beds arrival. He helped me put it together (yay for wellington beds - was 4 mths pregnant and it was a wood bed, but easy peasy just for me and him!) Was utterly thrilled to have his big bed. they recommended a KS if the room could take it, as there is a bit more wriggle room before a tumble happens. have had friends comment he'll be at home til he's 30, but saves buying another when he grows out of a single!
rolled up towel or blanket under sheet at the edge of the bed to stop them rolling out - either that, or a pillow in same place
We have just gone to a big bed this week (2 on Monday) and its been very easy. We have had much better sleeping too. Made a fuss about having a big girl's bed and did story reading and playing in it for a few weeks. She was really excited about it. We are using the top bunk of a pull apart bunk set as singe bed, the rails stop her falling out. Personally I don't agree that they have to go out of the sleeping bag, we are still using it so there's no issue about climbing put until she's old enough to explain that she can get up and get books to look at but doesn't wander around. When the weather gets warmer, will start working towards introducing a sheet them a duvet as by then cold won't be an issue. But I like the idea about rolled up towels under the sheet to stop rolling.
We just took the side of our sons cot at about 22 months and used a bed wedge off trademe to stop him falling out. he was fine. Then just recently moved him into his big bed at 2.5 years. He has always been pretty easy with that kind of stuff though
LOL. Mr 4 was so bad at the move that Miss nearly 3 is still in cot. Perfectly toilet trained, but in cot. It's the one remaining big battle that I just can't bear to handle. He-Who-Does-Not-Get-Up-In-The-Night thinks she is very hard done by, but she is snuggly and perfectly happy. Can vault in and out single handedly, is not missing out on anything!
I haven't read all the posts so may be repeating others. We needed his cot for the baby so moved them from cot to bed and bassinet to cot on the same day. Mr 2 did not approve of his brother getting his cot at all. So definitely have a gap between moving them both. However the transition was easy. We told him all week he was going into a big boy bed at the weekend. He helped dad set it up and he got a new Bob the Builder duvet. We sat and read stories and played on it during the day. He went to bed with no problems that night. He has fallen out a few times and we have rolled up towels under the sheet and cushions on the floor. He actually sleeps and settles better in his bed than he did his cot.
We got Caleb to help us set his big bed up and then left it in his room for about a month. He could play, jump, read books on it etc. When we thought it was time for him to make the move (22 months) we told him calmly that he would sleep in the big bed tonight and packed his cot away. He has not had a problem with sleeping in the cot from night 1, he loved it! We also introduced a pillow at the same time.
go the pool noodle idea, that is so much cheaper and it makes sense now that you mention it Rachel Peers.
We left the cot in the room and let her choose which to sleep in for day or evening sleeps for a few weeks . we only took the cot out once she was choosing the bed and staying in it pretty well.
We talked a lot about being in a big bed. Then took legs off the bed so it was the base and mattress on the floor and used a Safe T Sleep to begin with so he got used to sleeping in his bed without falling out. Got rid of Safe T Sleep when he starting taking it off himself. Almost ready to do it all over again with 2nd child.
We started with day sleeps in the big bed when our daughter was 15mths old. It seemed to be a battle every night putting her to bed in her cot....it was like a prison to her. The day sleeps were good as they weren't too long and she seemed to enjoy it and got used to it. We tried the night sleeps in the bed a few times but she seemed to get really excited about being in the big bed and a couple of times got stuck on the side but we persevered and by 18mths she was having all her sleeps in the big bed. Luckily her creche also changed her to a bed the same time as us so this really helped with reinforcing the idea of sleeping in a bed. Sometimes it was difficult when she kept coming out of the bed but we persevered and have never looked back....she is so comfortable in her bed.
Will most likely do the same for #2 although this one is quite comfy in her cot at the moment and doesn't hate it. Guess every child is different. Go with what you are prepared to do and put up with. i.e. get up in the night or staying in the room etc. Good luck. :)