Cot to mid-sleeper - bad idea?

[chaosisawayoflife]

My dd is 2.6 and currently still in her cot. We are planning to move her into a bed at some point in the next few months before her younger brother or sister arrives in July. Her room is tiny and will be shared with her sibling once they are 6m, so we are considering getting her a mid-sleeper bed which will eventually be able to be adapted into a bunk bed for both of them. Is it a terrible idea to move her straight from a cot to a mid-sleeper? Should I buy a low toddler bed for now and then move her into a mid-sleeper when she is a bit older? Would rather not have to buy a bed now and then a different one later, but don't want her to be unsafe.

[Loie159]

I moved my DS from a cot into an adult single bed(with the proper side bar thingies to stop him falling out) when he was 2. We needed the cot for DD who was 6 months old. I was really nervous as I thought he would start trying to get up and he was a bad sleeper and he might get "lost" in teh night, but we did the change thinkign we could always buy another cot if needed and he has been fine ever since. He is 3 next week and he doesnt get out and loves it - good luck

[Rowgtfc72]

My dd was in a cot till the same age as yours.We had a cot bed and we took the bars down and she slept in that for a couple of months.We never had bed guards.Shes very tall and we ended up buying a high sleeper bed from ikea. This was before her third birthday .She sleeps about five foot up,shes fine,loves it and I cant see how she could fall out or we would never have bought it! You know how sensible your dd is-some kids you just know will jump out ! Good luck !

[Plumm]

chaos, I need to do exactly the same thing (DD is 4.5 though so not worried about her falling out) - have you found a mid or high sleeper that converts to a bunk bed later?

[Greeninkmama]

Wow - the idea of putting a three-year-old in a high bed really astonishes me. You can get some that are covered (like a tent), but how does a small kid get down a ladder in the night? My friend is a paediatrician and says they often have kids coming in with broken arms etc after falling out of bunk beds (this has happened to a friend of my DD too). I think the recommended age for a mid sleeper or bunk bed is six or seven.

[CrispyTheCrisp]

We just bought bunks and DD2 (22 months when she moved into it just sleeps on the bottom bunk. Why are you looking to convert? .
Our bunks split into 2 beds, so you could just put one up now and add another later if you are worried about her going up top. Our DD2 still hasn't tried BTW and she is now 2.4

[CrispyTheCrisp]

Oh, and you don't want a toddler bed, partly because they are a waste of money, and partly because there will be times when you need to curl up with them, or use their bed as a spare when one of them is kicking you in your bed (DD1 last night - DH went and slept in her bed)

[Rowgtfc72]

Recommended age is six.DD is as tall as a five year old and has always refused to get out of bed untill someone goes in to say good morning! Even in a toddler bed .

[thisisyesterday]

i wouldn't put a toddler of that age into a midsleeper

ds1 moved into his at about 3 and a lot, i think , nearly 4 and has been fine tho

we got a thuka one, which you migt consider because you buy the short bed, and then you can buy a kit to convert it into a midsleeper later!
or, you can buy another bed and make it into bunks

[Rowgtfc72]

Ours from ikea is one that you build so one way up the bed is a foot off the floor but when turned upside down becomes a mid sleeper with storage underneath.That way your child getss used to a single bed without the height then you just flip it when youre ready.

[snail1973]

We have got the same one as Rowegtfc72 from ikea and we moved DD into it straight from her cot at about 3 yrs. She went straight into the high up mid sleeper version. It has high sides all around, so no way she can roll out of it, and she just used to call out in the night rather than climb down. We did make sure she had a light on the all next to her that she could turn on if she woke up and did want to get out so that she wasn't doing it in the dark. Also she was (and still is) in nappies at night so wouldn't be getting up to use to loo in the night.

I have to say that I don't think this was a particularly risky thing to have done, despite recommendations that kids should be at least 6 yrs before going into this sort of bed. But it clearly depends on your child and whether you think they are likely to want to get in and out of bed a lot.

I am much more concerned when at friends houses and there are 3 or 4 kids on a trampoline at once for example...

[Rowgtfc72]

Must admit my dd is still in nappies too so getting out isnt too much of an issue.

[Gracie123]

DS 3 yo is in a mid sleeper. I think it's safer than an adult bed because it has rails so that he can't fall out.
He has no problem up and down the ladder, but I guess that depends on your child. You could always get one with stairs though if you are worried.