Cot with side off, toddler bed or full size single?

[amyboo]

DS is 16 months old and currently sleeps in a sleeping bag in his cot (sides still on). He's started escaping from his bag in the night, accompanied by lots of crying while he manouvres out of it and followed by early waking I think cos he's cold...

Anyway, we thought we'd get him used to a duvet as Ikea do cot size ones. We had been hoping to keep him in his cot (eventually with the side off it) until we move house around Easter next year, but I'm not sure if that is feasible. He's quite a big baby - around 90cm tall - and I'm not sure if we will instead need to move him to a toddler bed or even straight to a full size single bed. Basically I don't really want to buy a cot duvet and bedding then discover in a few months time that he needs to go in a different bed...

So, I was just wondering what other people have done. At what age did you children stop sleeping in their cot? And did they go straight to a single bed or insead go to a toddler bed? I'm not sure of the size difference... Thanks for the advice!

[MrsVidic]

My DD was in a cot with the side off and went to a bed easily- to be honest once hes had the transition from bed to cot bed its much of a muchness- but its probably easier to get him used to cotbed first so its not too big- plus you dont have the expense of matress etc

[cherub59]

We had cotbed then straight to single bed for ds1. Sides only came off cotbed quite late else he wouldn't stay in it! I wouldn't buy a toddler bed- might as well get used to a single bed IMO. For cotbed we got the grobag my first duvet set which zips on so can't fall out which us brill. Meant when he moved to single bed he hasn't fallen out once.

Ds2 now in that cotbed in the grobag duvet set.

If you need them in a single bed before not used to not falling out, just turn the duvet sideways and tuck it under the mattress both sides, that way they can't fall out. Works a treat....

[casperella]

DS1 went straight from cot (cot-size not cotbed-size) to single bed with rail. He was fine after a couple of weeks, but we did have an initial period where he just constantly got out of bed..... we didn't move him until he was over 2 (and DS2 was on the way so we needed the cot!!).

DS2 is now 2.4 and we can't face moving him into a bed yet, as he is quite active and we think he will be up and out of it even more than DS1 was - so we are putting it off as long as we can....

Am liking cherub's idea about the tucked in duvet though - might work with my DS2!!! Also might try taking side off the cot to see how that goes...

It is a dilemma for sure!

[Iggly]

We've ordered a low small single bed from warren Evans instead of a toddler bed for DS. Arrives today (nervous)

We couldnt decide for ages but decided to go for this as will last him a good few years. Will let you know how it goes!

[PrettyCandles]

Ds1 and dd stayed comfortably in the cot until 3.5y, then went straight into a full-size bed. Ds2 was (still is!) a very tall child, and had to come out of his cot at 3y. He, too, went straight into a full-size single. TBH he could probably have done with coming out of the cot earlier because he's a bit of a sprawly sleeper, unlike his more compact-sleeping sibs, and we didn't realise that the lack of space was affecting his sleep. We just thought it was more of the same, as he had always been a poor sleeper. But as soon as he could sleep starfish-style, his sleep improved...for a while.

The boys were both great at the transition from cot to bed. Dd OTOH partied every night for several weeks. We had to do the Boring Return several times every evening, several times a week.

Have you tried putting your ds's sleeping bag on backwards? Or (I hesitate to suggest this, as I think grobags are the answer to so many problems) stop using the sleeping bag but put him in heavier pjs/babygrows?

[startail]

Both mine stayed in the cot until almost 3.
DD1 straight into a half hight bunk and DD2 into a double bed.
We lowered the cot side and strapped one of those plastic bathroom steps to the leg. Hence producing a bed with a rail that a toddler could use safely.
DD1 learnt to climb out the cot very young indeed, long before she could safely be trusted not to fall out of a normal bed. Given, she climbed everything, the step suited her perfectly. She showed us how she vaulted her cot rails by levering herself up the corner, I didn't want her doing it again. The probability of catching her toe and going head first was too much.

[amyboo]

Thanks for the advice everyone! Think I'll go with the decision to buy a cot sized duvet then and we'll see how it goes. He hasn't (touch wood) tried to climb out the cot yet, so I think we'll leave the side on a bit longer. He is a very sprawly sleeper though - usually sleeps on his tummy with arms outstretched.... I don't know why he's taken to escaping the bag - he doesn't undo the zip, just wriggles his way out - hence the crying noises (which wake me up) while he does it! Our house gets very cold at night in winter, so I wanted to get him used to the duvet before winter comes.... Those grobag sets look good, but seem quite expensive, and in any case I've never seen them over here (Belgium)...

[Iggly]

DS has been escaping from his bag - realised that his room actually is pretty warm. So didn't put it back on and he slept fine!
First night of the bed - he didn't like the duvet. Too hot again! But he settled in just his short sleeved PJs.

[BreastmilkDoesAFabLatte]

We put DD into a full-sized adult single bed at around 16mo. She'd been getting all wriggly and restless in her cot, but loved and still loves the big girls' bed. She fell out once or twice, but as a friend put it "falling out of bed for the first time is the one great milestone which nobody mentions"...