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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to get my 2.5 YO DD a mid-sleeper?

32 replies

BlueLuna · 01/01/2019 13:43

Happy New Year MN!

DH and I want to decorate DD's room as it's the same as it was when we moved in. ATM she still sleeps in a cot 7pm-7am.

We were thinking of getting a mid sleeper, the ones which have steps rather than a ladder, to save some space and have storage underneath. We would get a bed rail too so she doesn't roll out.

Do any of your toddlers have a mid sleeper? Or am I being completely stupid? I've attached a pic of the sort of bed we're thinking of.

OP posts:

TulipsInbloom1 · 01/01/2019 13:46

We got dd the Kura bed from Ikea which is a low bed which can then be flipped to a mid sleeper. We flipped it at 4yo. No way would I be haopy flipping it earlier - imagine the potty training stage would be easier to manage with her low to the ground.

GlamourBear · 01/01/2019 13:51

We seriously considered one for our 2.5 year old but just didn't feel comfortable as he tends to just swing himself over the side of his bed when he gets up in the morning (he did this when we took the side off his cot bed a couple of weeks previous to him having a new bed - we decorated his room just before Christmas) so worried about him falling. We went for a single oak frame in the end which has plenty of room for storage boxes underneath and should last him years.

santababyconvertible · 01/01/2019 13:53

We have the Ikea KURA bed which has 5 steps on a vertical ladder. DS moved into it a month before his 2nd birthday , and potty trained at 2.5 so worked well.

Picnictime · 01/01/2019 13:59

Don't do it!
A bed rail only covers part of the mattress. Not sure it would even fit between the built in rail and the mattress.
I think I read that mid sleepers are recommended age 6+
We have a 2.5 yo and just took the sides off. Started waking a few times a night ever since. Thankfully he doesn't get out but I know plenty that do.

HexagonalBattenburg · 01/01/2019 14:10

Mine had bunk beds in their room from when the eldest was about that age - but we only used the bottom bunk for a good year or so after that and only had them in there as someone was giving them away basically.

Personally I'd wait till they're really confident going for a wee in the middle of the night before I did it though - mine have the bunk version of that style of bed now (the amount of storage in those step cupboard is HUUUGE btw) and it's not a problem, even with one of my kids having fairly severe dyspraxia.

Measure CAREFULLY though - the steps on the end really really do add so much to the size of it and limit where it can go in the room. Yep I'm speaking from experience on this one. The stair part also makes a splendidly echoey noise when you flounce up them dramatically to go into bed - again experience speaking here! We KNOW when DD1's got up to have a wee as it sounds like a flipping elephant coming down the stairs.

BusyMum47 · 01/01/2019 14:42

Love the bed but I'd personally be a bit nervous at putting your DD in it at such a young age - I'd give it at least another 18mths. Even with a bed rail, she can climb out of the end & tumble down those few steps - especially in the night when she's sleepy.

Also, from experience, changing a wet/puked on bed which is higher up is a bloody massive pain in the early hours!!

Another issue is being able to lie/sit on the bed with her whenever you may need to - can't do that in a mid/high sleeper.

woodwaj · 01/01/2019 14:47

I bought a midsleeper for my ds about 3 months ago when he was just over 3.5 he kept falling out of his toddler bed and it just didn't seem roomy enough. I got one from next in the end and he loves it he's never touch wood fallen out of it. In the catalogue it said 4+ but when it arrived it said 6+ the only reason I decided on this one was the curved edges on the stairs.

ducksgoquack222 · 01/01/2019 15:07

Our daughter has had one if these beds since just before her 2nd birthday, straight from a cot. Was slightly nervous but she's never had any problems with it. Never fallen out, toilet training was fine. Only you know your child and how they behave and if it's the right choice for you. The only downfall I can think off is when reading her stories at night there was no snuggling but we put a chair in her room instead and read stories on this and then she gets herself into bed.

TeenTimesTwo · 01/01/2019 15:14

It seems way to early to me. We switched petite DD from cot-bed to mid sleeper age 6. They need to be able to navigate it safely when half asleep.
Changing sheets is much more of a pain with one of these beds.
Also agree re reading stories. We had to switch to stories in our bed and then transfer iirc.
Finally - how long do you want the bed to last? Will she grow out of the pink? Would a different colour if available be longer lasting?

Mummyshark2018 · 01/01/2019 16:14

No way, your child sleeps 12 hours. I would not have done anything with their room to potentially disrupt that sleep routine,

Yura · 01/01/2019 18:11

Don’t - our oldest has one (got it at 5 years old), and his younger brother (almost 2) needs to be kept away from it as he has managed to almost throw himself down several times (I caught him mid fall once). Ours has steps, not a ladder. The ikea one that you can turn around would be an option.

JamieFraser · 01/01/2019 18:14

We had one but I hated not being able to easily have a cuddle and read stories. Got rid of it after a few weeks with no regrets. Dd is very calm and never really mobbed in her sleep so I wasn't worried about falling or anything.

Jammysod · 01/01/2019 18:20

We got one very similar (it's a solid side, rather than the 2 planks/slats) for DS when he was 3.5. The bed part is deep enough to stop him falling out & he manages fine with the steps (much better than a ladder in my opinion & the drawers are brill for storage). The height can be a pain though.. I'm 5ft9 & struggle with changing the bedding/picking DS up when he's lying down.
With regards to changes disrupting the 12hrs sleep... We moved house, took the side off the cot & put him in the new bed & none of that changed his 7-6 sleep routine.

Unihorn · 01/01/2019 18:27

Mine is a similar age and we considered it but went for a lower one in the end. She doesn't move when she wakes up though, just sits and calls til one of us come, which is why I was find with it. It depends if your child likes to spring out of bed suddenly I think.

Alwaysatyke · 01/01/2019 18:32

DD went into a mid sleeper at about 4.5. Don't think I'd have gone any earlier tbh, and especially not before being very comfortably dry through the night. Even setting aside difficulties for your child getting in and out, they're an absolute bugger to change the sheets and I wouldn't fancy doing that at 2am after an accident

HexagonalBattenburg · 01/01/2019 18:33

Personally though as someone else has mentioned if you do go for it - I'd avoid the pink as I could see you getting to about the age DD1's hitting now (that point between infants and juniors where the tweenage attitude starts to creep in a bit) where pink is suddenly a bit "uncool" for them. We have purple panelling parts on ours for that exact reason - fits well in a "little girl" themed room but will also work going toward tweenage years.

OkOkWhatsNext · 01/01/2019 18:44

Just bought one for Ds2 this week, he’s just turned 6. I would have been worried about having him that bit higher up much before this, probably only the last 6 months or so I think he would be able to manage getting down without incident in the middle of the night even when he’d had a nightmare or felt ill. Older DS also got one at similar age, will certainly wait a few more years for Dd who is just 3.

MilfordFound · 01/01/2019 18:44

My 3 year old has just gone into a mid sleeper, she loves it. It has high enough sides that she definitely won't roll out. It's plain white, got it from sleeplandbeds it's great. I can sit on a chair next to it to read stories, rather than uncomfortable on the floor like I used to when she was in her toddler bed.
My cats think it's theirs though, there is at least one cat permanently lounging on it pretending they're a leopard up a tree. They bloody love it.

OkOkWhatsNext · 01/01/2019 18:46

Also I think that although 2.5 yr old might stay in bed and shout in morning (mine all did), as they get older and a bit more confident they are likely to get themselves out of bed more. 3yo is just starting to come wandering out in the middle of the night when she has a bad dream or needs a drink. I definitely wouldn’t count on them staying in bed always.

HidingFromMyKids · 01/01/2019 19:09

My DD has this one but I don't think she moved to it until 3.5. It's very solid and sturdy the weight limit is something like 17 stone!

I agree with the downside about stories however if your going to go for a mid sleeper to create more storage space I'd advise an open one rather than furniture.

I can fit 2 x 4 box kallax units under plus a toy box and the kids still have space to play under there. Hang a sheet over the side and it's a den etc.

Agree about staying away from pink.

HidingFromMyKids · 01/01/2019 19:12

Also think whether is it a small or full size single. When will it be outgrown z where can you buy bedding etc

Thewifipasswordis · 01/01/2019 19:12

Far too early

Grobagsforever · 01/01/2019 19:13

DD went into one on her 3rd birthday with no issue. Depends on the child, mine don't wee in the night

lily2403 · 01/01/2019 19:14

My ds would kill him self launching of that

CatsForLife · 01/01/2019 19:17

We had one and got rid of it. I initially loved the storage underneath but then it got too cluttered. I didn’t like the fact you couldn’t get in to read stories or when they were ill and changing sheets was a nightmare. Also, when we did get rid of it, the room looked massive. Second what PP said about bed rails not quite fitting it.

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