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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Switching 21 month old from cot to bed

12 replies

Bergermurd · 15/02/2020 10:34

I posted in Sleep but haven’t had much response so am posting here in the hope of help! My 21 month old DD has always been a poor sleeper. I am on my knees with tiredness. She is beginning to be quite big for her cot and I’m wondering if it might be time to switch her to a bed, and whether this might help her sleep. Is 21 months too young for a bed though? And can anyone recommend what bed to use, and how to make the transition? Thank you

OP posts:

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 15/02/2020 10:40

I just lost the post I typed out

DS was about 16/17 months when he was climbing out of his cot so he slept on his cot mattress on the floor which he loved

We then got a single bed and I rolled a towel to go under his fitted sheet to stop him rolling out.

Made story times easier and he had no problem at all with the transition.

SayNoToCarrots · 15/02/2020 10:41

Nearly two is not too young for a bed. If you are worried you could use a bed guard

Hoik · 15/02/2020 10:42

Take the bars off one side of her cot so she's in her familiar bed which is low to the floor until she learns where the edge is and how not to fall out then move her to a full sized single once she's used to it. You can get junior beds but you'll be replacing it in around 3-4 years when she outgrows it so it's easier to just go full sized from the start.

Expect bedtimes to go to absolute shit for a little while once she realises that she can get in and out of bed by herself, I'd recommend a safety gate on the bedroom door to keep her contained in one room at least.

Stickybeaksid · 15/02/2020 10:43

I am just about to do the same. Got a low bed and a bed rail and and will see how we get on. Going to keep him in his sleeping bag rather than use blankets so that should keep him warm and contained.

happymummy12345 · 15/02/2020 10:44

I moved ds when he was 16 months just because I thought he'd like it more. He loved it. We had a toddler bed with small built in rails at the top. Didn't bother with extra ones though. We just put his old cot mattress on the floor at first. He was fine and we had no problems at all

RhymingRabbit3 · 15/02/2020 10:50

Of course it's not to young. we moved my daughter at the same age and it did help with sleep, she definitely slept better in the bed with more space. We started off with a mattress on the floor for a few weeks in case she rolled out but she never did so we quite quickly put the mattress onto the divan and have had no issues at all.

Original poster

Bergermurd · 15/02/2020 10:54

Thank you so much for these replies. I am so glad to know that moving her into her own bed might help. I feel like such a bad mother at the moment because the nights are so bad and she’s so tired in the mornings. She has a good nap at lunchtime, and settles down no problem with me putting some music on and singing to her for a few minutes. I’ve never been able to get her to nap in the cot though, so she has this nap in the pushchair in the hall (which the health visitor told me was wrong). I don’t breastfeed her in the day (she eats quite well but am still feeding to sleep last thing at night which takes ages. Then if she wakes in the night I resort to feeding her and she ends up in our bed for what can be hours. I am willing to keep breastfeeding if she needs it but i don’t know if I’m doing the right thing or not, as she still doesn’t sleep well. She gets really upset if I don’t feed her. I really hope that going into her own bed might help a bit.

OP posts:

Khione · 15/02/2020 11:09

Mine went in a bed at 6 months as she was throwing herself over the side of the cot

CarrotPuff · 15/02/2020 11:13

Personally I wouldn't. DS was 2.5y when he went into bed, and he would get out about 10 times a night for solid 6 months. It was exhausting, our evenings consisted of traipsing up and down the stairs to put him back.

DD was over 3 when she went into a bed and didn't get out at all.

Obviously every child is different and it could have been a coincidence.

Hoik · 15/02/2020 14:52

I’ve never been able to get her to nap in the cot though, so she has this nap in the pushchair in the hall (which the health visitor told me was wrong)

All of my DC have napped in their pushchairs in the hall or the garden either because they'd fallen asleep while we were out walking somewhere or we were going to be going out walking somewhere soon. When they were toddlers they would nap on the sofa while I had a cup of tea and some time to myself. It was a matter of convenience and it was rare that they'd have a nap in their cot. You can safely ignore the health visitor on this point.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 15/02/2020 14:55

Nothing wrong with a nap in a buggy/pram

switswoo81 · 15/02/2020 15:05

I will be leaving my 22 month old in the cot for a very long time. Once her big sister went into a bed she kept getting out of it.
She sleeps well though and has her daytime sleep in the cot too.

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