AIBU to consider putting 9 month old in a bed?

[MsFrog]

My 9 month old wakes up repeatedly in the cot, but when he sleeps on the bed he sleeps all night and wakes once for a bottle.

It's a bed we bought specifically to co-sleep, so it's in his room. I sleep next to him, but he sleeps better than in the cot even if I'm not there. He just seems more comfortable. But it just feels like not working on getting him in the cot might end up causing more problems down the line...

Am I being ridiculous considering putting a baby in a bed?

I don’t think you are. My 2 year old twins have been in single size floor beds with wooden rails round each side they were 10 months. I think they are great. Allowed us to transition from rocking them to sleep to lying with them to fall asleep to now sitting next to their beds. I can also get in with my boy twin when he wakes most nights.

Will you be sleeping in it with him? If not I'd persevere with the cot.

I'd not be keen on a child that young having the opportunity to get out of the bed and wander round in his room unsupervised in the middle of the night.

How wide is his current bed? We found that moving DD from crib to cotbed made a huge difference as she was moving around and woke herself up by shuffling against the rails. The cotbed was 70cm wide, plenty of space for her.

I know some people move a toddler into a single bed with the usual bed guards but they are normally 1-2, not a baby. So you would need to find a bed you can properly guard off.

I think it's too early but you do what works for you.
I transitioned my toddler to a big bed ca 2 weeks ago at 2.5 yo.

I’d be ok with that with safe bed guards they can’t get trapped under (maybe under sheet not an external rail). Away from the walls, so there is no risk of getting trapped there either. And in a sleeping bag not under a sheet or duvet, to avoid the risk of suffocation. No pillow or toys. Basically a safe, uncluttered sleeping space.

Okay if its not high off the ground I guess

Thanks for all the thoughts so far. I think @FuckingFlumps has hit the nail on the head, I do worry about him being able to get up when he's a bit older... I didn't transition my older son to a bed until he was 2.5 (although definitely should have done it sooner).

His cot is already big and turns in to a cot bed, but he does move around a long and bangs off the bars still. It's good to hear some PPs have done this - @TwinMum89, did you not find your twins would get up and cause havoc when they got a bit older?

We did age 1 with barriers that stopped him falling out but he could easily get out the bed. He never ever got out of the bed until he was about 4. He only ever used to call to me (several times a night - he has adhd which impacted sleep)

Did the same with DS2. He also didnt get out of bed but called to us....

Just make sure there are no dangers in the room if they do get up stairgate across door

Some kids are not roamers - DS is 5 and still lies in bed calling out when he wants something

I think @FuckingFlumps has hit the nail on the head, I do worry about him being able to get up when he's a bit older...

It's a very reasonable worry as he will be too young to understand why he cannot play with his toys if he wakes up and depending on how tall he is he may also quickly learn to open the door handle.

I would definitely persevere with the cot as the potential future problems of him being able to roam and potentially get hurt in my opinion override the current issue of him waking more often.

Can you put the mattress on the floor so he can't fall? I've never had any issues with my kids getting out of bed at bedtime so I can understand why this would appeal if he is sleeping much better

Some kids are not roamers

Yup, mine arent. It has meant we have had to really coax them to get out of bed when they needed a wee on waking up. Initially DS would only do this if we put a potty right by his bed, we had to build up to him leaving his room to go to the bathroom and he was 4.

I'd do it with the mattress on the floor and sleep in his room when/if he gets to the roaming stage. My 2yo has been proficient at climbing out of his cot since about 18mo so cots aren't necessarily the answer! He's back in our room until he stops maurauding

Look up Montessori floor beds (the house bed thing is a trend) the point is the get the child freedom to get up but the whole room must be made safe.

DD has never slept in a cot for any length of time so the freedom isn't a novelty at all, she's nearly 3 and moved to her own room a few months ago. She be get out of bed to fine me in the night sometimes but she won't get up to play with her toys in the living room unless her sleep has gone wildly wrong (napped in the day for example).

Have a look at Montessori floor beds, people use them for babies from about 6 months so the guidelines around them should be helpful

My 13 month old has been in a small double bed for the past 6 months or so. I built a frame around it like those Montessori beds so he can't fall out. It's much better for him because he moves so much in his sleep and hated the cot. You do you! It's much more normal for babies around the world to sleep in beds than cots. I fully intend to do the same with any further babies.

Also my boy never leaves his bed in the night which surprised me as he's a total loon in the day. The room is baby proof though.

Thanks everyone, this is all really helpful food for thought.

Look up the montessori idea of floor beds, lots of babies never sleep in cots but go straight onto floor beds. As long as the room is property child safe and the bed is a safe height it's a good idea.

Mine were I. Toddler beds from 15 months, never slept properly in the cot.

Mattress on the floor till 18 months and then bed guard thing is what we've done. It's worked wonderfully for DD however I go up and sleep next to her after I'm done watching Netflix

My little one has been in a double Montessori style floorbed since about that age. Works great as if he's unsettled I just join him in bed and have loads of room.

Far better that than any of the bed guards which have a risk of positional aphixiation.

My twins don’t get up and cause havoc. At least not yet! We sit with them until the fall asleep. If they wake in the night they cry and call for us, they don’t get out of bed at all. My girl is a good sleeper and will sleep in most mornings. I either wake in my boys bed or he will wake and come straight upstairs to find me. No problems at all for now. We have monitors and there are no toys in their room, just books.

Look up montessori floor beds.