Advice re getting toddler off to sleep in new toddler bed

[arwen110578]

My just 2yo DD has been sleeping in a toddler bed for approx 3 weeks now and generally things have been going well. She initially stayed in the bed.

Last few nights and for her daytime naps as well she has been leaving the bed and playing in her room. She doesn't try and open the door and she doesn't call out. But I can hear her leaving the bed and playing with toys.

My question is Should I be going in and putting her back in bed or the fact that she isnt trying to leave the room is a good thing and I should leave her to settle herself?

Tonight she has been playing for an hour. I went in and she was on her bed with some books and cuddly toys which she had obviously got up and collected and brought back to bed.

Any advice gratefully received!

Aah that sounds like a lovely thing to find her doing, i am currently posting from a bean bag outside ds's room, where he is doing his best to settle, he has been in his little toddler bed for about 3 months, from the first night he realised that he could get out, wonder around the house and generally frighten the life out of me in the middle of the night! he is lovely and will not put up a fight, and will usually settle straight away when he has not had a nap, but today he slept :( so here we are, i know that if i leave he will get up and look for me, i am reassuring myself that this is short term and he will get used to self settling again soon (he did in his cot lovely). I would love to find him settling to play in his room quietly until he goes to sleep. My question is this, if you leave her, will she settle to sleep herself back to sleep? And is she really wanting a nap, because my ds started to not really want one now? Ok that was two questions, just thought i might push my luck a bit!

Arwen I think you should be really pleased that your DD is doing that, mine has always been the same and it is a blessing. It means that she is happy to entertain herself and happy to settle herself into bed, by herself when she is ready to.

The only downside I find is that I have to go in once she is asleep and remove most of the toys and books from the bed so that there is room enough for her to sleep comfortably, she appears to think the more books the better, even if she then has no room at all!

Thanks for the kind responses! I am reassured that I should not go in to her room at the moment!

I do think that she is starting to think about less daytime naps. She usually naps in the afternoon for approx 1 hour but has been less and less quick to go to sleep.

I was really surprused she didn't try and leave the room when we moved her to the bed. I am fully expecting her to become curious and try the door at some point. I put the stairgate on at top of stairs every time she sleeps just in case.

She finally went to sleep about 9! buggerit I hope your LO settles soon so the beanbag can return to its rightful place. You have a lot more patience than me! i wonder if its a boy/girl thing? Friends of mine with boys have mentioned that they instantly wanted to leave the room and find mummy/toys etc...!

that's very sweet really. Will she eventually climb back and sleep in bed or fall asleep on the floor? If the latter can you go in later and lift her into bed?

Yes Trixie she does eventually fall asleep. I was just unsure of whether to be trying to stop her playing so she learns its sleep time not playtime.
But I think I will just leave her to it unless she starts trying to leave the room...!
Thanks!

Thank you arwen, he didn't take long to go to sleep, bean bag back away now. He is not heading for a nap today so it should be a lovely hug, quick kiss and off to sleep tonight!

You might be on to something with the boy/girl divide!