20 month old in a bed????

[Muddlingalongalone]

Help please.
Madam climbed out of her cot last night & appeared to sit on my lap while I was reading DD1 bedtime story.
Really not keen on her being in a bed already but don't really have a choice do i? Moved DD1 at just over 2 & in hindsight it was too soon.

Please tell me all your wonderful stories about it being the best thing you ever did, they suddenly started sleeping through the night, they didn't do the freaky standing watching you sleep silently until you sensed their presence

[ImogenTubbs]

DD1 refused to sleep in a cot - would scream and scream until she was sick. We had months of unsuccessful short term measures including about three months where we carted her pram upstairs every night.

Eventually at about 18mo we put a safety gate on her bedroom door and stuck a mattress on the floor. Move to a proper bed followed a couple of months later. Brilliant move. Can't claim she started sleeping through, but it was right for her and we were all happier.

[Roomba]

Glad she went to sleep quickly! Hopefully the novelty will wear off soon so she won't try to escape as much.

DS1 was in a bed at 18m as he kept climbing out and also rocking his cot to the point of it almost tipping. I genuinely believe he did not realise it was possible for him to get out of bed without me coming through to him first, until he was about 6! He never ever did it, until one day he was shouting me in the morning and I replied 'For goodness sake, just come through here - I'm feeding the baby' and he was like 'Oh.... I can get out by myself!' V funny.

[Muddlingalongalone]

Well she's in - didn't take long to settle but I think that was exhaustion really after all weekend without a nap.
Tried to escape 4 times - cheeky grin & running so I think she might be more difficult than her sister was. Let's see whether I need a stairgate by next weekend

[skankingpiglet]

We moved DD at 16mo. It made a huge positive difference to her sleep, although I think that was down to also giving her a duvet rather than the lack of bars around her mattress. She likes to spread out and sleep with one leg in, one out We just toddler-proofed her room and stuck a stairgate across her door.

[Muddlingalongalone]

Thanks all - will be digging out the instructions to turn cot back to toddler bed tomorrow - she hasn't tried to escape since thankfully & she's generally pretty safe coming off sofa's and beds but not worth the risk.
Tbh her sleep seems to be getting worse not better so hopefully she'll like it!

[dalmatianmad]

Completely agree, mine were both in beds at the age of 1, was far easier, they didn't "question" it so no faffing climbing on and out if bed...

[Rachwyso]

i agree earlier the better, dd went in to a toddler bed at 11 months i did live in a ground floor flat though so no stairs issue, she transitioned fine and would go to bed awake, have a story and fall asleep by herself. Looking back she was a brilliant child. DS on the other hand was in his cot until 2.5yrs hated transitioning into a bed and even at 6 is a crappy sleeper

[ODog]

DS in a toddler bed at 13mo and slept better than he ever did in a cot. The earlier the better I say as they are too little to question it too much and realise they can escape!

[Mumonthesofa]

My DS went into a toddler bed at 14 months. He loved it and with a gate on the bedroom door he was fine. we still had the monitor on so could hear when he woke up.

[cornishglos]

18 months here too. No problems. I liked that he stopped yelling for me in the morning and just appeared in my room instead.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Ds was out of his cot at 18 months. We put his cot matter on the floor and a baby gate across his door. He went into a full size bed a short while after with a side guard.

[DesignedForLife]

DD is 21 months and climbed out last night, so big change tonight here too! Make sure the room is safe, and consider whether to close the door or use a stairgate. I like the idea of a video monitor!

[Noodlebetti]

I think if they're climbing out its time to move. We moved our DS into a bed at 18 months as he's very tall for his age and would wake up everyone he rolled over, bashing in to the side of the cot. He slept terribly because of this. From the first night he moved in to his bed, he has slept so much better, and from then until now at 2 yrs 8 moths sleeps through the night with no problems. (Well, he's just started being a nightmare to put down without 8 stories, 10 cuddles, a drink, a game of hide and seek, the toilet for the 20th time etc, but that's a whole different thread! )

He never climbed out of bed when he woke up either, he just sat up and read the books from the night before, shouted us to wake up, or occasionally on very good mornings, lay back down and went back to sleep!
I say go for it.

[MollyBloomYes]

I think you probably do need to move her if she can climb out, better a bit of a rampage than falling from height.

DS1 managed to climb out at 19 months. I'd just had his brother so that was fun! It was fine, I invested in a video monitor so I could see if he was doing anything completely dangerous, bought some exciting new bedding and put him to bed as if completely normal. The first night he was a bit confused, got out twice and easily went back in and it's been fine since then. He has a book box in his room so often goes to help himself and 'reads' to himself in bed for a while before crashing out which he worked out for himself. I don't mind him bumbling around his room for a while now that I know he'll sleep when ready. Could be different with a sibling in the same room I suppose. I get some bonus time in the mornings now because he can get out and entertain himself for a while. Sadly his baby brother ensures this bonus time isn't spent sleeping but does make getting each of them changed a little less fraught!

He can't reach the door handle on his room. If he could I would probably be putting a stairgate in his doorway, I don't trust him to be wandering the house at night and have visions of him tumbling down the stairs!

[minipie]

Sure you've thought of this but is there anything in or next to her cot that she could be using to help herself get out? DD started climbing out of hers but then we realised she was using the lip on the chest of drawers to pull up on - moved the chest of drawers and got another 6 months in the cot!

[Scotinoz]

My eldest was in a bed at 18months (needed the cot for number 2) and it was fine