1 year old scared of cot

[Rach1802]

I’ve been pretty much co sleeping with my 14 month old since he was born on and off and has always been okay when In his cot alone aswell. However recently he’s terrified of being put into his cot. Even if I put him in there while sleeping he wakes up suddenly and screams. I’ve tried everything possible. Please help! I can’t even have him baby sat if I want a night out with the other half because he is that clingy at night

DD hated her cots from basically the start, she also woke up quickly in them at night but naps were a bit easier so I just put her in the cot (with the side off, I can't lower her in) when she was dead asleep and eventually she got used to waking up there and then she wouldn't had awake between cycles but it took time. She still climbs into bed with me in the night at 22 months.

If I'm the rare occasion someone was looking after her she just slept next to them on the sofa or in her pram.

What have you tried?

My advice would be to try to make the cot into a happy space in the day, play games, have toys and stories, just for a few minutes at a time. Build it up as a fun and safe space for him. Put a well slept in top of yours for smell and comfort, one of those toys where you can heat the innards so it's warm. Make sure there is a low light source so it's not completely dark.

It's a big transition going from bed sharing to being on your own.

Move him to a floor bed? Some kids don't like being confined.

@TheBabyAteMyBrain

What have you tried?

My advice would be to try to make the cot into a happy space in the day, play games, have toys and stories, just for a few minutes at a time. Build it up as a fun and safe space for him. Put a well slept in top of yours for smell and comfort, one of those toys where you can heat the innards so it's warm. Make sure there is a low light source so it's not completely dark.

It's a big transition going from bed sharing to being on your own.

I've tried putting him in there while he's deep sleeping which I thought would work instantly but he wakes suddenly. I've tried teddies, bottles, even something that smells like me

@FourPlasticRings

Move him to a floor bed? Some kids don't like being confined.

Is there anything I could try other than a cot?

You could try mattress on the floor or bed with bumpers or a guard

Is there anything I could try other than a cot?

Certainly. You could try a mattress on the floor or a very low bed (there are 'teepee beds' and 'house beds' that are essentially on the floor with or without bedrails- we moved DD into one without rails at 18 months with an ikea crashmat running alongside in case she fell out). If using a mattress, you can put the mattress on slats for circulation if you like.

Some examples from a quick google- mainly Wayfair, though they're all over the place. You can get them in toddler bed, single or double sizes. DD has a single.

Imagine falling asleep on your sofa and waking up somewhere completely different, you'd be scared and confused and that's what it's like for babies who wake up somewhere else to where they fell asleep. My advice would be to get him used to the cot out of sleeping time. put him in there whilst you fold washing etc and make a peekaboo game out of it. There are lots of gentle sleep encouragement methods to get him used to going to sleep in his cot too

Oh, and a word about floor beds (basically a mattress on the floor). For safety reasons they shouldn't be near enough to walls or other furniture for the kid to become trapped in the gap. They should be firm with no pillow or duvets or anything else you wouldn't put in a cot. Obviously, you can't lock them in like you can a cot, so you must baby proof the room they're in entirely. You can use whatever size mattress you like, but most prefer a single or double because then you can cuddle to sleep and roll away. Mine slept through the night for the first time when we transitioned her to a bed.

None of mine took to a cot and went straight from co-sleeping to a mattress on the floor with side guards at about 2. Whatever works for you and yours.