About 10 weeks ago I decided I couldn't bend over the side of DS's cot anymore with my bump and that it was time to drop the side. There were also other reasons, like the fact that he would wake up really early in the morning and wanted to play in his bedroom, but obviously couldn't get out of his bed, so he got stuck trying to sneak through the bars, and also tried to climb out.
I realise that at almost 17 months this was early, but we dropped the side anyway, put a huge cushion/mattress thingy next to his bed that was almost the same height as his bed, and we never had any problems. his sleep improved massively, and his mood did, too.
for daytime naps we would put him in his bed, close the door+stairgate at the top of the stairs, then we could hear him get out of bed, play for 10 minutes or so. He'd then get back into bed, cover himself up and go to sleep for an hour or two.
Evenings were similar.
everything went really well.
Then, about two weeks ago, he started not sleeping during the day anymore, and was waking and walking out of his bedroom about 5-6 times a night, come into our bed and just lay there for ages, quietly, but not sleeping.
We all got grumpy and sleep deprived after a few days and I put the side of his cot back up.
We're back to 2 hour naps in the day and 12-14 hours at night, without waking (I sleep VERY lightly, I even notice when he turns over in bed in the night).
Because I'm in the middle of re-decorating his bedroom I wanted to get him a new bed when I'm finished, probably a children's one that he could be in till he's 10, so we can use the cot for his little brother or sister (in our bedroom, attached to our bed with the side dropped so it's like co-sleeping, but with baby having its own, slightly raised space).
I don't really know what to do now. I don't know what guard rails are like or if they would help making him feel more secure... or if there is any point in even trying.
I've tried asking my HV for advice, but she is, frankly, utterly useless because her idea of bringing up babies is so not what mine is (I like co-sleeping, slings, baby led weaning and cuddling my child when he is crying. She advocated putting him in his own room at 3 months, weaning him at 4 and leaving him to cry it out so he would learn to sleep by himself). Her advice was to ignore him when he wakes up, or LOCK HIS DOOR. uhh, you what?!
Sooo... any ideas, advice, success stories.... I never really read up about how to move a toddler from a cot into a bed, so did everything by instinct and was so happy it worked, but obviously, now, it doesn't...
Tonight, he has - I think - gone to sleep with the side down. He came out once, was at the top of the stairs for a minute, then closed his bedroom door again. This is the first time we've tried the side down again, and I'm fully expecting to have several wakings tonight.