Do I need toddler crash mat?

[Bubspub]

My 20mo fell out of his cot bed last night, loud thud on floor at 1am poor lamb. We had to drop the cot sides many months ago as he's quite the climber. We've put a Lindam safety guard on and usually he's okay. But he does have a tendency to sleep horizontal across the bed and with his head quite close to the opening (beyond the safety guard) so I guess that's what happened. Do I need some kind of 'crash mat'? There's carpet and a rug but I'm not happy that there was still quite a thud. Any recommendations would be welcome. Thank you x

I didn't have cot problems but when dcs moved into a bed for ages I had a mattress on the floor under them (the cot one - so you can't do that but could put some big cushions or a folded duvet surely). Just do it, why wait for the next crash?

Our dc2 moved to a bed at that age so we just put a second mattress on the floor by her bed. Would that be possible?

Yes exactly, I want to put something down tonight in anticipation. May not happen again ever but don't want to risk it. He must have woken with a horrid fright x

DS climbed out of cot v young and we then turned it into cot bed which was very low to ground. So he slithered rather than fell after that. Is your cot bed on lowest setting?

PS - I would use a spare mattress not duvet or pillows for landing on - better air circulation if he sleeps through it.

Yes lowest setting possible. It's a short drop but he's quite a chunk and we're in a new build which is quite echoey, hence very loud thud. Thankfully no visible bruising. We don't have a spare mattress but I will look into getting a cheapy one I think x

Thanks Paradise, good point about the sleeping through x

Sounds like a good plan. FWIW DS is almost 12 years old now and fine but I can still hear the terrible thud. He doesn't remember it at all of course! So I'm sure it was far worse for you than your DS.

You could move him into a bed and use the cot mattress as a crash mat.

Bless you thank you Paradise I hope so! X

A good quality single mattress will be about the same height as a cot bed. If he has to go in a bed and not a cot, I would do a full sized single floor bed.

He'll need a single mattress when older anyway, and you'll already have one.

Good point FATE thank you x X

Oh regards the thuds my dc1 who is three still falls out of bed on occasion it sounds awful he always sleeps through it

It's incredible what they can sleep through! X

Put his mattress on the floor and pack away the cot.

Or just use folded blankets. He will (hopefully) stop doing it soon enough.

Can you roll a towel up and put it along the the bed, underneath the sheet? So it makes a kind of of wall?

Or a pool noodle : www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.kinja-img.com%2Fgawker-media%2Fimage%2Fupload%2Fs--B5RsMzBQ--%2Fc_fit%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_80%2Cw_636%2F17ubehw99iy84jpg.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2F5929887%2Fkeep-kids-from-falling-out-of-bed-with-pool-noodles&docid=c7w0PN6KP8-nxM&tbnid=7hE5G4hoIMt-qM%3A&vet=1&w=636&h=358&client=tablet-android-google&bih=1024&biw=768&q=pool%20noodle%20under%20bed%20sheet&ved=0ahUKEwit4PaH15zRAhXM7IMKHY95AwsQMwgbKAAwAA&iact=mrc&uact=8

Put a pool noodle in the gap at the bottom under his sheets. I have one for ds in his cot bed haven't had a fall yet don't even have a safety guard. He's been in his own bed since 18 months

Good suggestion, hadn't considered one of those before! Thank you x

My DD2 is a mover in her sleep and used to fall out of bed in the first few weeks in a bed. I used to put a beanbag next to her bed, just a thought as you might already have one.