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Sleep

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Original poster

Moving from cot to bed

64 replies

Kmg · 17/03/2001 18:49

Emmam - how did you persuade your son to stay in bed in the end? Against all my inclinations we've put my youngest in a "big boy's bed" - he's only 23 months, but was desperate for a big bed, and hasn't been sleeping well. (We've tried all sorts, and thought maybe a real bed would help ...)

Anyway he loves it, wants to be in it, hates his cot, but at bedtime tonight (Day 1) wouldn't stay in it for more than 30 seconds. They have now both gone to sleep, after 40 minutes mayhem, I'll let you know how I get on in the week. But does anyone have any tips on how to make them stay in bed, when they suddenly have the freedom to get out? (We never went through this with the eldest).

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Eulalia · 11/12/2001 22:19

Bugsy - my son is nearly 29 months old and is still in a cot. He seems very happy with it and has never tried to climb out. We too are expecting no 2 in April but the baby can stay in a carrycot for awhile yet (no 1 was in it for 5 months) so no worries about disrupting things for the moment. Good luck.

manky · 11/12/2001 22:51

My son (3 in January) has recently asked to go back into his cot which I'm very pleased about because when he was in his new bed he had a tendency to start wandering into our bed. With hindsight I wish I had never moved him out of his cot as early as I did (roughly when he was 2 and half)and will now keep him in his cot for as long as I can. b

Amanda1 · 12/12/2001 08:42

Message withdrawn

TigerMoth1 · 12/12/2001 12:52

I'd just let him stay put if he is happy. My oldest son still had the bars on his cot bed until he was 3 years 3 months, and never wanted to escape, even though I'm sure he could have scaled the heights. He began to get mildly irritated with the bars after his third birthday, but we kept them up because we were soon taking him on holiday and wanted him to sleep in a cot in our room to save us money. A good reason for keeping the cot habit going for as long as possible!

We promised him we'd take the bars down on our return. I was convinced he'd wander at night, but this did not happen. And, if he played up during the bedtime routine, I had a new threat: I could to say 'do you want us to put your baby bars back?'.

Son number two escaped from the same cot bed at the age of 20 months. He's a bit of a night wanderer. I have found him asleep on the bathroom carpet a couple of times.

One Sunday I woke up to a silent house, tip-toed downstairs to read the papers, and found my toddler quietly sitting on the sofa in the darkened living room, stroking the cat and eating a chocolate digestive.

Lil · 12/12/2001 15:58

Tigermoth, how sweet!!

SueDonim · 12/12/2001 17:42

Aw, bless, Tigermoth!

jodee · 12/12/2001 17:49

I was thinking about moving ds (nearly 21 months) to a bed in the New Year as he is nearly as long as the cot and gets himself into all sorts of strange positions when asleep, which to me look very uncomfortable, but as he has never yet attempted to climb the bars and sleeps soundly all night without a peep, I might leave him be for a while then, after reading other postings here.

Bugsy · 13/12/2001 10:53

Thank you all for such a great response. I feel very heartened by those of you who have had children happy to stay longer in their cots. I know he is happy in there, as he will often ask to go "back in cot".
I don't know why I was worrying about it now. I suppose I just thought that we'd never be able to prise him out of it, but it sounds as though the transition may be easier when they are a bit older.

Lizzer · 13/12/2001 11:33

Jodee, I was thinking the exact same myself about dd. Thanks for posting this Bugsy, as the responses are just what I needed to hear. I now have one less thing to worry about for the time being -hurray!

Azzie · 13/12/2001 11:45

Having heard about Tigermoth's night wanderer, I must tell you all about a work colleague of dh's. His dd was an occasional sleepwalker, and one night when they went to check her before going to bed themselves they found that she had disappeared. Major panic, house turned upside down, all doors and windows checked etc. And where was she? Fast asleep under the bed of course!

jodee · 13/12/2001 13:18

Yes, Lizzer, one less expense when I am totally brassic in the New Year, lol

tufty · 13/12/2001 18:16

just to say that I wish there had been a site like this when I was angst ridden and heavily pregnant with my 2nd baby! What a lovely positive thread! Good luck all!

tufty · 13/12/2001 18:17

just to say that I wish there had been a site like this when I was angst ridden and heavily pregnant with my 2nd baby! What a lovely positive thread! Good luck all!

tufty · 13/12/2001 18:18

oops!

merrysam · 13/12/2001 22:45

Interesting thread...ours went into a bed (3ft single)6 weeks ago aged 21 months. His army cot was too small and he used to stand and 'rock' the cot - we were terrified he's tip it over. Also, hubby was about to go away for 6 months and I didn't want to be left to do the 'transfer' on my own. Our son 'helped' his dad take the old cot apart and put the new bed together. Then when he went for his tea I put the new (Thomas) covers on. When he saw the 'finished' product he was absolutely delighted. He insisted on going straight to bed though - got upset when we tried to take him back downstairs so he went to bed rather early that night!! He stayed put, night and day until last week. I'm now having trouble getting him to stay in bed for his afternoon nap - keep putting him back up to 10 times in half an hour but have to admit to sometimes giving up! He can't go far as there's a gate outside the door. Still, on those days he's in bed for 6pm as he's shattered. Best thing is do it when you think they're ready and try to make it fun and exciting.

tufty · 14/12/2001 18:55

I don't know if anyione else has found this but sometimes once they're in a big bed they prefer to nap elsewhere eg snuggled on a beanbag.... It might work?

Loopster · 20/02/2002 19:59

Thanks merrysam, we're just about to move our daughter into a bed - age 21/2 and we've made it all quite exciting, watching the men deliver the bed, rearranging her room, picking the Tweenies duvet cover etc.. She's always loved going to bed and sleeps brilliantly but so many people are telling me it will all go wrong when we put her in a bed. Somebody tell me it will be okay!!

Pupuce · 20/02/2002 21:28

You will !
I've just moved my 26 months old from cotbed to regular bed. He fell the first night but has been fine since. I do find that nap times are harder as he won't lie down.... but I know he still needs his nap... so on some days you might find it easier than others. DS has not once left his room even though he can. He was and still is excited by his new bed - and I have yet to buy the sexy sheets,...
Good luck - think positive and be assertive when you tell her to go to bed - she will feel the hesitation otherwise.

Ems · 20/02/2002 21:37

Loopster, it will be fine!! It seems like such a big hurdle, but your daughter loves going to bed you say and sleeps well. Thats more than half the battle.

Keep calm, treat it as a really grown up thing, and fingers crossed. My son loves his new bed, no problems, and he feels so grown up.

And there is so much more room for all his cuddlies he has realised!!

Dixie · 21/02/2002 11:34

We too are about to do the big change over to a bed (this coming weekend). We have fitted asafety gate to ds door yesterday so that he doesn't feel the gate just came with the bed. We are trying to involve him as much as possible as various advice on this thread suggests this. But he really doesn't seem aware what we are telling him. When we went to the bed shops and asked him to lie down on the beds and tell us what one felt nice, he laid down on them saying, aaahh bed nite nite. We didn't worry too much as at least he showed interest in the beds and wasn't put off by them. We are still including him on the conversations about his bed & covers etc but he really just ignores us, shows no interest one way or the other. Trying to show him duvet designs resulted in him getting out his crayons & paper & saying, drawing drawing. not interested at all. we've at various times, after play, after lunch, before bed etc but he just shows no interest. This makes me worry that he may not actually be ready for a bed yet? He has just turned 2 years old.

Pupuce · 21/02/2002 11:49

Dixie - maybe the topic is of little importance to him ... I would therefore (in this case) not make a big deal.
I have found that I now lye on my son's bed in the evening and tell him a story and sing a song. He doesn't get out. I find nap time much harder as he would rather play than sleep and as he can freely move in his room he tends to do that.
My son is only 26 months old.
I think it's probably easier when they are older but every child is different.
Good luck !

Cawthorne · 21/02/2002 20:59

we moved my son into a bed when he was about 20 months (hes now 27 months). we put a tape player in his room and he listens to a Postman Pat story while lying and drinking his milk after lunch. 9 times out of ten he's asleep before its finished.
good luck with the naps, its worth persevering !

Pupuce · 22/02/2002 14:34

Do you want my "horror" story...DS is now in a real bed and won't go down for his nap on some days...so today when I went to see him after 1h30 of "nap" (he had been playing - I could hear him)... he had removed his pull up and done a big one on his bedspread.................. YUK !
I told him that was naughty and he said " when I want to go on the potty, I have to say Mummy potty please"..... He isn't completely potty trained because naked he is always clean but as soon as he had got pants on he just does in them.
So maybe in my bad luck, he has maybe finally understood ! His potty was downstairs as I never thought he'd remove his pull ups !

Joe1 · 22/02/2002 19:03

Pupuce I bet he thought he had finally got it by not doing anything in his pants, bless. Give him a kiss from me xx.

pluto · 22/02/2002 19:30

Hi I'm new here! How do I get DS to stay in his bed for an afternoon nap? He goes to bed and stays in bed quite happily in the evening but I just can't get hin to stay put for his pm kip. He's 27 months. As I work full time this only applies to weekends. Any suggestions?

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