Transition from cot to bed - 14 month old, help!

[hrlg]

Hi, it's my first post on here so hoping someone may be able to help or offer some advice if they've had similar experiences. My son is 14 months old and currently in a cot bed. He's extremely active and we had already thought that when the time comes, we would move him into a double bed so he has lots more space and we can snuggle up together for bedtime reading etc. (That and the cot is lovely and we'd like to use it for our next baby which we hope to think about in the coming months).

He is still needing to be rocked in the chair to sleep (unfortunately we were hoping going to nursery might help him start to learn to sleep on his own but with lockdown we never made it to the nursery ). We've opted to not do any crying it out sleep training hence why we've continued with the rocking.

I should say that up until a month ago we were walking him around the room to sleep so we've made progress! He's now getting too big for the rocking chair and can get uncomfortable so I want to think about his new bed sooner rather than later. My question I guess is, is it just too early to be thinking about this? I've read quite a bit online about varying ages and there's such a wide variety of answers and I don't want to move him if it's far too early.

Obviously if we did go for getting a bed, we would add bed guards to the side and cushions on the floor to be as safe as we can be. The bed we're looking at is also extremely low to the ground as well.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

I’d give it a crack if I was in your shoes. I think that if things aren’t working for you as they are then change something, so if you’re getting to the point where rocking to sleep isn’t working it seems sensible to switch to popping him in a bed.

I used to bed share with DS when he was younger and he was a huge wiggler, I had a longer length cot side on his side and at the end of the bed. Got them from Argos.

@hrlg hi. I m in a similar situation. We co sleep with our 14 month old, and she moves around soo much in her sleep. When she is in the cot, she bangs her head on the side and wakes up, and just ends up in our bed. So, I was considering moving her to a floor bed. (Possibly a bigger one). Then we could lie in bed with her for stories and leave once asleep.
Just not sure where to start with making the room safe enough etc.

Thanks for your reply @PawPatrolMakesMeDrink . I think I've been apprehensive because it is still working... but only just about and I think he could have a more relaxing bedtime routine.

I think I just needed to hear other people say that they bit the bullet and did it too! Thanks for the Argos recommendation, will have a look

Thanks for your reply! @BeHereNowx32 Yes we've been thinking the same, really have to make sure we've well and truly baby proofed the room as I'm worried that he'll go from being the loudest baby waking up to a silent toddler who has his whole room to reek havoc in!

They do very very low beds on etsy with bars all around but I feel worried that he might start trying to stand up against them and then fall over them (they're not as high as normal cot bars). I feel like a normal toddler / single / double bed is probably safer. Not sure how this has all happened so quickly, I swear he was in the next-to-me cot just 5 minutes ago

I didnt move from cot to bed until 2½ years old so 14 months seems really young to make the switch

@hrlg I am not coping well with co sleeping just now. My sleep is rubbish! We did think about just using the base of the cot. Or, Argos do toddler beds, Which could be altered by leaving the legs off. I will try to attach a photo.

@BeHereNowx32 Sorry for the late reply. That's a great idea, that's as low to the ground as you can get. If you're struggling like we are then you've got to try something new I think, the way I think I'm starting to view it is that if he doesn't get used to it for a while because he is a little too young, then the cot is still in the house and we can use it again if he really isn't taking to the bed.

You need sleep too, it's too hard to function properly and parent especially while we're all at home.

We talked about it the last few days and think we're going to bite the bullet and do it with a view of getting it set up in a few weeks time so a little after 15 months...

@hrlg good that you’re going for it. Let me know you get on, if you can. My DH is off work next week, so we will start then too.
I put DD in cot last night and she woke up sooo much, I give up after a few hours!

Good luck!

@BeHereNowx32 Will do! Going to write a list of everything to be ordered today - mattress, bed, drawer catches, radiator cover etc etc.

Sounds like you might be in the middle of the 14 month sleep regression.. feeling that pain too!

@hrlg argh another sleep regression? It must be because she won’t nap today!
Sounds like a good plan.