What can 2.5 year old sleep on?

[lamby12]

So next week me & DD are due to spend a night away at my mums. (We're in a childcare bubble and I have some appointments I need childcare for first thing in the morning) anyway the post isn't about COVID rules.

We haven't stayed anywhere overnight for a year and DD is still in a cot. She's perfectly fine in her cot, still wears sleeping bags, and I've no intention of moving her out at home just yet. She's fairly active when awake and climbs on everything, does lots of dangerous things... so the idea of her being alone in any room unsupervised, even if it's 'child safe' is fairly worrying. We've gone to great lengths to make her room child safe but she still scales all the furniture to get to the highest point during the day.

Anyway I would always sleep in the same room as her at my mums but I'm quite a heavy sleeper. In past times she's obviously been in a travel cot but she's well outgrown that now. Does anyone have any suggestions what she could sleep on given that we haven't changed from a cot at home? Any experience?
I've seen bigger travel cots (I think they are hauk brand) but given she's 2.5 it feels a waste as I'm sure she'll be in a bed by 3, and it may not be study enough even though it's longer.

Another thought was a mattress on the floor from my mums spare single bed, but she'll still be in a sleeping bag (I think trying a duvet as well is too much, she's used to her sleeping bags) but I can't imagine her lying down and going to sleep! And there's so much to explore in somebody else's house.,,. My mums spare room is lined with fitted wardrobes with drawers full of years of crap that DD will enjoy sifting through any time of day or night!!!

Any advice welcomed?! We also have 3 short UK breaks booked for just us after the rules lift later in the year, so I'm happy to buy something that will last a while longer if there's something out there.

I'd just lay down with her until she falls asleep or cuddles to sleep for the nights away. Change in routine were not good for my little one and she wouldn't just go to sleep as normal anywhere so we're cuddles or laid down with her just for them days. Once she's asleep you can leave the room

Thanks @kshaw yes I'll definitely will do that there's no way she'll just settle alone. I have a feeling it will not be a great night...

Still not sure what she's best actually sleeping in/on hopefully some others will be along to offer advice!

Can she not just be in the bed with you? A double bed against a wall with her on the inside? That's how I've always done it

I always just had them in bed with me when away from home, they sleep better and no matter how deeply you sleep, you will wake when there's a toddler climbing over your face to get out of bed.

My daughter slept in a travel cot till she was 3 or so, even after she'd moved to a bed at home. You can get big ones- maybe see if you can borrow one?. Otherwise a mattress on the floor or in with you?

Does the sleeping bag not restrict her movement quite a lot? Mine was a bit younger when he stopped wearing one but he couldn't climb (or walk, really) in it so hopefully she'll be a bit less able to cause havoc if she's wearing it?

When DS (2yr 8m) has slept away from home it's been on a toddler blow up bed, but he's in a bed at home now. She may surprise you if on a mattress - I was dreading taking the side of DS's cot, we only did it because I was pregnant and couldn't physically get him out of the cot anymore, but despite being a bit of a terror during the day he doesn't seem to realise he can get out of his bed - he sits in it and shouts us in the morning and if he wakes in the night!

Yes I thought about that but the double bed is quite a high one and she moves around loads so I'd be worried about her falling out.

Also unlike lots of kiddies she doesn't seem to like sleeping in the bed with me, whilst I'd love the odd cuddly sleep like if she's poorly or something she just wakes up a lot and says 'mummy go' I think she needs her own space, which I suppose is a good thing. I can't see it working all night other than being with her to get her to sleep. I think she needs her own thing to sleep in/on.

@longestlurkerever yes I'm wondering about one of the big travel cots, would mean buying one but I've seen them on offer and would use for the UK trips we've got coming up after lockdown, so maybe worth being sorted for all overnights. I hadn't known anyone that's actually used them past about 2 so that's good to know - thanks. Sometimes they say they go up to a certain age but in reality it doesn't work.

Mine used to sleep with us at that age, in between. It was quite cosy.

@Hardbackwriter yes the sleeping bag is probably the reason she's still in the cot. As soon as I undo it she practically climbs out herself anyway. She seems to like wearing them and is a good sleeper which is why we've not transitioned to a duvet.

We might give the single mattress on the floor a try - I am terrier of her being 'on the loose' at night but yes she may pleasantly surprise me once she's asleep. It has to happen some point soon I suppose so could be a good test run (if I prepare myself for a potentially bad night...!)

Mine used Ready Beds at that age.

We have a kids inflatable air bed like these, with a thin attached cover.

Ours is a Thomas one and the novelty of sleeping in it helped with keeping them in it more than a plain mattress also they are easy to take to grandparents/ holiday cottages/ hotels etc
When they were little the boys slept in sleeping bags in them.
Get a battery powered pump though as blowing them up can be a chore.

Sorry link here www.argos.co.uk/sd/childrens-inflatable-beds/

The thing is though that she's likely going to climb out of her cot soon. Even in their sleeping bags mine were houdinis at 2, so you might just need to bite the bullet and get comfortable with seeing how she gets on in a bed.

I'd try a roll bed, but not an inflatable.

They really don't need much to sleep 'on' at that age. Even a few towels would be fine. Young soft bones!

She might be ok in with you given it's a strange place, not home.