Surely I’m not the only one with a 3-year-old still in a sleep sack and cot bed!

[LittleSleepTalk]

He loves his setup, sleeps through the night, and doesn’t try to climb out — I actually think the sleep sack helps with that. He was potty trained at 24 months, but we’ve got no plans to night train yet as he doesn’t seem ready (and honestly… we like our sleep!).

I keep seeing people say to move to a bed earlier, but I’m not convinced if things are working. What made you transition, and what actually happened after? Did sleep get worse, and did they start kicking covers off?

Just trying to understand what’s typical before we change anything!

Thanks :)

If it ain't broke, don't fix it! He'll get too long for the bed and bags eventually though

If it’s working well and everyone’s sleeping ok then don’t change anything is my opinion.
I’ve three boys. I bedshared with them all and it suited us all.
you should do what works best for you both. It’s no one else’s business !

I only recently got rid of DDs sleeping bag because she was protesting about it so got her a duvet. She’s still in a cot and will be for a while as I have no money! She is two years nine months.

If it works for you go for it.

I never night trained. I’m not sure how that would work. Just pee before bed and once dry in morning stopped nappies.

that part was never a big deal.

sleeping bag, if happy and content I don’t see issue.

taking cot side off might be a good first step. If you mean still in cot?

covers wise a cosy duvet and off they go. Expect one here who won’t sleep without me. But three out of four ain’t bad.

If if ain't broke, don't fix it!

Ps you can't really 'train' for nighttime dryness, it's physiological.

Agree with PPs. If it’s working, carry on. We moved DD2 to a cot bed with bed guard from 18 months because she could climb out of the cot and we were worried she’d fall and hurt herself.

DS went to the cot bed just before he turned 2 and he’s still in a sleep sack.

In terms of potty training, we never trained over night. It’s hormonal so children will be dry when they’re ready to be. Mine have all been dry overnight early so it was seamless when we then potty trained.

That makes total sense - definitely don’t want to change what’s working! What made you realise it was time to change in the end? Was it sleep sack size, climbing out, or sleep starting to change? As I agree he's starting to outgrow the sleep sacks I can find as only a couple of brands do large ones, but I don't want him learning he can get his leg over and climb out!

Cot was called crib in the US which was where we lived when DS was 3 and until he was 3.5. Cribs were way bigger and DS was tiny for his age. When we returned he was in a toddler bed but not sleeping bag until he was 6. I'm not joking when I say he was tiny as he was in age 2 clothes at 5. Day potty trained at 2.5 and night trained soon after return to UK

I never night trained either, is he still peeing himself at night? Once he’s dry you just stop the nappies.

you can’t actively prevent him learning he can get out of bed, it will stop him going to the toilet if he needs and isn’t healthy for him.

and the bed needs to be supportive enough for him and he can’t feel constricted, if he’s already starting to feel he’s outgrowing it and you can see that then he’s outgrown it

buf please don’t keep him in one longer so he doesn’t get up, it’s not fair on him as he will think he has to pee himself in the night.

I definitely wouldn’t want him to feel restricted or uncomfortable, he loves his little setup. He’s still in nappies at night at the moment so we’re not quite at that stage yet, but it’s something I’m conscious of for when we get there. I think that’s partly why I’m unsure when the “right” time is — whether it’s better to wait until everything aligns or transition earlier and deal with the sleep side of things too. How did it work for you when you made the switch?

Ha my 8 year old still wears sleeping bags. Slumbersac do them with feet right through to adult sizes. My son loves them. Wears them around the house all winter too! I love camping for the sleeping bags! So I wouldn’t worry about that!

If happy in a cot stick with it. Mine slept in a cot until 3.5, toddler is nearly 3 and still happily in a cot. Baby will stay in a cot as long as possible too.

Thank you - yes I've seen those online before! Love that he still loves his cosy sleep sack - the idea of an adult one sounds really good especially if bedsharing

Baby1 - moved to single bed with bed guards at 2y9m - we needed the cot back. We also couldn't find any 'next size up' sleeping bags beyond 36m, either.
Baby2 - moved to single bed at 18m for naps, then for all sleep at 21/22m. Why? Because toddler sibling taught baby2 how to climb out. 😱

Baby1 stays in their bed. Wakes occasionally with a bad dream, that's all.
Baby2 is an occasional wanderer and likes to peel back my eyelids and climb over my head at 2 or 3 am to get in my bed (just my side, not DH side, he is unimpacted and often oblivious to our night time visitor). After an hour or so of being prodded and liked and kicked in the ribs, I'll offer to sleep in their bed with them, which helps. I fall asleep and wake up to sneak back to my bed after a couple of hours. It's pretty exhausting, but less exhausting than being woken every 2.5hrs as they used to in the cot.

Id wear a sleep sack if they did adult ones 😂

They do! Slumbersac!

100% if it isn’t broke don’t fix it. We did the same. Only moved her out just after 3 because she became dry overnight and we wanted her to be able to go to the toilet if needed, and because she was starting to just be too big for the cot we had. Bed transition was no hassle whatsoever. Bit delayed going to bed first 2 nights due to novelty but no issues after then.

Off to check out Slumbersac . And I have no small kids at home . Three is still pretty young . As previous poster said , in US the cribs are much bigger and kids stay in longer I think . He will let you know if he is uncomfortable. At the moment he probably likes the security of it .

DS moved into a bed shortly after his 3rd birthday when he said he wanted one (had seen his friends' rooms). But he was already dry at night. He generally didn't (and doesn't) wake up needing the loo, but if he did he would yell for a parent - not just lie there assuming the only option was to pee in his bed, as PP suggests. Actually even now in his bed he could get up and go by himself, but would probably still just yell.

I tried to take DD out of the cot once her legs were sticking through the bars. She absolutely was not having any of it!

I eventually wrinkled her out of it so I’d have somewhere to put DS. She’d have been 4.

My son is almost 3 and still sleeps in a cot with a sleeping bag as well. The sleeping bag is starting to not work so well because he’s figured out how to unzip it, but the cot still works fine. I am planning to move him to a bed soon which I’m also a bit worried will ruin everyone’s sleep. I would keep him in the cot longer but we’ve just had a new baby who will need a cot soon, and it seems silly to buy a second one when my older child is three and is really old enough to not be using it. But I completely understand why you don’t want to change anything if your current set up is working for your family, and I think it’s fine to keep things as they are for a bit longer.