Transition from cot to bed - experiences please!

[janjas]

We've just returned from holiday where dd (2.2) slept in a bed as there wasn't a cot available. She loved it and after falling out a couple of times in the first few days, started to sleep quite well. She is still in a cot at home although with occasionally sleep in a cot bed thats also set up.
Can I please have some experiences from people who've made the change, good and bad, and how did you cope with the bad ones!

Did you manage to still get them to nap during the day?

We went cold turkey this summer as cot at Grandmas was too small. DD took to it like a duck to water . Used bed guard and pillows on the floor - she never fell out. Naps she realised she could get out so reverted to using grobag at nap time then after 6 weeks she progressed to sleeping under covers during the day. Night time kept to grobag as she moved so much ( and it was a real tropical summer not !)
Back home she had 10 days in cot whilst we sorted out bed. At first in new bed she kept coming out and laughing now she stays in bed esp when tired. At night using grobag sheet and lightweight covers . She loves her bed and chooses the sheets etc. Still use bed guard as she does roll about a bit . She is now 2.6.

We changed from cot to bed when we were staying at my parenst and realised she was climbing out of her cot playing for a bit or got a book and got back in to go to sleep, ASAIK she has never fallen out.

I moved DD2 (19 months) into a bed last week. Using a bed guard so she doesn't fall out. She sleeps fine - once she's asleep. Our big problem at the moment is she is so over excited about being able to get out of bed that as soon as I put her into bed she jumps out and runs around like a mad thing, taking out toys and pulling books off the shelves etc, bothering her poor sister. We've decided the best thing is to completely ignore her and put a stair gate over the door. Last night (after about an hour and 15 mins she fell asleep on the floor! I know from experience with DD1 that the novelty wears off (after a month or so....!!)

I moved my 21 month old into her bed last week - she decided she wanted to sleep in it after we'd had it in her room for few days - loves it and wont' sleep in the cot anymore.
The first couple of mornings she got out of it when she woke up in the morning, but I sent her back to bed and sat with her til she stayed in it again. Now she stays in bed in the morning and reads if I leave a book on the end of her bed after she's asleep at night.
Its so much nicer putting her to bed now as I can tuck her in properly and read stories in bed. Theres still some nights when its hard to put her bed to bed but probably no more so than when she was in the cot - overall have found it easier now she's in bed - she used to stand up shaking the bars if she didn't want to go to bed so I I never imagined she'd stay in a bed, but she's suprised me

My dd has now been in her cot bed for about 3 weeks and she has now settled down and is sleeping really well. At first she used to get up, but now will lie in bed when she wakes in morning and shout "want to get up now mummy"! I agree that its nicer when they are in a bed, we snuggle up and read stories and have cuddles at bedtime which we both enjoy!