How To Transition From a Crib to a Toddler Bed

One of the most common questions I get asked as a baby sleep consultant is, “When should we move him into a big kid bed?”

My favorite answer to this is, “Never,” and there are a couple of reasons why I say that.

Why Keep The Crib?

Number one is because there are so many other priorities when it comes to your baby’s sleep. Establishing a bedtime routine, teaching independent sleep skills, getting your baby accustomed to a schedule, are all things that should take place before you worry about moving them out of their crib. 

Believe me, it could be easy to make the transition. But first you need a good, skilled sleeper on your hands.

 There is just NO need to push it! The only reason would be if a new baby was coming and you HAD to use the same crib. 

Toddlers will inevitably notice that they sleep in a different bed than their parents, or their older siblings, and will ask why. 

Once they’ve shown some interest, and feel like they want to make the switch, I’m all for it. But don’t look at it as some kind of developmental stage that your child should reach at a predetermined age. 

They’ll get there when they get there, and there’s no harm if it’s later rather than sooner.

What If They Want Out?

I should actually throw in a little disclaimer here. Has your child started to escape their crib? Are they doing it in a dangerous way? Then there is some potential harm if they fall out. 

However, if they’ve got the skills to get out of the crib safely, (and some kids I know are exceptional at climbing out of their cribs) then, again, I once again recommend sticking with the crib.

One of the biggest reasons I see for parents moving their kids to a big kid bed, is because they’re hoping it will solve some existing sleep issues. This may solve one problem, but open a whole host of new ones! Now your child has way access to you in a much easier way!

So maybe a big kid bed would help them feel more grown up. Maybe it would give them a feeling of security and comfort.

It will not.Not at all!

In my time as a consultant, I  have ever seen bad sleep behavior solved by moving baby to a new bed. 

As a guideline, so I would say 2½ is probably the earliest you want to implement this change. IF you need to know a number! But again! That’s just a guideline, and later is better. Push it all the way to 3 if possible! 

So, now that I’ve told you to wait as long as possible, how about those of you who have done that already, and are now making the switch?

Making The Switch

The first thing you might notice is how quickly and easily your little one makes the transition. Your little one climbs into the new bed, loves the cool print on the new sheets, and sleeps happily straight through the night.

So maybe you’re in the clear! Or maybe you’re not.

There’s typically a honeymoon period with the big kid bed. Kids initially think they’re great, but then, after a couple of weeks, they start to wake up and leave their room in the middle of the night, asking to get into bed with mom and dad.

You may be tempted to comply with this request, but don't! I strongly suggest you put an early stop on bed sharing right away. If your child starts leaving their room in the night, walk them back, tell them it’s not allowed, and let them know what the consequence will be if they do it again. 

The best deterrent I know for WBS, or Wandering Baby Syndrome, is to close the bedroom door all the way, and keep it closed for a full minute on the first offence. If baby leaves the room again, make it two minutes. Then five, and so on.

Again, regardless of how sweet the request is, or how easy it might be to just flip back your comforter and let your little one climb aboard, don’t give in. You really need to make it clear that it’s not allowed, or you’ll be dealing with nighttime roaming for months.

Looking for more tips on teaching your child to sleep on their own? This awesome article from Weekends.Family will provide even more ideas!

For more infant and toddler sleep tips, or to chat about me customizing a detailed sleep plan to get your child and family sleeping better, you can reach me at babyoandiconsulting@gmail.com.

Sweet Dreams!