Transitioning from Crib to Bed (WHEN and HOW to do it!)

May 18

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Oh boy! This is an exciting time – your little one is becoming a ‘big kid.’ This transition can also be a little terrifying for parents, but it doesn’t have to be! As a sleep consultant, I help parents make this transition and I have helped families whose transitions to the big-kid bed didn’t go as smoothly as they’d hoped.

Here are my top-8 tips for when and how to transition your little one to their big-kid bed.

1. Wait

If your child is under three, my first piece of advice would be to try wait until your child is three or older. I’m not saying that you MUST wait, but I do find the transition to be smoother when started as close to or after age 3 as possible. This is both for maturity and safety reasons. It’s hard for children under 2.5/3 to have the impulse control needed to stay in bed. It’s also not all that safe for a toddler to be roaming the house at night. There was actually some research done about this, check it out here!

“But, we have a baby on the way and need the crib…”
If you have a toddler sleeping well in their crib, then let’s get creative for your new baby:
Can you borrow a crib? Use a bassinet or pack n’ play to start? Purchase a second crib second-hand?

I’d also recommend waiting until things are calm in your child’s life before introducing this transition. If they are becoming a big brother or sister, give them a few months to adapt to this role before introducing this change. One big adjustment at a time for this one!

“What about the crib climbers, you say? We have to transition, don’t we??”

Not so fast – there are a few things you can try before jumping to the crib-to-bed transition.

Sleepsack: Sleepsacks tend to deter climbers by simply making climbing more challenging. If your child is able to take their sleepsack off, then try putting it on backwards.

Lower the crib Mattress: Make sure the mattress is on the lowest setting possible. Make sure there is nothing near the crib that could facilitate climbing.

Turn the crib around: If you have a crib where one side is higher than the other, turn that baby around! Place the lower side against the wall and the higher side out. You can even move the crib to the corner of the room so that the walls help as well.

Try a stern “no:” If your monitor has the talk-back function, watch your child – as soon as they start climbing, say a stern “NO” or “NO CLIMBING” through the monitor. If you have a video monitor without talk-back function, you can say “No” through the door as soon as you see them starting to climb. We have to be mindful of this one, to be sure it doesn’t turn into a game.

If your climber is undeterred and the climbing is now a safety issue, then of course, it’s time to make the transition.

2. Don’t use the crib-to-bed transition as a solution to current sleep issues

If you are already struggling with night-wakings, difficult bedtimes, or early morning risings, then I’d recommend addressing those FIRST instead of using this transition as a possible fix. More often than not, this transition exacerbates current issues instead of being the fix for them.

If you need help setting a solid sleep foundation, contact me! Together, we can change things - everyone in the family can be sleeping well!

Otherwise, if you’ve check the boxes: your child is over three, has a solid sleep foundation, and is showing signs of wanting to make the switch, then let’s do it!

3. Child-proof the room

Now that your child has the freedom of leaving their bed, it’s best to treat the entire bedroom like a giant crib. Although the goal is for your child to stay in their bed, it’s only natural that they may explore this freedom, so we want their bedroom to be safe and sleep-inducing.

If you aren’t using a toddler bed that has rails, you can look into installing safety-approved bed rails for their big-kid bed. Some parents also have success tucking a pool noodle under the sheet, but you should talk to your doctor about the safest solution for your family.

“What about a baby gate at the door?” This is likely helpful for children that are transitioning early due to crib climbing. For those younger kiddos, a gate can be an excellent tool to be a visual barrier to remind them that they are to stay in their room/bed at night. Again, it’s not so safe think about a toddler roaming the house at night, so I definitely recommend this if you are transitioning to a ‘big-kid’ bed early.

4. Hold a Family Meeting

This meeting is partly why we want to wait until your child is old enough to understand the expectations around this exciting transition. Sit down together and talk about what’s happening (moving to your new bed!) and what the new rules will be around this. Keep it short, simple, and fun.

“We are so excited for you to be moving to your new bed! It is still very important that we all get the sleep we need each night.”

Develop rules that work for your family and share what will happen if the rules get broken. Role play this during the day time, so it doesn’t come as a surprise at night.

“If your body forgets to stay in bed, mommy will walk you back to bed. I don’t want to wake your body up, so I won’t talk to you when I walk you back.”

5. Use a toddler clock & set expectations around it

I’m a BIG FAN of an ok-to-wake clock as a tool to help a child know when it is morning. However, the thing with these clocks is -they can be used to help set the boundary, but it is our job as parents to hold the boundary.

What toddler clock to use? Our family uses the Hatch, as it doubles as a sound machine. I also used it from birth to help with those middle-of-the-night feeds.

Another note about these clocks: IF you are using it as a nightlight as well, make sure to only use warm colors overnight like red or orange; other colors of light can stimulate the brain instead of helping our little one sleep.

6. Be consistent with your Sleep Rules

This is where the work comes in for us as parents. It’s NORMAL for our children to test the rules and boundaries that we have put in place. It’s our job to hold these boundaries. If your child comes out of their bedroom, silently return them to bed. Do this as many times as it takes.

7. Maintain your normal schedule and routine

Stick to your usual schedule and bedtime routine. This sense of normalcy can help maintain the security and comfort around bedtime for your child. Just because they are moving to a big-kid bed, doesn’t mean they now get a late bedtime. Avoiding over- tiredness is still key to helping our older toddlers sleep well.

8. Manage your expectations

Don’t be surprised if the novelty of this transition includes some later bedtimes in the early days/weeks as your child explores the ability to get out of their bed. I tell the parents that I work with that we need to start with small goals, instead of staying in bed, the rule can be that they must stay in their room. If they are shouting, playing with toys, or consistently coming out of their room, this is when you can intervene and use your sleep training response of choice. If your response is consistent and includes minimal engagement, this too shall pass.

It’s also normal to see your child fall asleep on the floor, or in another part of their room to start. You can choose to put them in bed when they are asleep or allow them to learn for themselves that the bed is the more comfortable place to sleep.

This is a really exciting transition for our kiddos, albeit also bittersweet. They are growing up! It’s normal to see a honeymoon stage to start and then some boundary testing after a few days. Continue with your normal routine and stay consistent with the rules you set with your child around their new bed and they will get there.

Have you transitioned your child to their big kid bed? How did it go for you? Let me know in the comments!