Baby care - moving from cot to bed

Moving from cot to bed is an exciting milestone in a child’s life. However, making the change is sometimes tricky. It may be hard to know whether your child is ready to move from a cot to a bed. Signs of readiness include climbing out of the cot or needing to get to the toilet at night.

Most children move to a bed somewhere between the ages of 2 and 3-and-a-half years, however this may be as early as 18 months.

Moving from cot to bed for a new baby

It may be necessary to move your toddler into a bed so that the cot is available for your new baby.

Issues to consider include:

• If possible, make the transition from cot to bed before the birth of your baby or a few months after. Otherwise, your toddler may resent the baby for coming into the house and immediately ‘stealing’ the cot.
• Generally, a child younger than 2 years is not emotionally or developmentally ready to sleep in a regular bed. You might consider keeping the cot for your toddler and buying a second cot for the baby.
• If buying a second cot is not an option, try moving your toddler to a mattress on the floor so that rolling out is unlikely to hurt them.

Safety issues moving into a bed

A ‘big bed’ means your child can get in and out of bed when they want. This may present a few safety issues.

Suggestions include:

• Before you set up the bed, check your child’s room for possible hazards. Could they tangle themselves in the curtain cords? Could they open the window and fall out? Does your house have stairs? Address any safety issues first.
• Reduce the risk of falls by pushing one side of the single bed flush against a wall. Buy a removable guardrail that tucks under the unprotected side of your child’s mattress. When you set up the bed, explain to your child that the guardrail prevents them from rolling out. Let them practise rolling against the guardrail a few times before their first night in the ‘big bed’ to reassure them that they can’t fall out.
• Your child should be at least 9 years old before you allow them to use a bunk bed. Children can occasionally fall out of bed in their sleep. A fall from a top bunk could cause injury. A young child who is told to sleep in the bottom bunk may climb to the top bunk when parents aren’t around.

A quick transition from cot to bed

Some parents set up the child’s bed but leave the old cot in the room just in case. If the child is climbing out of the cot and it is a safety issue, the cot needs to be removed from the room. A child who feels daunted at the thought of sleeping in a bed may insist on continuing to sleep in the cot. If there are no safety concerns a slow transition may suit the child.

Suggestions to support the transition may include:

• Let your child help pick out sheets and a doona cover for their new bed.
• Involve your child in setting up the bed and packing up the cot.
• Let your child know you are excited and proud of them. Praise them when they stay in their bed.
• Find ways to celebrate the move. For example, you could have a family trip to the zoo or an afternoon tea party.
• Consider marking the transition by redecorating your child’s room. It doesn’t need to cost a lot; just changing the pictures on the wall or covers on cushions will make the room look different. Involve your child in planning and decorating their new ‘big kid’ bedroom.

Problems moving from cot to bed

Some children are unsettled the first few nights in a bed.

Suggestions include:

• Stick to your child’s familiar bedtime routine.
• Support your child to place items they find reassuring, such as soft toys, in their new bed. Your child may want to sleep with an item from the cot such as a special blanket.
• Try not to be impatient or cross if your child keeps getting out of bed. Be loving and reassuring. Accompany them back to bed. Offer lots of hugs. Say goodnight and tell them that it’s time to go to sleep. Be prepared to go through this routine quite a few times over the next few nights, if necessary.
• Remember that confrontations with your child and punishments for getting out of bed will increase their anxiety and may prolong the difficulties.
• Remind your child that the cot is packed up if they ask for it back. Reassure your child and praise them for making the move. Let them know that their new bed will soon feel familiar and cosy.
• Install a night-light if your child’s anxiety about being in an unfamiliar bed brings on other fears, such as fear of the dark. You could also tuck extra toys in their bed for reassurance.
• Try to be patient and reassuring if your child calls out in the night. Remind yourself that this rocky period will soon be over, and that staying calm and loving will speed your family through the transition.

Where to get help

• Your GP (doctor)
• Maternal and child health services
• Maternal and Child Health Line Victoria (24 hours) Tel. 132 229
• Tweddle Child and Family Health Service Tel. (03) 9689 1577
• Queen Elizabeth Centre Tel. (03) 9549 2777
• O’Connell Family Centre Tel. (03) 8416 7600