toddler bed

[DoubleK]

we have bought krystal a Dora bedroom set for xmas, which comes with a toddler bed (uses a cot matress) it had a bedhead and sides.

im not really sure how she is going to go in the bed, as she still wakes up during the night, probably only every second or third night or so. im worried if she wakes up and gets out of bed, she wont come into our room.. but then again, all she wants is some boobie to go back to sleep... she might just stay there and cry... maybe i should leave her lamp on, or the hall light.

what do u guys think?

[Leemar]

My boys went into beds at the age of about 1 1/2 and we leave 1 of the lounge lights on so if they get up they can see where they are going.

[Jodie259]

I put my son in a 'car bed' at 16 months because we were expecting #2 when he turned 18 months... and in time we would need his cot for the new baby.

My son is a notoriously bad sleeper - so I was very nervous about him getting up during the night and playing.

This has been my experience:
- we put him to bed and he will sometimes have a grizzle but he will usually go to bed/sleep. We close his door when we first put him to bed (and open it before we go to bed).
- if he is really restless - he will get up and cry at his door until we come to him. Then he will usually scurry back to bed and dh or myself will lie down with him until he goes to sleep (thankfully car bed is a full size single mattress).
- He stirs at midnight...but rarely gets out of bed
- he nearly always gets up around 4am... and comes into our bed for a few hours co-sleeping.
- occassionally he sleeps through to 7-8am or wakes up in our bed... then he goes into in 'play room'.

I have been lucky enough to move into a house with a spare room that we put all their toys into... so I have removed toys from Shauns room - leaving teddies & books. Sometimes Shaun gets "busy" and removes all the teddies from the shelves/bookcase. Often he sits up and reads books to himself. But he doesn't have toys around him to keep him from sleeping.

I have put a night light on in his bedroom. It's bright enough that we can see him,and he can see around his room - without being too bright that it distracts his sleep. Shaun has always slept with a light on (whether it be night light or main light on dimmer).

I wouldn't be worried about Krystal not finding your room. I was amazed how well Shaun learnt to get in/out of his bed, and find his way to our room or his play room.

[Jennifer13]

Hi there

We took the sides of our DD's cot a few months ago (so at about 18 mths) to convert it to a junior bed. Our DD loved it, wakes up and practically runs into our bedroom/bed if she gets up in the night, otherwise not until her morning bf. She's never had any problems with the darkness and I don't know how she manages to come in at such speed without running into anything!

I love her being able to get out of bed herself, it means if she's disturbed and wants some comfort she comes to us straight away, without crying. And I only have to get up to put her back in bed when she's better, instead of getting up and standing beside the cot or bringing her to our bed and then back. And I really love not having to move much when it's bfing time!

Much like Jodie, sometimes my DD falls asleep in our bed after her bf or if she comes in. If she doesn't I put her back in her room with the door shut, where she goes back to sleep. When she wakes up she plays until I go and get her at about 7am. We close the door when we put her to bed and open it when we go to bed.

[widdly]

Archie is the same age and he is great in his single bed. We leave the bedroom door open and he comes straight in to us when he wakes up, he has never gone anywhere but our bedroom when he wakes. For the first week we shut the hall door and all the other dorrs in the hall so that he could only come to our bedroom and not get up to mischeif, but now he is free to roam the whole house if he wants but he doesn't, all he wants is mum and dad. He has a nightlight plugged in in his room.

GL i hope she loves her new bed

[aussienic]

I would put her in the bed and maybe put a gate up at her door if you are worried she will wander the house..