Getting your co-sleeper into their own bed

How did you do it?

Pie is 19 months now and we have gone from partial co-sleeping (where she would go to sleep in her bed) to fulltime - she goes to sleep in our bed, with us there and then we leave the room. When we come back in at night we just make room around her.

My problem is that she is a sprawler... and she's not beyond kicking & pushing to get the space she needs. I'm spending my nights at the other end of the bed, to try & get a bit more room, but it's still kind of squishy. I would like it a lot more if she would cuddle in! but nope, she wants her space.

Bedtimes are pretty relaxed here, I have no desire to turn them into a battle, but I am wondering how long before she might move to her own bed...
The cot is pretty much obsolete now, it's still in our room but has been used as an off-the-ground floor-drobe for the last two weeks... we could put a toddler bed or mattress there instead.

When did you move your LO, and how? Was it hard, was it a fight or did you know they were ready?

I'm sorry, Fleur, I think you have my DD in your bed!!!!!

Subscribing for help too...................................

From about 13-15 months we just started doing day sleeps in their own big bed. And somewhere in there we started putting them initially in their own bed at night too, but then they'd bring themselves in to us during the night and co-sleep from there. But each sleep started in their bed with the explanation that they could call out to mummy or come in to mummy if they woke up. They eventually stay there all night, and then lots of praise is sung for staying in their own bed aaaallll night ;) My DD still comes in during the night, with the frequency of sleeping right through slowly increasing. They've always known that they're welcome to join us tho if they wake.

They're both old enough to be told now tho that they can come in for a cuddle and mummy will take them back to their bed, and they seem ok with that most of the time (tho laziness on my part usually means I just tell them to climb in to the middle hahah)

We haven't had any real dramas with transitions to their own bed. I think as long as they still feel welcome to join you then they can enjoy the novelty of it without feeling kicked out, if that makes sense.

Thank you Liz, that sounds sorta like a plan we can go with :)

:bump:

Anyone else?

I wonder if the transition for nighttimes at least might be a bit easier once Pie can talk? So in a couple of months or so, and you can make a MASSIVE deal about how awesome and fun having your own bed is :)
My girls didn't co-sleep, like yours they liked their own space and only wanted to sleep on me if I was moving around. But we had great success transitioning Natty to a bed (she LOVED her cot and frankly, so did I LOL!) by making such a whopping big deal about how grown up etc she was and how much fun she was going to have in a big bed. She still had the same security toys (still does now!) but we got some 'new' bedclothes (hand-me-downs but new to her) and painted it pink (at her request) so it was like an exciting new adventure. I understand it's different trying to transition from sleeping with you as opposed to just on one thing or another, but I wonder if it still works the same? On the understanding that if they wake at night they would still be able to join you, I guess.
Good luck either way :)

Single bed beside the bed is how I am dealing with DD who is appalling in bed!!!! It is just below the level of the big bed so she has herown space but so do I. DS1 and DD are both in the process of transitioning to their owns beds in a shared room. DD has been there 2 nights now. First night she cam to me at 5am, second night 2.30am. DS spent his first night there last night and came to me at 5am. Slowly they are moving from full time co-sleeping to their own space. But it has been a really rough year for them and I am in no rush to move them out.

I like the sound of the single bed. My 2 year old twin boys both co sleep and it's driving me insane!

We transitioned to a mattress on the floor for DS when he was about 17 mths old. He was still in our room but on his own mattress in his own little space. We began with day sleeps and at the start of the night. Usually he would end up back with us after a few hours. Gradually it got longer, then all of a sudden the little boy who woke to bf 7 times a night (at 15 months still :o) was sleeping through the night. He has just turned two and we are about to start putting him in his own bed in his own room for day sleeps and we'll see where we go from there. It has been a relatively stress free transition so far. Good luck :D

Thanks everyone, very helpful :)
I think the cot will be making it's way out in favour of a mattress soon!

Yep, single mattress next to our bed here. Day sleeps in her own bed were key for us...at the moment dd and I are napping together in the big bed, and I have noticed this has decreased her willingness to go into her bed. But we always start the night with her in her own bed, and then she comes in at some stage...very occasionally she has slept right through (a miracle). But the single is also great if you're feeling cramped, because one of you can roll off into it (DH namely) to get some more space.

I am imagining DH is going to spend A LOT if time in that single when the baby comes, because I will have two little ones needing me in the night!

How are you going Fleur? We are going to try the mattress later this week.

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How are you going Fleur? We are going to try the mattress later this week.

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:O what timing... I was just thinking today I would have to find this thread & update.

We moved her out of the cot on Friday - not that she has been in it lately :p - we pulled it down & Friday night she slept on the mattress on the floor, woke a couple of times but stayed on the mattress all night.

Saturday we put up the toddler bed, still next to my side of the bed & she slept there all night, again woke a couple of times but stayed in her bed - she woke at 4am and I tried to bring her into bed with me & she refused, and got back in her bed. From one extreme to another!

So, she loves it, it was a huge success :)

I do miss the cot though, I have nowhere to dump our clean washing now....