thread: toddler bed vs normal bed

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Oct 2007
    Sydney
    503

    toddler bed vs normal bed

    DD is 2yrs 5 months and still in a cot which is totally fine for the moment as she isn't climbing out but with new bubba coming soon I was thinking of changing her out to a big bed.

    Should I get her a toddler bed or just go straight into a normal bed with rails? What did most people do?

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Oct 2009
    VIC
    881

    Ive been wondering this myself, both my DD's were ready for beds as they were climbing out etc but DS doesnt do that!
    Ive been looking at these gorgeous sleigh toddler beds on ebay $129 inc postage im thinking at that price ill get one as im not keen on the whole high bed thing for him...

    Ill be stalking this thread!!

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Oct 2007
    Sydney
    503

    yeah I am worried she will fall out a lot even with the rail in a big bed

  4. #4
    Registered User
    Add Danielle_NZ on Facebook

    Jun 2010
    Springfield, QLD
    1,085

    I've done one of each. But the only reason we did toddler bed this time was due to lack of space (staying with my mum and sharing a room). I like how it was low to the ground so instead of falling out of bed he'd sometimes slip (slowly and not hitting the fall). I think another positive thing is it will fit into the space in their room that the cot was therefore not changing their environment too much

  5. #5
    Registered User
    Add Little Chicken on Facebook

    Mar 2010
    Melbourne
    1,855

    What about a single mattress on the floor to get her used to the space, then put her in a single bed with a rail. Worked (so far) for my DD.

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Sep 2005
    In the middle of nowhere
    9,362

    At 16months my DD was getting squashed in the cot (she's veeeeerrrry long) so a toddler bed that only took a cot mattress was not a move we were going to make.
    She went straight to an ensemble but in the time between her refusing to sleep in the cot and the time we moved and bought her her new bed, she slept in a mattress on the floor.
    The when I got the ensemble she went into that but with the feet off the base so it was that bit closer to the floor. She sleeps like a log and has never had a rail (nor ever fallen out whilst sleeping), but DS who's never slept in a cot only a bed needs rails as he's an acrobat.
    A toddler bed seems a waste of money to me, but that's JMO.

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Sep 2008
    Melbourne
    3,300

    Just posted this in another thread - so we went straight to normal bed (well is bunk bed but is normal single size but bottom bunk is actually only about 30cm or so off floor) - no rails (reasoning was rails don't go whole length of bed anyway, and at some point would have to get used to without rails)

    Have just transitioned DD into a bed at 21 months in preparation for DS arriving in a couple of months. We just got bunk beds from IKEA with a trundle bed underneath, for the first month just pulled out the trundle in case she fell out (the bunk is only about 30cm from floor anyway - we decided against rails) - found her on the trundle asleep a few times, and now don't even pull that out - sometimes her legs are dangling out, but she has fallen out of a slightly higher bed while on holiday and didn't even wake up. She loves her new bed and has gone to bed better than did in cot - we lay down next to her and read three stories then kiss her and teddies and say good night leave room and thats it. We haven't found her wandering about overnight, but DH did discover her in our room once when she was meant to be having a day nap - I use the monitor still so I can hear her if she wakes up, and normally I get up if it sounds like she gets out of bed (often I hear her 'reading' to herself in the morning). I ask her in the morning if she has slept well, she always says yes and really seems to like it - she is often laying across the bed or upside down etc though, but I just cover her back up with the doona before I go to bed.

  8. #8

    Mar 2004
    Sparta
    12,662

    We put DS1 on a mattress on the floor before he went into a normal sized bed. DS2 went straight into a normal sized bed but he never slept in a cot so it wasn't much of a change for him.

  9. #9
    Registered User
    Add volcomkitty on Facebook

    Sep 2008
    Qld
    355

    We took DD out of the cot around 14-16 months and did the mattress on the floor thing for a few weeks. She's now in (my old) king single with a rail. The bed is pretty low and I think I could probably get away with taking the rail off as she doesn't actually sleep anywhere near that edge, buuut I can't bring myself to yet, just 'incase'.

    Our decision was based on money/practicality really, we didn't see the point of buying a little person bed that she'll outgrow in a few years, when ideally, the KS could last her into her teens.

    Some toddler beds are very cute though!

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Sep 2008
    Townsville, QLD
    274

    We bought DD a toddler bed when Target had them on sale a little while back. We got a sweet, simple white one for $75 (that was half the normal price), and she just loves it! We were able to lift her cot mattress straight out of the cot, and put it on the bed with the same sheets etc that she'd had, so that there was some familiarity to it - and she slept pretty much the same as she had been in the cot.

    I never thought I would go for the toddler bed - figured I'd just buy a normal single bed and put her straight in to that when we were ready - but in the end, she started trying to climb out earlier than I expected, and the Toddler bed was a better solution for us as it fits in the same space her cot used to. By the time this next bubba is ready to go in to the cot (and therefore need the cot mattress back from DD1) it will be nearly Christmas, and we will have a better idea of how we'll fit us all in our house. lol.

    I think if you get a good deal on them they're worth it - but it's hard to know. If you have the room, the option of putting the single mattress on the floor isn't a bad one if you're worried about her falling out of bed.

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Jan 2008
    Central Coast NSW
    2,160

    We've just gone straight to a single bed at 20 months. We already had the bed so there was no decision really. I like the extra width a full size bed gives over the cot/toddler bed size as DS tends to do circle work in his sleep we have put a bed rail on and it's all good so far.

  12. #12
    Registered User
    Add helle on Facebook

    Sep 2008
    Bunbury, Western Australia
    3,963

    We're planning on gettin DS a queen bed when his time comes but that's purely me and hating waste and the idea of having to stuff around and buy yet another bed a few months down the line doesn't excite me

  13. #13

    Feb 2008
    With my awesome cherubs
    2,975

    We went straight to single beds, IMO toddler beds are a waste of money unless your cot converts to one but that's just me I know there's people who love toddler beds.
    My girls never had any issues with going from a cot to a normal sized bed either in fact we never used rails with DD2 as with DD1 she ended up hurting herself more with it on and being scared of it there than without it


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  14. #14
    Registered User
    Follow Pandora On Twitter

    Jan 2005
    cowtown
    8,276

    We went straight to a single bed but it's pretty low - most of the ones we looked at were.
    He fell out at least a couple of time a week for well over 12 months (we moved him at 3yo)
    Last edited by Pandora; April 8th, 2011 at 07:27 AM.

  15. #15
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber

    Jun 2005
    Blue Mountains
    5,086

    Big bed at around 15 months here.. I think.. (or as soon as they knew how to climb off the bed) But that is from co-sleeping in our big bed, not from a cot, so nothing daunting about it being a big bed. We did use a rail for a while. They could then bring themselves in to us when they woke up during the night

    I'm of the opinion that toddler beds are a waste of money too.. but probably depends on the child too.

  16. #16

    Jul 2009
    Out North, Vic
    8,538

    DD1 went onto single bed mattress then straight into single bed, no rails.
    We needed the cot for DD2 and I didn't see the point in paying for another cot mattress etc then buying a bed later on.
    She fell out once and never since.


    Sent from my iPhone, more than likely while I should be doing something else!

  17. #17
    Registered User

    Oct 2007
    Sydney
    503

    Thank you everyone for all your replies! I think I am leaning towards a normal single bed and putting it on the ground for starters

  18. #18
    Registered User

    Feb 2008
    Brissy Bayside
    523

    hi Mel,let me know how you go,we had a normal single bed in her room from day one because it just was handy being there so we are in the process of getting DD into it,weve been trying on and off for about 2 weeks maybe thats not the way to go but she doesnt seem too keen at the moment,tonight wasnt too bad as she was real tired but she ended up back in her cot.Im just not sure if i should take the cot away all toegther so she has to sleep in the bed im just a bit scared!!