Toddler Bed or Twin Bed?

K.,

When my son was transitioning out of his crib we went straight to a twin bed, but we also have to try and make our dollar stretch as far as it can. We started with just the mattress on the floor, when he got used to that we added the box springs. From there we put him up in a frame with a net/side rail on the side of the bed away from the wall. I have pictures of his face mashed against the netting. When we moved into the house we're in now that side rail disappeared at his request. We've been here for 19 months and he's fallen out of bed only when he's messing around doing stuff he's not supposed to do.

Hope this helps,
M.

1 mom found this helpful

We did the twin bed and safety rail. We would also take the safety rail with us on trips (by car that is). It even worked on the bunk in the camper.

If you have an active sleeper, you could put the twin bed or just the top mattress on the floor.

1 mom found this helpful

wow, you have a sleeper, i am jealous :P

we got a twin bed and put it on the floor. the one thing i did not think of when we purchased the twin was that kids sheets are not made for a pillow-type mattress. so if you want to have any kid print sheets, make sure to check the depth of the mattress. this also goes for the kid rails. i had to search high and low to find one that would be tall enough for the pillow-top. tho i think they may be easier to find now.

1 mom found this helpful

We moved our first son into his big boy bed shortly after turning two, I didn't want to buy a toddler bed and then a twin bed so quickly, we opted instead to buy a very high quality twin bed and for the first 6 months or so just used the mattress on the floor, he never got hurt falling, our biggest challenge was keeping him in bed, and he did miss his crib. My boys were 22 months apart and it seemed they both needed a crib at the same time, but we managed by keeping the baby in bed with us until the crib was available, I never regretted not buying a toddler bed, This was over 10 years ago, at that time the toddler bed sized mattress looked so thin and uncomfortable.

For safety sake, I would introduce your son to a toddler bed. They are easier to get out of and have safety sides. You could get a twin and purchase safety sides, but it seems safer to start out with. My son stayed in his toddler bed until he was at least 4. They work for a few years and don't actually cost that much depending on the brand/kind you get. Good luck and congrats to the growing boy! :D

I would get a twin bed (or bigger if you have room) with a guard rail. We had a toddler bed for our daughter and she used it for like 2mos. Luckily we got it on Craigslist used, so it wasn't such a cost blow.

If the bedroom has room for it, I would actually get a full or queen size bed. We put our daughter in a queen bed and it works fine with the rails up.

Can't you get one of those safety bars? I can't remember what they're called, but we always had those on our bunk beds growing up, otherwise we would have dropped out of our beds like flies. I think a fall from a normal twin bed wouldn't be the end of the world as long as you have carpet and it's not directly on concrete or something, but why worry if you could get a safety bar!

I recommend a twin bed with a guard rail. It just makes more sense to buy one bed instead of a toddler bed for awhile then a twin bed later...they grow out of the toddler bed pretty quickly!

K.,

When our daughter was 22 months we went from a crib to a full size bed. We just used a matress and no box spring. We figured if she fell it wouldn't be as far. I believe there are railings that you can attach to beds. She is almost 4 and had adjusted well. I hope this helps...good luck!

I am facing the same decision myself, although my second isn't coming until May. Our daughter, too, is attached to her bed. I think we are going to convert her crib to a toddler bed because of the rails and because it is her bed and has her familiar mattress and smells in it. We are then going to get another convertable crib for #2. Her bed then can be converted to a twin as well when she gets used to sleeping in a big bed. Good luck and congrats!

We opted for the twin and have been happy with it. At first, we put the box springs and mattress on the floor for the falling out reason. Then, once he adjusted, we bought the frame. If you think he'll feel too small in such a big bed, just cover the bottom half with a different blanket, so the bed feels smaller to him--this worked for our son. When we travel, he is perfectly fine in the other twin beds he stays in. You could even bring his special pillow case, blanky and animal to help. Also, my husband and I have pulled a shift in the twin when someone was sick, and we were playing musical beds. Can't do this with a toddler bed! Oh, and be sure to buy the water proof mattress pad, and use your crib ones with a cover for quicker night changes once leaks become a problem (potty training, etc.) Good luck!

I would just go for the twin bed. We changed my son about 22 months and he is doing just fine. They have twin beds that are lower to the ground if you are worried about him falling. Rails help too. My son is a mover while sleeping, but does just fine.

Good luck!

Your son sounds a lot like mine.
Transitioning to a twin bed might be overwhelming because of the huge space that he'll then be put in to sleep. It has the potential to be quite scary. A toddler bed on the other hand is the same size that he is used to, and like you said, can use the familiar sheets. If you do choose a twin, I recommend just getting the mattress and leaving it on the floor because the height is dangerous for a night time fall. Kids get used to the rails on toddler beds pretty fast and train themselves how to move around without falling off.
Lastly, I'd recommend that you set up the new bed in his room with his crib and let him play on the new bed during the day but sleep in the familiar crib at night. After a week or so, remove the crib and sleep him in the bed. If you choose a toddler bed, putting his used sheets on the bed when he moves instead of clean ones will leave a familiar and comfortable smell in his new bed.

I would go right to a twin bed which is cheaper in the long run. He will use it through teen years. A toddler bed is a waste of money. They grow out of it very soon.I would start with a bed on the floor first.Let him feel special to get a big boy bed all his own.

Don't waste your money. If he is going to eventually be in a twin or a full, you might as well do it now. I've never understood the whole toddler bed thing. What a waste, in my opinion!

We moved our son to a full bed when he was 2. It was a blast to take him shopping for his big boy bed. They do feel different about it and don't seem to sleep the same. We never found him all over the bed or at the bottom like we did in the crib. We placed just the mattress on the frame until he was older. And if you want you can put the rails on they can help but they also can be a visual for you and them to know where the ends of the bed are. Have fun getting him all set up with a new bed. And going to the twin you will have more selection of cool bedding for them too. Plus this will be a great thing when having a new one too.

one of my children went to a full size bed and the other went to a bunk bed but i think they were about age 3 when it happened. you could also get a mattress and have it on the floor if you are afraid he will fall out of bed

We decided to start with a toddler bed. We bought our son a used blue plastic race car (Little Tykes) bed off Craig's List, going the cheap route, knowing that we won't be using it for long. It works out well, because he was REALLY excited about having a "race car" in his room, and he can get in/out easily, and it's low to the ground, so no injuries when he falls.

When we transitioned him, we stayed in his room (sitting in the rocker with closed eyes, quiet) until he fell asleep. I would allow a certain amount of climbing in/out, because I wanted him to know where the edges are and be excited about the wheels on his bed, etc. After a few minutes, I would then tell him, "no more monkeying around. If you climb out again, I'm leaving the room. It's time to sleep." This lasted a couple of weeks. Gradually we moved the chair closer to the door (so I'd be sitting further and further away from him), and then moved to a chair in the hallway, then moved that chair out of sight. The whole process took about a month. Now we're back to being able to just drop him off and he stays in bed and goes to sleep.

We are expecting baby #2 too, so we'll have to get a second crib mattress if we don't transition him to a twin bed prior to the new baby getting out of the bassinet into the crib.

I haven't read all the advice that you have gotten so far but, when it is time to move our son out of his crib we plan on getting a twin bed. As far as it being too high off the ground as you mentioned was one of your worries, why not just put the mattress on the floor? That way if he does fall out he won't be falling too far. That way he can also move around and find himself in funny positions. Our son moves a lot too in his sleep and it is amazing that I find him way in the corner when I know darn well he didn't start out that way. We also plan on getting one of those safety rails. We will be doing a built in bed thing with bookcases/shelves around it with a storage drawer underneath his bed as we have a premium on space in his room. I think however, to start him out on a twin bed just on the floor will be what we do until he is used to it and then go for the box spring or platform in our case. Good luck and congrats on your impending addition to your family.
-P.

I've posted many many many times on this...so I'll keep it brief. (hehehe...if you think this isn't brief...you should see the others ;)

Toddler beds are a rip off.

You can put the twin & box spring on the floor, or even just the mattress...and gradually move up until it's fully off the floor in a frame. Or just start off tall and either a) put up a rail or b) use some pillows.

We had the room so we actually got a fullsize bed for our little one. He'll undoubtedly use it for 10 years...but while he's small it's big enough for us to climb into for storytime/nightmares/indoor camping/etc. We also got a sleepcountry outlet twin mattress that we have underneath it...to be used for sleepovers & "oopsies" (falling off, stomach flu, unexpected guests, etc.)

Unless money & storage space are no object to you, there's no reason in the world to buy a toddler bed...except that they're marketed exceptionally well toward all of us.

~Z

I strongly believe in making the move to a big bed vs. toddler bed for many reasons - some of the most important you already stated with respect to selecting his bedding, etc. You can even take him to pick out the mattress with you (he can have a ton of fun doing that). It creates a sense of ownership and makes the transition so much more fun for all. You can either go to a twin or full size. Save the $50 or so you will spend on the toddler bed and put it toward a mattress instead. We were firs time parents and had not gotten good advice so we had our daughter in a toddler bed for less than a year because she kept squirming out of it (moved a lot at night) and she was tall enough that it was just too small a space. You can get a mattress/box spring set for quite a good price (esp if you don't care if the mattress and box spring match). We did not put the bed on the frame - just put the box springs on the floor so that height was not really an issue. We figure we will pick out the bedroom furnishings/frame later when she is a bit older anyhow. If you are still concerned that he may fall off, don't even buy a box spring now and just put the mattress on the floor for a while. When you are comfortable, go buy box springs. There is really no need for them to match since at some point you will have him in a bed frame anyhow.

Hope that helps and have fun!

Hi K.,

We decided on a twin bed. I didn't see anyone else mention this, but we got twin bunk beds. You'll eventually need the other one and it's cheaper to buy bunk beds, than two twin beds. The other advantage is that the top bunk comes with side rails built in. We set up the top bunk on the floor for my daughter, with the side rails and are storing the other bed in the garage for now (We'll buy a second mattress when it's actually needed). Eventually, she'll have the bottom bunk without rails and child number two can have the one with rails. If one is a boy and one a girl, you can use them separately, or if you buy another bed someday, you have an extra bed for sleepovers.

my 2 year old is a mover too. we transitioned her to a twin bed when she was around 20 months due to us adding another baby in august. i recommend getting one of those extra long rails for the open side... we have had great success with it!

Hey there K. - We decided to transistion straight to a twin bed for many reasons. My son would literally be a monkey and climb in and out of his crib. I was so afraid that he was going to fall....but thankfully never did. I knew that when I was looking for a bed - I wanted a real wood bed. If, you don't mind used, I looked onto Craigslist and was very lucky. I found a sturdy wood twin bed that had a rail for only $35. It was exactly what I was looking for.

You can buy a rail that attaches to a bed. Also, we set two pillows covered by a blanket on the floor. So, just in case that my son might roll off the bed, he would be cushioned.

Also, another reason why I decided against the toddler bed too, was because my son is fairly tall for his age. Toddlers tend to grow out of the toddler bed in about 9 mos or so - that's what I was told approx.

Now, on the other side - if your son needs the comforting aspect. You might want to have him move to a toddler bed because it makes them feel like they are in a crib, but not. If that makes sense. Some children like the feeling of enclosure of the rails. My son was a monkey - as soon as he was up - he was out of the crib.

I hope that this helps with your decision. Good luck.

We got a twin bed and just put the box spring on the floor and stored the frame until he got a little older.

You can get a twin bed at IKEA that is low to the ground or you can get the safty sides to put on a twin bed at Baby's R Us. We started with a toddler bed and my son grew out of it within 6 months. I would recommend a twin so that it won't cost you twice the price having to buy a bed so soon after the toddler bed.

If you are worried about the height of the twin bed you can do two things. Don't use a box spring but still the bed frame. Don't use a box spring or bed frame yet, put the mattress directly on the floor. Putting the mattress directly on the floor means that most kid bed rails won't work but they are only falling a few inches. put it in a corner and if you are worried about the floor surround the other 2 sides with pillows or blankets.
Do you want to buy a toddler bed and then in a few years a twin bed? Just something to think about

If you get a twin bed you can get "sides" for it that are temporary. I got mine 30 (!) years ago at sears when my kids changed to beds. That way they didn't fall out of their new beds.

I found some at:

http://www.securebaby.co/bed_rails_all.html?gclid=CO6K28W...

I am sure there are others.

I recommend them. They worked especially well for my daughter who did not want to stay in bed. I told her she had to not move because she might fall out. It was the first time in months that she did not wake us up in the middle of the night and the beginning of our sleeping through the night!

Hello,

My daughter was just under 3 when we moved her out of her crib - she never once tried to crawl out...very content I guess. So she was VERY ready for a big girl bed and we gave her MY old trundle bed from when I grew up. I am so happy - for many reasons. One she got to pick out new sheets with me and it has a second twin bed underneath that we pull out for her cousin's sleepover and other guests when the house is full. It tucks away so she has plenty of room in her bedroom when it isn't out. Another thing that is nice about her bed is when she is really sick, I can sort of fit on her bed comfortably and stay with her if I need to. And lastly - my husband is a big guy and he can lay on her bed without fear of it breaking - he broke our wood framed bed once - opps!

I personally didn't miss not going to the toddler bed and my daughter LOVED her new bed.

Positively,
M.

About me: Love staying home with our IVF 5 year old, married to my loving Brit for almost 16 years. Not allowed to have anymore kids because of open heart surgery 2+ years ago.

We switched our son (who just turned 3) to a big bed when we moved nearly a year ago (2 months after he turned 2). We put him in a queen sized bed, because we had a spare one, but until last week, we had the matress on the floor - no boxspring or bedframe...didn't need to worrk about him falling out (which he NEVER even came close to doing), and he loved that he could get onto the bed without a stool. We told him that he should only get off the bed if we told him that he could, and that if he needed anything he should sit up and call us and wait for us - I think that in nearly a year, he only opened the door to his room (hence, getting off his bed) one time...he had a similar sleep pattern as your son - 11-12 hours at night and 2-3 during the day.
I would skip the toddler bed - unless you can borrow one, it is pretty much a waste of money...

We moved my son to a twin mattress on the floor at 20 months. We had a three month old at the time and needed the crib & crib mattress for her. It has worked really well. Sometimes we find him on the floor, for a while he was sleeping with his head on the mattress and his legs on the floor in typical toddler form - butt in the air with legs pulled up underneath. It's nice not to have to worry about him falling out of bed, while still making him feel like a big boy.

K.,

this is always a difficult decision. What we have opted for is the between method of beds...they (twins) now sleep on mattresses on the floor. We will introduce the rest of the twin later as they grow and get use to the beds. This way, they can roll out and not injure much, if anything. Also, they will not outgrow a toddler bed too soon; saving money is a good thing!!

good luck,
T.

K.,

With my first son we got him a firetruck bed at 2 yrs.old and he loved it! When my second son turned 18 months and started climbing out of his crib we gave him the firetruck and my older son a twin bed that is REALLY high and they both LOVED it. My second son prefered the twin and didnt want the firetruck. I think it all depends on the kid. I suggest you take him with you to the store and see what he thinks. On the other hand I believe that as the parents we have the ability to make any choice the right choice for our kids and get them excited about anything(I have really easy kids,though), so I'm sure what ever your choice it should work out okay!!On a side note...we never used any rails or side guards and we have never had any problems. I kinda wish we never wasted the money on the firetruck, sure it was cool for awhile but in the long run they both realy prefer the big boy bed.

K.

Hi K.,
I have 2 little boys (18 months and 33 months) and recently went through the same delima, especially since they have so many cute toddler beds (fire engines, cars, etc.). What we have now is a twin mattress on the floor for my 18 month old and my 2 1/2 year old has my old queen mattress on the floor. I LOVE this. If I need to cuddle them to sleep it is so much more comfortable this way. And it is nice for reading books and if they jump on the bed (or off it) they are relatively safe. You can always pick up a couple of cheep sheets - and they make full size waterproof mattress covers that aren't even very crinkly (about $20 at Walmart).

Hi K.,
We put our first son in a twin bed around 18 months. I worried too about his moving around, but he really didn't. I put extra pillows on the floor "just in case" but he never fell out. I made sure he knew how to get down before ever putting him in the bed. I also put a gate acrossed his door.
You can also purchase side rails for a twin bed for around $20 at Target or Wal-Mart.
I think if you have the room, it's better to just move him into a permanent big boy bed so as not to switch him again later.

We got our oldest daughter a toddler bed, but she outgrew it very quickly (it only had a 25 pound weight limit and she's tall). With our second daughter we went straight to a twin bed and that ended up working out better. Especially since we were expecting our son when she made the transition and we needed her crib (which was the toddler bed).

With a toddler bed, you'll have to buy a separate crib mattress (since you'll be using the crib for your new baby) on top of the cost of the toddler bed. So, really it saves you money in the long run if you just go with the twin bed right from the get-go.

My second daughter is a crazy sleeper, and tended to sleep backwards, pressed up against the crib bars. I worried at first that she'd fall out of bed, but somehow she's managed to never fall. She still sleeps backwards and sideways, though! Good luck with your decision!

We opted for the twin, believing this would make it easier for our children to sleep in beds when they would go to Grandma's or when we traveled. We did the twin bed and a portable rail (like these -- http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/baby-bed-rails-1.htm) to keep him/her contained. (That way we could take the rail with us as well when we traveled.) We also felt in the long run that getting a regular bed now would save us money, verses getting a toddler bed now then a twin in another couple of years.

We did this for our son and our daughter and it worked out great in both cases.