Hello,
I was wondering when would be the best age to switch from the crib to normal bed?
My son is 23 months old. He gets up most nights (any where from 1 am to 5 am) and spends the rest of the night in bed with my husband and I. We have gone back and forth on letting him come into our bed but we end up giving in due to being tired or him getting sick so we ok it.
I was thinking maybe a cool new "big boy" bed and sheets would make him ok with staying in his bed. If not at least he could just walk into our room.
He takes an hour to two hour nap each day. Goes to bed on his own with no problem at 8:30 pm. Has had multiple ear infections for the past year and finally just got tubes; which we are hoping helps him not get sick and also sleep better. He is happy, easy going and a great boy!
We haven't switched yet, my daughter is 25 months and she switches back and forth, some nights she will stay the entire night in her crib, others she comes into our bed in the middle of the night, I've noticed its gradually gotten to the point where she will stay in her bed longer. I'd get the new bed and see if he loves it and stays in it, but I guess my point is that eventually he will stay in his own bed on his own and I wouldn't fight it.
I personally think you should wait until he's spending most of the night in his own bed before you switch him. Because once he's in a big bed, he can get out whenever he wants... and usually at the begininning of the transition, it's hard to get them to stay in their bed long enough to fall asleep! And then there's a good chance he'll spend the WHOLE night in your bed! I like the prev poster's idea of using the new bed (and fun new bedding) as a reward for learning to stay in his own bed.
My twins are about to turn 3, and I'm going to transition them for their birthday. And I'm already questioning my decision to move them so "soon" since they're doing so well in their cribs! LOL. One twin woke up every night until she was 19 months old, but finally started sleeping through the night in her own bed. I don't know what prompted it, but I think always putting her back in her own crib helped. (We did go through a phase of letting her sleep part of the night with us... so I do totally understand why you've been doing that!)
Good luck w/ your decision!
My son will be two next week, and just recently, he started climbing out of his crib. I was worried he would hurt himself, so rather than buy a crib tent, we moved him to a big boy bed. What WE do is put a child-safety doorknob cover on the inside of his door so that he CAN'T get out and pay us any nighttime visits. Although there were two (only two!) nights of some door-kicking, he has since realized he's stuck in his room, so he just gives up and goes to bed. We check on him in the middle of the night sometimes, and he's always curled up in his bed now!
I would try it! My daughtr still gets out of her big girl bed and crawls into mine some nights. But at least i do not have to get up!!
M.
My son is the exact same way! He's 19 months but he always gets up once or twice during the nite and usually we give in and let him sleep with us. Otherwise, I feel like I'm getting no sleep having to get up and pick him up out of the crib every time. I'm 29 but work alot and am exhausted by nite time and need my sleep, so as you do, I just find it easier taking him into bed with me. I have been thinking about switching him into a bed within the next 2 months. I think its best for all of us!
I just wanted to let you know, that his pediatrician had actually said that some parents switch from crib to bed early around 15 months, and others not till well after 2 years...so it doesn't sound like there's a "normal" time to make the switch, just whatever works best for parents and baby.
we had the same issue with our dd getting out of bed and coming into us... BUT as hard as it was, I would get right up and bring her back into her room. It's tough and it took many times per night for many nights to break the habit, but it did work.
She now gets up around 6 or so and will come in w/us and I am fine with that... since most mornings we have to get up anyway and she is our snooze button!!
A whole new bedding sounds like a great idea! My suggestion would be make it as his prize! After you get him into a good sleeping routine... let him pick it out!
We got this crazy soft blanket @ Khols and it was my dd's prize, she needed a warm blanket. It's now her 'super soft blanket'. She loves it!
Good luck!!
My advice is not to let him sleep in your bed. We started this with my son who is now 2.9. It was a pain to get him sleeping in his own bed all of the time! He used to go to sleep on his own and now as a result needs one of us to lay with him for about an hour to fall asleep. So, this is another thing we'll have to ween!
We switched to the big boy bed when it got dangerous for my son because he jumped out ot the crib. So, if he hasn't outgrown it yet and he hasn't tried to jump out, just leave him in the crib. It will be much easier for him to wander into your room in the big boy bed. Try to break him of the habit now before it gets harder!
