Switching from Crib to Toddler Bed

Updated on July 24, 2007
B.T. asks from Citronelle, AL
6 answers

I just changed my 20 month year old son's crib to a toddler bed and am having some problems. He always put himself right to sleep in his crib, and usually stayed asleep all night. Now that he is in a toddler bed, every morning I wake up and he is somewhere new. Either on the floor in my room, or the kitchen (?), and one morning I woke up and he was asleep with his rear end on my face... I don't even know how he got up into my bed. He is not sleeping as well; this morning I woke up at 3:30 and he was watching TV in the living room. My question is has anyone else ever experienced this, and does anyone have any advice on how to keep him in his bed, or atleast in his room? I didn't have this problem with my first child and although this is kind of funny to me, it would be nice if I didn't have to worry about him climbing the walls at night. Thanks!

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So What Happened?

Thank you to everyone for your advice. I first tried the baby gate, but that didn't work, he just stood at the door and screamed until I came and got him. I then tried closing the door and letting him watch Elmo, and so far that has worked. I put his favorite Elmo cartoon on, tuck him in bed, and tell him good night. I completely shut the door, and just before I go to bed, I crack it open just a little, and so far he doesn't even wake up at night anymore. So far, so good! We'll see though...

More Answers

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B.W.

answers from Clarksville on

I would definately suggest a baby gate or maybe even to shut the door to his room so that at least he can't get into anything that could possibly harm him. My daughter is 19 months old now and we switched her to a toddler bed about a month ago and she did surprisingly well, she always sleeps with her bedroom door shut so I did not have to worry about her leaving her room after I went to bed. The first night that we put her to bed she got out of the bed two times, I put her back to bed and firmly told her that she had to go to night night. The next day at nap time she only got out of bed one time and I told her firmly again that she had to go to night night, since then she has not gotten out of bed until after I open her door when she wakes up and then she comes out of her room. If you have having a lot of problems then you may have to go back to the crib for a little bit. But again I would have some sort of barricade so that he cannot at least leave his room such as shutting the door or putting up a gate. Hope this is helpful.

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M.B.

answers from Nashville on

hi i wont be much help cause my daughter is only 9 months right now....you could try putting a gate on his bedroom door that would keep him in his room

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T.P.

answers from Gadsden on

B.~
Maybe this is a bad suggestion....but it has worked with my now 3yr old. We put a small (13") TV & VCR & DVD player in her room. She usually falls asleep watching TV, and if she doesn't I have a CD player hanging on the end of her bed. She has a Classical CD that I used when I was pregnant.
We did have a similarly hard time before I put the TV in her room. I gave in one night at 9:15 and went to Wal-Mart and bought one. :)
I also have had to get up several times a night and put her back in bed.....she likes to "roam" to our bed at night. Rest assured you aren't alone, but I hope you find a solution soon...so you can get a good, peaceful nights sleep!
Best Wishes.
Smiles,
T.

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T.

answers from Chattanooga on

Put a gate up in his room so he can't get out.

You may also have to go back to the crib for a little while. We tried to switch my daughter a few months before her 3rd birthday. She wouldn't even stay in her bed long enough to fall asleep. After about 10 days of problems, I finally told her if she did not stay in her bed at naptime that Daddy would put her baby bed back together. He did. She slept in the crib for a couple of more weeks. Then we went on vacation. She slept in the bed with me for a week and did fine. When we got home, we put her toddler bed back and had no more problems.
Good luck!

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J.B.

answers from Johnson City on

I agree with the other responses on the baby gate and closing the door to the child's room. My little one is almost 2 and is not climbing out of the crib yet so until she does we have decided to not convert to a toddler bed. I hope this helps!

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M.B.

answers from Benton Harbor on

Hi, I would recommend a baby gate in his doorway. You will be glad when you do it LOL

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