Toddler Bed - Will Not Sleep in It!

You don't say whether or not she is crying and upset, or just getting out of bed. If she's just getting out of bed, I would let her sleep on the floor. That will get old pretty quick and she'll probably hop in bed. I would just try putting her in the bed for every sleep (nap or night) tucking her in, doing the whole bedtime routine and leaving. If she gets out of bed and sleeps on the floor, that's her choice. I bet this will pass very quickly. I do think that bedrails are a good idea, as other posters have said.

Hi J.! I agree with Sherree, that maybe rails or even a body pillow in the bed with her might help your little one if she wants something aorund her. You might also try making the bed like a special little "palace" for her - let her pick out books and/or stuffed animals to keep her company, let her pick out new sheets and pillows, and make a HUGE deal out of everything. You might have already tried all this, but just in case you haven't! If all else fails and she still sleeps on the floor, I'd let it be, as long as she is sleeping and getting the rest she needs. I guarantee eventually she will work her way into the bed when she has some time to accept it in her room, or she gets tired of the floor, whichever comes first! I hope this helps a little... good luck!

We had the same problem. My son is now four. We finally figured out that the toddler bed was too small and he could fall out of it. We realized that when we came in one night and he was kneeling in front of it with his head on the mattress sound asleep. He moves around when he sleeps. So, we got a twin bed and bought a side rail for it (just hooks underneath the mattress). That was the last sleepless night any of us had. You might want to consider a move to a twin bed. Hope this helps...J.

Hi J.,

My daughter (who will be 3 next month) already transitioned and she did the same thing!! I would tuck her in, music, blanky and "friends" but she would end up on the floor. She wouldn't cry or fuss, I think it was the new found freedom. It lasted a few weeks and now she sleeps in her toddler bed 99% of the time. Give her some time and "freedom" and I am confident she will be fine :) Good luck!!

Hi J.,

I wouldn't worry. I know that this isn't exactly your issue, but... Personally, I was fearful when our daughter was going to transition to a "big girl" bed. She was just so active in her crib that I feared the railings wouldn't keep her from falling off in the areas that they didn't cover. So, our solution was to put her in an air mattress. She had regular sheets and pillows and all of her crib comforts. The best part for me was that I knew she wouldn't fall out in the middle of the night--or if she did, the floor was right there. There were many times that we checked on her and she was half off the bed on the floor; but she was comfortable. Then, as she grew out of that, we started encouraging her to think about moving into the "big girl" bed. She did when she was ready. Yes, she was able to get out and explore, and times when she would fall asleep on the floor somewhere--sometimes it still happens, but rarely--I think that your daughter is exploring her new-found space. Once she gets used to having the access to all of her room, you'll see her stay in her bed.

If you think she might want to have something around her, maybe a bed tent or putting rails all the way around the bed will help.
I haven't had gone through this yet, so I can't offer any experienced advice, but maybe she just needs a little more time to get used to it.