Posted by NHS Choices on May 15, 2017 · Leave a Comment
In this brief video, NHS Health Visitor, Sara, discusses how to approach moving your young child from a cot (*crib) to a bed and gives some tips for success.
Editor’s Note: Video Highlights
There are no hard-and-fast rules for when to move your baby from a cot (*crib) to a bed – do it when it feels comfortable for your child and for you- From 18 months, you might find that your child is too big for a cot or is trying to climb out – that’s the time to move them into a bed
- For some children, moving from a cot to a bed is really exciting and they accept it really well
- For other children, they might feel a bit stressed about the change – so you might need to choose a calm time in their life
- Challenging times for moving from a cot to a bed can be if you’re moving house, if you’ve gone back to work or if your child is not feeling well
- You may need to move your child to a bed if you have another baby on the way – if so, do it about six to eight weeks before your new baby is born, to help keep your child from being unsettled with too much change
- Once sleeping in a bed, your child might get up in the night and wander around, so be sure to childproof their room
- Put a stair gate across the door
- Check their room for any electrical appliances or wires they could trip over, any small toys or objects they can get hold of or any cord blinds that they could get tangled in
- You might also want to put barrier next to the bed or put cushions on the floor in case they fall out
- If your child doesn’t like the bed initially and they want to protest, just stay calm, reassure them, give them a cuddle, but put them back in the bed
- You might find that you have to do it a few times, but if you’re consistent, they’ll soon get used to being in the bed
- When your child has slept in the bed, or had some naps in the bed, praise them because it can make a big difference to their confidence and they’ll feel much more willing to sleep in the bed if you praise them for what they’ve done
Editor’s Note: *clarification provided for our US readers.
