I need suggestions on moving my 22 month old son to a toddler bed. He's been sleeping with me. I'm 21 weeks pregnant & have been very sick the whole time, my husband is a firefighter & spends many nights at the firehouse. So, it just became easier to have my son crawl in bed with me. But, I have now created a huge problem! We just set up a toddler bed for him & want him to get used to sleeping on his own before the baby comes. Any suggestions on how to get him to STAY in his bed?
We actually had a pretty smooth transition to the toddler bed....at night, we let our daughter go to sleep in our bed, and then we put her in her own bed. For about a week, she would wake up and get in our bed in the middle of the night, but now, for the mot part she just stays in her own bed. She likes it better, because she has more space to move around while she's sleeping.
Hi B.,
When we decided to move our son to his twin bed it was difficult to say the least. The best advice I can give is "Be consistent". You basically have to be vigilant and keep taking him back to bed everytime he gets out and don't give in and let him sleep with you even though you are tired. It would probably work best if you start when your husband is home a few nights in a row so he can help. Basically our son would just lay back down each time we took him and cry a little, but then he would get up again and come back to our room. It took about three nights to get him in the habit of staying in his bed all night. Now if he gets up we just take him back and it is no big deal. I just wish I could keep him from waking at 5am! Good luck! J.
Have him pick out cool sheets etc. for his new toddler bed and explain to him that he will be a big brother soon and that big brothers sleep in their beds at night. Maybe a new buddy like a stuffed animal or toy will help in that transition as well. Then, set up a nightly routine like a bath, followed by story time and then tuck him in. Try to make it as pleasant as you can possibly can and be consistent! Best of luck to you in your pregnancy.
That was a hard time for first boy. I started at nap time, when he falls asleep,and gated his room so that he would not wonder off when I naped. ( our kids are about 11 months apart)Then at night when he fell asleep,placed him again into his bed, with gate. He might fuss the first couple of nights but it gets better. Eventually Morgan got used to sleeping in room in about a week. He still likes to sleep with us, just not as much as before....now if I could just get my youngest out. lol...Good Luck
