Tips for smooth transition to Big Boy Bed

[LarsMal]

DS is only 18 months, but I refuse to buy a second crib, so we are going to move him into his big boy bed in the next few months.

He has always been the easiest kid to get to sleep, and he's a great sleeper. If we say it's time for bed or nap, he runs (literally) into his room, turns his music on, and lays down for a diaper change. He'll also lay in his crib awake and content for quite a while. I'm so afraid this is going to change when we transition him.

We recently got his new room set up with his new furniture and bed. We go and "visit" his room and play "night night" on his bed. What else can I do to help him feel comfortable in the new room? I'm thinking of trying naps in there once I get the safety rails. Any other advice?

TIA!

[madelinesmom]

We transitioned DD#1 at 20 months b/c of an upcoming surgery where she would be in a body cast. My Dr. suggested this so she would not associate the surgery/cast with the big bed. We really didn't do a transition, we moved the crib out and the bed in, and then we just started going to bed in her room. We were under a time limit, we only had about 2 weeks to get the bed and start sleeping in there before her surgery. The first couple of nights she got up and we just put her back in her bed. It was much easier than we anticipated, we were concerned b/c she was such a good sleeper in her crib, she just turned into a good sleeper in her bed.

Good Luck,
Jane
Madeline 1/20/03
Emily 11/29/05
http://b4.lilypie.com/l3-em6/.png
http://b1.lilypie.com/-FG1m6/.png

[madelinesmom]

We transitioned DD#1 at 20 months b/c of an upcoming surgery where she would be in a body cast. My Dr. suggested this so she would not associate the surgery/cast with the big bed. We really didn't do a transition, we moved the crib out and the bed in, and then we just started going to bed in her room. We were under a time limit, we only had about 2 weeks to get the bed and start sleeping in there before her surgery. The first couple of nights she got up and we just put her back in her bed. It was much easier than we anticipated, we were concerned b/c she was such a good sleeper in her crib, she just turned into a good sleeper in her bed.

Good Luck,
Jane
Madeline 1/20/03
Emily 11/29/05
http://b4.lilypie.com/l3-em6/.png
http://b1.lilypie.com/-FG1m6/.png

[HIU8]

We moved DS when he was 25 months. At about 22 months he became a lousy sleeper in his crib. He would ask us to stay, hold our hand, wake up if we moved out of the glider and scream until he wore himself out (even with us in the room). Since we knew DC#2 will be here in June, we actually asked DS if wanted to go to sleep in a big boy bed. He was so excited. We bought a twin bed to go with furniture we already had for him. The day it was delivered and set up DS took a nap in it. That night he asked to sleep in his new bed and he has never looked back at the crib. He calls it new baby's crib. Of course, we still have issues with going to sleep, but once asleep DS stays asleep all night long and loves to be in his bed. To help DS we had started and are still using the sleep lady method of going to bed.

HTH

Heather
DS 11/27/04
DD EDD 6/22/07

[HIU8]

We moved DS when he was 25 months. At about 22 months he became a lousy sleeper in his crib. He would ask us to stay, hold our hand, wake up if we moved out of the glider and scream until he wore himself out (even with us in the room). Since we knew DC#2 will be here in June, we actually asked DS if wanted to go to sleep in a big boy bed. He was so excited. We bought a twin bed to go with furniture we already had for him. The day it was delivered and set up DS took a nap in it. That night he asked to sleep in his new bed and he has never looked back at the crib. He calls it new baby's crib. Of course, we still have issues with going to sleep, but once asleep DS stays asleep all night long and loves to be in his bed. To help DS we had started and are still using the sleep lady method of going to bed.

HTH

Heather
DS 11/27/04
DD EDD 6/22/07

[mommabear]

what is the sleep lady method? sounds interresting

[momma_boo]

We didn't really do a "transition" into the twin bed. We took DD with us to mattress/furniture stores and told her we were going to get her a big bed. After the mattress came, we dismantled the crib and set up the bed on the same day while DD "helped."

She was pretty excited and we never had a problem of her sleeping in it. She was approximately 22 months at the time (2 mos before #2 arrived).

It's interesting how it really depends on the child. My younger one is now almost 2 years old and there is no way she would be able to sleep in a bed at this point.

[niccig]

A friend just said the same thing to me. The moved their eldest at 22 months without a problem, but she said there is no way they will be moving the youngest until at least 3. Different kids.

You could try it and see how it works out. If it doesn't, you can go back to the crib and buy/borrow a 2nd one. You need your sleep, so my advice is to do whatever works to make sure you get that.

[Tondi G]

My little guy is in a big boy bed. It just kinda happened that he was sick and I was laying down with him in the twin bed in his room and we both fell asleep often together. I initially would move him to the crib when I woke up and I found that he started being really unahppy when he would wake up in his crib instead of the big bed he fell asleep in. One day he waa really fighting going down for a nap and I popped him in his crib to have a quick breather myself... next thing I know he swung his leg over the side and was out of the crib by himself. I put him back in and watched him do it again! The crib came down a few days later! He is a pretty good sleeper and when he does wake it's really easy for me to just lay down next to him for a few minutes to help him get back to sleep and then creep out of his room again!

Both my kids transitioned pretty easily and seemed to really like being in a bed instead of the crib!

Good luck

~Tondi
Mommy to Mason 7/8/01 and Aidan 5/4/05

[saschalicks]

Well being that we just did this 2 days ago, I have some things for you. Although we did buy another crib b/c we didn't feel DS1 was ready for a BBBed. So, we just kept hyping it up and then took apart the crib and put the new bed in it's place. He talks about his big boy bed all of the time now. We just kept hyping up how special the big boy bed will be. HTH