Thread: Poll: Big Kid Bed Yet?

We are currently on Night #2 of Piper sleeping in her big girl bed. (And I do mean "big"-- it's a queen!! It looks so funny but it's all we have!) Interestingly, yesterday's and today's naps were total failures. After battling for an hour+, I gave up and moved her to the crib where she fell asleep instantly. But both nights, she has stayed in the bed and gone pretty much right to sleep. She woke up an hour earlier than usual this morning, but otherwise slept all night. We'll see how it goes tonight.

Who here has made the transition? How long ago did you switch and how's it been going?

Eli learned to climb out of his crib in November, and that was the end of that. By mid December we switched him to a toddler bed.

We've had our ups and downs, but I think we've finally got it all sorted out. For a long time I had to sit by his bed until he fell asleep (so annoying when I was used to him going down all by himself in the crib!) but now he's just fine. He'd go through good phases (going to sleep right away with no fight) and awkward phases (he's cry for a few minutes, then climb in bed with his big sister and spend the night in there) and terrible phases (where he'd scream for 2.5 hours straight and get out of bed every 15 seconds). We started room sharing with his sister, we even switched the beds around to different rooms, until we finally found our solution!

Now he lies in bed with his milk, hands me his sippy when he is done, and I leave the room after a few minutes. He doesn't even get out of bed anymore. He's usually asleep within 5-10 minutes.

Good luck! It will be a battle, but it won't last forever!

I wanted to get Natalie out of the crib at about 2 years, since Dana was out of hers by 18 month. My mom went to BRU and bought the kit to adapt her crib to a toddler bed in mid-December so that's when we decided to do it.

I'd say it took about 6 weeks where she would settle in on her own without screaming, 10 weeks until she would sleep through the night. In the past month she started to put herself down for a nap or to bed if she's tired before we put her down, if she's not tired we do her routine and then ask her to go to bed, she generally does so when asked.

We're still in cribs with no intention to switch in sight. Memphis climbed out of his crib and fell on the floor once and only once. Never tried it again. Abby has never attempted to climb out. I'm keeping them in cribs as long as possible. I hate the thought of them being able to "free roam!"

Savanna is still in a crib also, she hasn't even tried to climb out....although while at my sister's this weekend, I had to put her down for naps and bed in a twin bed and she did fine, so I think the transition will be smooth when I get around to it.

Delaney went into a toddler bed Nov/Dec ish (ONLY because she figured out how to climb out). When we moved in Jan, she went into a queen size bed, without a bed frame. Honestly, it has been the BIGGEST struggle She would NOT stay in her bed. We have tried EVERYTHING, although dh was against me holding the door shut, so locking her in was way out of the question, lol.

Just in the last couple of weeks, we have figured out what works for us. Up until then, I got to the point where I would lay with her until she fell asleep because I was sick of putting her back to bed 20+ times. With the new baby coming in 4 months, I decided that was no longer an option. I decided that Daddy was going to do bedtime (when he is home from the station). Delaney gets her two books and he reads them to her then leaves her room. The first few night she asked for me but he told her I was sleeping. She did get out of bed after a few nights but he threatened to take away her puppy dog stuffed animal. She DID NOT like that, so she stayed in bed. That seems to be working for us.

Sleep with her has never been easy. Naps are fine, its bedtime and even sttn. She still wakes 3-4 times a week, 1 maybe 2 times each of those nights. Just wants me to snuggle her for a couple minutes back to sleep or wants some water.

Originally Posted by Barbee06

Delaney went into a toddler bed Nov/Dec ish (ONLY because she figured out how to climb out). When we moved in Jan, she went into a queen size bed, without a bed frame. Honestly, it has been the BIGGEST struggle She would NOT stay in her bed. We have tried EVERYTHING, although dh was against me holding the door shut, so locking her in was way out of the question, lol.

LOL, we totally did that with Eli - DH was the one who started it! We'd hold the door shut and he'd try to open it. After a few minutes of trying he'd give up and go back to bed (eventually after only one try to open the door, he'd realize it wasn't going to open!) but thankfully now he doesn't even get out of bed anymore.

Worked for me though

Ellie's always been a sleep monster. never STTN, rough to put down, and co-slept from 2 months on just so i could get ANY sleep. (bubba is an angel, he's already STTN in his crib, usually falls asleep nursing or takes a few minutes of patting and a pacifier when he's tired) sooo... we converted her crib to a toddler bed last may so at least i could sit next to her and try to get her to sleep there. then last fall we got her a twin bed, and i'd fall asleep with her pretty regularly until i got so big with Bubba that i couldnt sleep comfortably there, and half the time she still woek up and got into bed with me.

currently, we try to get Ellie to sleep in her own bed every other night. Sometimes it doesnt work, sometimes she stays for an hour, sometimes its until themiddle of the night, but she NEVER sttn , she never has, and doesnt now. Naps could be in my bed, in her bed, on the couch, wherever she falls!

work is throwing a serious wrench into my plans, i get called in all the time and DH is inconsistant since he's laid off right now, so its kind of a mess.

so if its an option "other" is what goes on here.

and to explain my "0ther" she's never slept in her crib and still doesnt, so big kid bed made it easier for me to lay with her and makes it easier for me to try and get her to sleep.

but i dont' expect her to STTN every night, without any comfort, i dont think i was every good at that until i was older, so we'll work on it more later.

Still in the crib here. Griffin hasn't even tried to climb out, although I am waiting for it anytime now. He loves to climb stuff, I think it just hasn't even occurred to him to try. It will soon. I plan to just keep him in the crib until he climbs out, we have another baby who needs it or until he won't fit in it anymore, whatever happens first When the time comes, we have a twin mattress I am going to put on the floor. I still stay in his room with him until he falls asleep. If I don't, he won't take a nap and will stay awake for HOURS at bedtime. So it's just easier to stay in there for 20 min until he is asleep. He takes long naps and sttn.

Originally Posted by taralynne

I hate the thought of them being able to "free roam!"

Same here! I have nightmares where I wake up and Mady is standing next to our bed. I know it will happen someday (soon) but not quite ready for it yet. LMAO!

Mady hasn't tried to climb out of her crib yet, so until she does...or until we need the crib for baby #2, we're keeping her in the crib.