Monkey & Roo finally got to say goodbye to their cribs and HELLLOOOO to GIANT full sized beds! They are 3 years and 5 months old and although they have been ready for this transition for months, with Covid-19 and our busy work season being in the summer, we got a little delayed. They were extremely excited for this to happen last weekend, and they are still extremely excited and doing great continuing to sleep through the night.
They have been able to climb in and out of their cribs for over a year, but they know when it is naptime or bedtime, they aren’t allowed to get in and out. This made it SO MUCH easier to transition to big beds. I always suggest to clients to try and wait until around 3 years of age to transition out of cribs because then they are old enough to understand the concept of staying in their bed. I know a lot of people say they couldn’t wait because their child started climbing, but I am proof that even if they start climbing, it is still possible to delay ditching the crib!
Ways to Delay Transitioning Out of the Crib
- If you have young climbers, try taking the bottom of the crib out and actually putting the mattress on the floor.
- If you have a crib that is higher in the back, you can turn it around so the lower side is against the wall.
- Sleep sacks designed for their age can also be a big help.
Tips on Transitioning Successfully
- Wait until abut 3 years of age. This is and always will be my biggest suggestion. When they transition too young to understand rules of staying in bed so you may find yourself continuously taking them back to their room, you may end up sleeping in their bed, or they end up in your bed.
- Let them pick out their sheets and or beds.
- Go to bed earlier the first few nights to have time to answer any questions and to give them extra time for their excitement to die down so they can relax for bed. (For instance we started bedtime routine around 7:15 instead of 7:40 so that we could read a little extra in their beds with them, we figured out which blankets they wanted to sleep with, they even said they were scared for a few minutes when we turned the light off, so the extra time allowed us to still get them down at the desirable bedtime)
- If they’re struggling with staying in bed throughout the night:
- Make sure it is completely dark so they don’t have the urge to want to get up and play
- Make their room boring with no toys or anything to play with if they wake
- Make a sleep rules chart
- Get a gate for their doorway and let them decorate it
- Get an “Okay to Wake” Clock
There are a few different ways you can help get your little ones to stay in bed and start sleeping soundly through the night again, so if you are struggling with this, feel free to schedule a 30-minute Sleep Tweak Phone Call with me and I can help you get them back on track.
krissy@monkeyroosleep.com
