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How to get a toddler to sleep in a toddler bed?

We moved a few weeks ago and just ordered a toddler bed which should be here in a week. My child has not slept in their crib because we had to throw it away before we moved because it was falling apart. They have been co-sleeping with me and their dad in our bed. Which if your going to say I'm a horrible parent and tell me how I shouldn't be doing that, you can just forget it! I am asking for advice NOT criticism.

So once the bed arrives how can we get the toddler to sleep in it and to stay in their room?

Public Comments

1. It will be a process. You cant expect it to happen overnight. When they get up, go into their room ans comfort them back to sleep.

2. Ah this I can definitely help with :) our son also slept with me and his daddy from birth and is now sleeping in a toddler bed.

First, we started simple and put the bed right next to ours. I would lay in the toddler bed with him until he fell asleep. Then I would go back into our bed and when he woke up looking for me, I would go back and lay down with him until he fell asleep.

Then, after a while, I would just lay with him to get him to fall asleep and in the middle of the night, he would just whimper or roll over trying to make sure we were nearby. So I would just reach over and pat him gently to get him to go back to sleep.

Now, we just give him his sippy cup with milk and put him in his bed. I will sit in our bed and just pop on a movie or read a book while he falls asleep. Then I will leave the room later on my husband and I come back in to go to sleep.

Next I will start having him put himself to sleep without me in the room, then we will be moving him to his own room.

That's just what we did, not saying it will work for everybody but that seemed to work for us.

Best of luck :)

3. I had a toddler bed when my son was about 15 months which had belonged to my daughter but she'd never slept in it not for long anyhow. Before that he co-slept and after that he co-slept too!He wasn't interested in sleeping in it all that much and prefered to be with us and we just went with that.Never got any use out of the toddler bed.

I got my daughter a full size bed when she was about four roughly and my son has had his new bed since last year and he's four now and he sleeps in it sometimes.We're easy we don't mind if he wants to sleep with us.Kids will wean themselves to independant sleeping eventually so no worries if you want to save the money for now and continue with the co sleeping.

4. Your child probably will get up several times a night to try to get into bed with you. He's used to it now, it's a new house, and it will probably be a little scary sleeping in a new room alone. Here's some suggestions for making it easier:

1. Set up the toddler bed in your room for a week or so. Let him get used to sleeping in his bed when he can still see you and be close to you.

2. Start sleeping in his new room with him now. Get an air mattress, throw a spare mattress on the floor, or use blankets, pillows and sleeping bags. Pretend you are on camping so he realizes that sleeping in his room is fun and safe. So when his bed comes, he is already used to spending the night in his room.

3. When his bed comes, sleep beside him in his room for a few nights. He has to stay in his bed, but set up an air bed next to him so he knows you are there and feels safe. After a few nights, just sit with him until he falls asleep, and then move further away from the bed so you are eventually standing/sitting by the door until he falls asleep. He will gradually get used to falling asleep without you there.

4. Give him a countdown of the days before he sleeps in his own room. "Four more days until your bed gets here and you get to sleep in your own room!" Make it something that he looks forward to. If possible, the first day the bed arrives, go something really active with him during the day so he is tired at night.

Most importantly, be consistant with him. If you put him in his room and he gets up to come into your room, you have to bring him back to his room every time. If you give in once and let him sleep in your bed, he will never stop trying. So once he is in his toddler bed, he has to stay there. If he gets up, calmly bring him back to his bed and lay him down. The first time, explain that he needs to sleep in his own bed. Give him a hug and tell him you love him and will see him in the morning. After that, don't say anything except "it's bed time" and bring him back to his room. Eventually he will learn that getting up doesn't get him anything, so he will stop.

5. your child will need a schedule and a routine and lots of activity in the afternoon...as well as a bed time routine

your consistency will determine the outcome

i would shorten or take away the afternoon nap

i would have an outside activity ...get a ball and kick it...run and play and have fun

create a dinner time routine...and then brush teeth and a bath...and then he shouled bed tired for bed...i would put him in and if you needed to read to him...

but you want him to go to sleep not play so you need to send that message...make sure he is really tired when he lays there not getting up and down and...tough for you to walk out

also keep in mind that your cild needs to fall asleep there verses your lap or arms or couch...this is the process of a new routine

you want to make the bed a happy comfortable place..

read bedtime/sleeping stories

enjoy the process and create some memories