From Cot To Bed Without Tears

Going from a crib to a bed without tears or outbursts is easy… when it comes to getting your baby to sleep in your bed! But getting children to start sleeping alone in their own rooms all night can be much more difficult.

Several clouds of unrest may appear. What if they fall out of bed? Are they afraid of the dark? Maybe they do not like to sleep alone? Maybe they are still too young? They may feel lonely…

In fact, most of these fears are unfounded. Most often, it is the parents who worry most about the child sleeping alone, rather than the child himself.

Unfortunately, we have a tendency to project this concern on our children.

When to change from crib to bed

There is no right time or age to make this change. However, it is good if your child sleeps alone when he or she turns two, otherwise sleep in the parents’ bed can become a habit that is difficult to break.

Listen to your own instincts, but avoid giving fears more weight than they deserve. Remember that children are often more independent than we think.

Parents normally benefit from the day when the child can no longer fit in the crib to move it to its own bed. It’s actually a good excuse to get them to start sleeping alone.

For your own peace of mind, you can set up the railings so that the child does not fall out of the new bed. These are also useful to hold on to when going to bed or when getting up to go to the toilet in the middle of the night.

It is not good to make the transition in connection with the birth of a new baby. In that case, the older child will only feel replaced and pushed away. It can lead to outbursts, jealousy or simply sadness.

In that case, it is best to make it a routine for the baby to sleep alone for a few months before the baby is born. This way, the baby will not associate change with the baby.

If it is not your first child, it is possible that he or she will take command of this matter. It can ask for its own bed because younger siblings often want to feel like big kids and imitate their older siblings.

To adapt to sleeping alone

Every child in the world is unique. There are children who see it as a great achievement to sleep alone, while others see it as a punishment. However, you can help so that the child has a positive feeling of sleeping in his own bed.

Facilitate the transition from cot to bed:

• “What a great girl you are!”, “You are a great boy now!” Children want to grow up as fast as possible and love to be seen as big or older. The best thing you can do to help them start sleeping alone in their own bed is to say that they are too big for the crib. If we help them believe that sleeping alone is an achievement, they will enjoy the experience. For example, if your child has picked up all the toys in a good way, you can say: “Because you have been so good today, you can sleep in your own bed all night.” In this way, the child will see it as a reward.

• Associate the bed with fun activities:  another technique is to link the new bed to an activity that the child likes. Read a story just before you go to bed, sing a song it likes,  play for a few minutes with stuffed animals it sleeps with or tell something fun. In this way, the child will begin to see the bed as something familiar and fun.
• Make the bed personal: another great way to get children used to their new beds and bedrooms is  to let them choose sheets, pillows, blankets, curtains and stuffed animals. Make sure that the child is present while you decorate the room. In this way, they will see the room as a nice place they like to spend time in. By tailoring their room, they will not be afraid at night either, because they know that they are surrounded by their favorite toys.

Encouragement is the key

As you can see  , children at this age are relatively easy to persuade. Tell them that you are proud that they can sleep alone in their own bed, and they will see it as something they want to do.