Moving from a cot to a toddler bed

When to move

There is no fixed age. Most families move somewhere between two and three and a half years, and there is no benefit to being early.

The three reasons that actually justify it: the child is climbing out and is at risk of falling; they have outgrown the cot in length; or they are toilet training and need to get to the bathroom at night.

Reasons that are not good enough on their own: a new baby needs the cot, or the child seems old enough. If a new baby is coming, move the toddler several months before the birth or several months after, never in the same fortnight — otherwise the bed becomes something the baby took.

A cot with a side removed, or a floor bed, is a useful middle step for a climber who is not otherwise ready.

If it goes badly, going back to the cot for a few weeks is allowed and is not a failure.

Making the room safe first

Once a child can get out of bed, the whole room becomes the sleep space, and it has to be safe for an unsupervised toddler in the dark. Do this before the bed arrives, not after.

Anchor every piece of furniture that can be pulled over — cupboards, chests of drawers, bookshelves, the TV. Furniture tipping is the most serious risk in this transition.

Cover sockets, remove or shorten blind and curtain cords, and check windows and balcony doors can be secured.

Take out anything small enough to swallow, plus plastic bags, cables and anything that can be climbed to reach a height.

Guard rails on the bed, or a mattress on the floor for the first months. A fall from a low bed onto a rug is a non-event.

Decide about the door. A gate at the doorway keeps a wanderer in a safe room without shutting them in behind a closed door.

The first weeks

Expect them to get out. The whole point of a bed is that it can be left, and a toddler will test that thoroughly for a week or three.

Keep the bedtime routine exactly as it was. Changing the bed and the routine at once removes every familiar thing at the same time.

Move the same bedding, pillow and comfort object across, and keep the room otherwise the same.

When they get out, return them calmly, with as little talk and eye contact as you can manage, every single time. It is boring and it works; conversation and negotiation are what make it last.

Involve them beforehand — choosing the sheet, helping to move the bed — and talk about it in a matter-of-fact way rather than as a huge occasion.

Expect a few weeks of worse sleep, and expect it to settle.

When to see a doctor

Seek same-day care for any fall from the bed followed by drowsiness, repeated vomiting, loss of consciousness, a seizure, or behaviour that is not normal for the child.

See a paediatrician if: sleep problems persist for months and are affecting daytime behaviour, the child snores loudly or stops breathing briefly in sleep, they are excessively sleepy in the day, or there is night-time distress that seems out of proportion.

Also raise sudden severe night waking with screaming that the child does not remember — night terrors are common and usually benign, and worth discussing if frequent.

This article is general information, not medical advice, and is no substitute for personal medical advice.

Frequently asked questions

Q: My two-year-old climbs out of the cot. — Move to a low bed or a mattress on the floor, and safety-proof the room. Climbing out of a cot is more dangerous than getting out of a bed.

Q: Should I use a bed rail? — For the first months, yes, or use a mattress on the floor. Most children stop falling out within a few months.

Q: Can we skip the toddler bed and go straight to a single bed? — Yes, most families do. A single bed with a rail is fine and lasts longer.

Q: They now come into our bed every night. — Common after the move. Return them each time with minimal interaction. If you are happy co-sleeping, that is a choice too — just make it deliberately rather than by exhaustion.