How Long Do Babies Sleep in a Crib
Whether your toddler loves their crib or itches to get out of it, they'll eventually graduate to big-kid sleeping arrangements. Just when should you transition to a toddler bed, and how can you exercise it smoothly and safely? Here are some suggestions from the experts.
When to Switch to a Toddler Bed
Different some developmental milestones of early babyhood—such as potty grooming or starting solids—the move from crib to bed doesn't ever come up naturally. As a full general rule, though, parents should brand the change before their child can climb out on their ain crib and perchance hurt themselves, says Marking Widome, Thousand.D., a professor of pediatrics at Penn Country Children's Hospital in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Nearly toddlers take the power to hop over the crib rail when they're about 35 inches tall and between 18 and 24 months of age. Of course, some babies are especially agile and will attempt to climb out sooner (at which point they should exist moved to a bed), while less adventurous types will not effort to climb out at all.
If your toddler is comfortable in their crib and non a climber, then it'southward fine to let them sleep at that place past the age of 2—equally long as y'all're mindful of safety, says Jack Walsh, executive director of The Danny Foundation, an organization dedicated to crib and child-product safety. But the longer a baby stays in their crib, Walsh adds, the more than emotionally attached they may become, and the harder information technology may be to transition to a toddler bed.
What If You Need the Crib for Another Babe?
Some other gene that might make up one's mind your toddler'southward "transition to the bed" age is the arrival of a new sibling. Take extra intendance if this is the reason for the transition; getting a new sibling is a major alter, and you don't desire to make your child experience every bit if they're beingness displaced, says Pamela Loftier, M.D., medical director of the Babe Development Heart at Women and Infants' Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island.
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Begin the transition one to ii months before the new babe is due to arrive, assuming that your toddler is at least 18 months old, says Dr. Widome. By getting your older kid comfortably situated in their new bed, they'll think of the crib as neutral territory—and not their sleeping spot—when the babe arrives. If possible, dismantle the crib or store it in a room where it'due south out of sight, suggests Dr. Widome. Or aim to brand the crib "unsleepable" by filling it with blimp animals, toys, and blankets.
Regardless of the reason for the switch, you'll ideally want to exercise it at a time when in that location are no other major changes going on in your child's life, says Dr. Widome. For case, avoid making the movement if your kid is in the throes of toilet training, giving upward a pacifier, or getting used to a new child-care arrangement.
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Easing the Transition to a Toddler Bed
Before making the switch to a large-kid bed, y'all'll accept to plan out the logistics. Follow these tips and tricks to proceed your child happy.
Choose the best toddler bed.
Some parents simply put their child's crib mattresses on the floor to ease the transition, says Dr. High. Others spring for a toddler bed, which is generally depression to the ground and can accommodate an existing crib mattress. They often come in the course of cars, castles, or other highly-seasoned shapes. Toddler beds are fine, says Dr. Widome, but they're non safety necessities. Yous tin always install a removable guardrail on a twin bed to go on your toddler from falling out of information technology.
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Accept your child pick their sleeping accessories.
Whichever bed yous choose, let your child help choice out kid-friendly sheets, pillowcases, comforters, and stuffed animals. This can brand the big-kid bed seem more than appealing.
Establish a bedtime routine.
Equally in any fourth dimension of transition, information technology helps to found a predictable bedtime routine, says Dr. Loftier. This routine—which can involve reading a story, talking virtually your child'southward day, or praying—should leave your kid looking forwards to going to bed.
A consistent bedtime ritual should also help a young child feel grounded. Toddlers are often ambivalent virtually growing up and leaving their babyhood behind, and for this reason, modify can exist hard for them, says Dr. Widome. Simply once they master a new skill, whether it's giving up diapers or a bottle or moving from a crib to a bed, they accept a real sense of pride and accomplishment.
Child-proof your house.
Do a safety sweep of every room your toddler can access. Secure the stairs with gates at the height and lesser, bolt bookshelves and televisions to the wall, and put rubber latches on dresser drawers so they can't pull them out and use them to climb. Some experts suggest putting a gate on your child'southward door or locking information technology, just yous have to think nearly burn safety. Equally an alternative, you lot can use a monitor or attach bells to the door to alert you when they're leaving the room.
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Don't wait an easy transition to a toddler bed.
Your child might cry and insist they want their crib back. Stay positive and look it to take a month or ii for them to fully adjust to their new digs. Their newfound freedom may likewise lead them to take lots of excursions. (You put your child to bed and they come out. You put them back in bed and they come dorsum out.) Just calmly return them to bed and leave the room as speedily every bit you lot can.
Since there's a chance they can't quite handle a big bed yet, it'southward a skillful idea to hang on to the crib. A temporary return to information technology, if necessary, is no big bargain: Toddlers mature rapidly, and your child might exist ready in some other month or 2. Be patient, and don't rush this important transition.
Source: https://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/sleep/101/the-transition-from-crib-to-bed/
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