OK, your baby has slept in a crib for all of his or her life, moving to a toddler or twin size bed is a big deal! Most toddlers get scared and end up with Mommy and Daddy at night.

Usually this is not an ideal position to be in if you need to get up at 4:00 am to get ready for work. Parents need their sleep.

I have some ideas for you for that big transition.

1.What type of bed should you get?

A lot of parents make the mistake of getting a queen or full size bed for their little toddler. This can be a scary thing for children at night, the bed is so big that your child's imagination will soar and not the good kind either. Try for a smaller bed, toddler or twin size, work well and this way they will feel more secure. If you have a convertible crib, that's great! All you will need to do is lower the mattress and take off the railing. Remember they are used to that little crib without a lot of space. Also it is a good idea to get a bed that is low to the ground so it will be easy for them to get in and out.

2.How do you keep them in their new bed?

Make this an exciting time. Talk about it with a lot before hand. Get them excited. Let them pick out there own bedding: sheets, comforter, and décor for their room. They won't be able to wait for bedtime and slip into their new bed that they picked out. This approach will be great for a while but may fade over time, the excitement will wear off and you may or may not have problems with bedtime again. But this is a good starting point.

If your child starts slipping into your bed at night you need to be consistent with one, two, or more of the methods below.

Once they crawl into bed with you, quietly take them back to their beds and quietly tell them, "You are a big kid now and you need to go to sleep in your big girl/ boy bed." If they have a favorite blanket or teddy bear, give that to them and tell them that will keep them safe and Mommy and Daddy are right next door so you don't need to be scared. What if that doesn't work?

All children are different, and not one method will work for all children. If the method above doesn't work after a few weeks (remember consistency!), then try making a small bed for them on the floor beside you or at the foot of your bed. If they get scared at night tell them "It is alright if you come in, but you need to sleep in this bed that I made for you." Once they are asleep in their bed on the floor, try moving them to their new bed.

Another method I have heard of (I never personally used this method) is lying in the bed with your child if they wake up in the middle of the night or when falling asleep. Try not to fall asleep yourself or you will defeat the purpose of this. Slowly and quietly leave the room once they have fallen asleep. Every night try removing yourself from your child's bed earlier and/ or lay on the floor next to their bed, every night a little further away towards the door until you're child is adjusted to sleeping on his/her own.

One more idea that I have always used and works well with just about anything, (potty training, behavior, homework, sleeping in their big kid bed, etc.) is the sticker chart!

Get stickers of your child's favorite character and make a chart on a poster board. Every night that your toddler sleeps in his or her bed give a sticker to them to put on their chart. They will get a kick out of seeing their very own chart filling up. Of course don't give them a sticker if they don't sleep in their bed all night.

3.None of these methods work! What now?

Just be sure you are being consistent, if you are not this is what you will need to do: Get a bigger bed for yourself and the kid(s), they will eventually out-grow sleeping with you but you may not get much sleep either.

About the Author
I am a 29 year old mother of two. I am a certified daycare provider for 7 years, a stay-at-home mommy with a 5 year old and 3 year old. Love writing, kids, and kids. I have been with my husband for 10 terrific years.

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