It’s been 6 weeks since we took the plunge and decided to transition Aura from sleeping in her crib to sleeping on a floor bed!
At the time of the transition Aura had just turned 16 months and we felt that we should give it a chance and see what would happen. I was super nervous about this transition because I was afraid I would disrupt her sleep routine with this major adjustment.
It was a Sunday Morning when my Husband was in the nursery assembling the house bed. Aura was curious and excited- she had fun hopping in and out of the bed frame, and hanging off of the top bar. We allowed her to be around the building process to get her warmed up to the bed (I felt this was very helpful!).
Although we were building the bed frame on the Sunday Morning, we had no intention of her actually sleeping in the bed until a few days later. We originally planned for the bed to remain in her room for a few days so that she would get comfortable with the idea of it before moving the mattress over from the crib and officially making the change. However- once the bed was ready and we moved the crib mattress into the bed frame (for test purposes) and set everything up, Aura immediately jumped on to her bed and began playing with her stuffies.
When her Mid Day nap came around (2 hours later).. we put her in the bed, closed the door and watched anxiously how she would react through the baby monitor. She got up twice and walked to the door but when she quickly realized she couldn’t open it, she went back to the bed and laid down. After about 15 minutes of tumbling around she was fast asleep for her first nap in the new bed – A successful mission!
Aura woke up from her nap refreshed as usual. We spent some time hanging out in her bedroom and listening to some music for the Afternooon – we wanted Aura to get as comfortable with the idea of the bed as possible so strategically we stayed within line of sight.
When Night time came around we did Aura’s usual bedtime routine, tucked her into bed, kissed her goodnight and left the room closing the door behind us. For the first few days she got out of her bed (because she could) and ran to the door. After a few minutes she realized she could not open the door, got bored and went back to her bed and fell asleep.
Shortly after this stage, she got used to her new bed and would fall asleep as easily as she would in her crib- it had become her new baseline. She slept the exact same way she would in the crib and for the same duration. In the morning Aura was refreshed and awake at her regular time. Whats interesting is that we’ve noticed that if she wakes up before we go to get her- she will sit up quietly in her bed and play with her teddy bear. She will not leave the bed at all, she waits for us to come and get her even to this day.
It has now been a month and a half of Aura sleeping in her Montessori bed and we are so glad we decided to make this change! The first week was surely a bit of an adjustment (for us all) but just like sleep training – with patience, focus and dedication – we made it through to the other side.
For those who have been asking- Aura is sleeping in a Toddler sized Montessori bed, not a twin bed. The Toddler sized bed is the same size mattress as the crib which has also made this transition easy because Aura has familiarity with the mattress. The twin sized bed is not recommended until Age 4 and above. We personally felt this was the best decision for our Family and we encourage you to do what works best for your Family and lifestyle.
By the time they have transitioned to a flood bed, they just earned themselves a ton of new freedom and perspective. Don’t freak out as you watch this unfold. Embrace it. Let them explore & discover.
I would love to hear from you in the comments below. Feel free to share your stories, perspectives and questions 🙂
Here is a summary of some important tips that I believe aided in our successful transition from Crib to Floor Bed:
*Have your child be around when the new bed is being assembled.
*Celebrate and make a big deal about your child successfully napping/sleeping in the bed for positive reinforcement.
*Allow for a comfort toy/blanket. Aura has been sleeping with her teddy- and it has helped her to feel safe and comforted when transitioning to the floor bed.
*Place the bed in the exact same position as where the crib used to be- this way there are not many changes for the Childs visual experience when they lay and look around the room.
*Slip a pool noodle under the bed sheet if you are worried about your child falling out of bed to act as a small barrier for when they tumble around.
*Lose the sleep sack! It could be dangerous for her if she tried to getup and walk around. She is now using a Muslin Quilt Blanket.
*Make sure the bedroom is clear of any distractions and it is safe. Make sure all drawers are closed. Make sure there is nothing the toddler can climb on. It helps to lay down on the floor and look around to see what they would see. I also found the more minimalistic the bedroom was the faster they likely were to go to bed.
*Start the transition with nap time first to give them a little taste before you dive into the entire night experience.
*They may roll out of bed and if they do- do not freak out! It is ok for them to sleep on the floor. Likely, they will get up and get back into bed, and if they don’t you can carry them back into bed. Keep a nice soft baby mat against the bed to provide cushioning.
*Don’t rush in to get them in the morning. If you feel comfortable with it, let them learn to play a little and be content. It helps build strong independent play skills and self-entertaining skills.
*Don’t cave! Keep it going! The results are well worth the efforts! You got this!
Click here to visit my amazon store to purchase some of the items described in this blog.
