• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

Kids and Sleep: Making the Transition From Crib to Bed

April 3, 2016 by Dr. Whitney Roban Leave a Comment

The move from crib to bed – it’s something every parent fears.  Will it disrupt the sleep pattern?  Will I end up with a child in my bed every night?  Is my baby growing up too fast?   The questions go on and on.

It’s natural to worry about a big step like this, but you have to be strong and follow the ABCs of sleep training:  be Assertive, Believe in yourself and your child that you can do this, and Commit to the transition.

Here are some other tips to help make the shift easier for you and your child.  Hang in there, this is just one of life’s many hurdles and you will get through it!

1. Wait until your child is at least three years old before making the crib to bed transition. If your child is under 3 and climbing out of the crib, consider buying a crib tent to keep him/her safe.

2.When the new bed arrives, immediately dismantle the crib and remove it from your child’s room. It is overwhelming for a child to have more than one choice of sleep surfaces.  Once the decision has been made to transition to a bed, commit to it.

3. During the initial transition, move your child’s bedtime earlier. You can expect the process of falling asleep to take longer and you want to avoid having your child fall asleep overtired.

4. Do not alter your child’s bedtime routine during nor after the transition. The crib to bed transition can cause anxiety in a child and it is calming for a child to have a brief and consistent bedtime routine.

5. Place a digital clock in your child’s room and set a firm sleep rule for wake up time (6 am is an appropriate wake up time assuming your child has a bedtime between 6 pm-7 pm). You can implement a reward system if your child is able to stay in their bed quietly until the prescribed wake up time.

6. Be prepared for a rough couple of nights, as it is difficult for a young child to exhibit self-restraint when they have this newfound freedom of sleeping in a bed. Even the best sleepers have some sleep regression during the crib to bed transition.

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Baby, Parenting

About Dr. Whitney Roban

Founder of Sleep-Eez Kidz, Pediatric Sleep Specialist Whitney Roban lives and works by one philosophy: parenting is one of the hardest jobs, made impossible when a family doesnt sleep. Her mission is to give the gift of sleep to families through her information dissemination and emotional support based system. Whitney has 2 children, ages 7 and 10. For more sleep tips and information on sleep training, visit www.SleepEezKidz.com

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search

ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

How to Save Your Kid from Drowning

The lifeguard moving quickly past Lindsey’s chair seemed to … [Read More...] about How to Save Your Kid from Drowning

Must Have

winter

Pre-Holiday Must-Haves

"It's beginning to look  a lot like Christmas..." The … [Read More...] about Pre-Holiday Must-Haves

Did you know?

Children Overcome a Fear of Water

How Do Children Overcome a Fear of Water?

Academic Parental Pressure on Kids

The Effects of Academic Parental Pressure on Kids

Pregnancy and Sinus Pain

Pregnancy and Sinus Pain

Repair Scratches in Glass Tabletops

How to Repair Scratches in Glass Tabletops

Breast Pains & Pregnancy

Breast Pains & Pregnancy

Signs of Allergies to Infant Formula

Signs of Allergies to Infant Formula

Dizziness in Pregnancy

Causes of Dizziness in Pregnancy

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2021 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.