7 Tips for Getting Your Baby to Transition From a Crib to a Bed

Moving a child from the crib to the bed is a challenge. Not only for the child but also for the parents, who have to overcome their fear.

Sometimes, out of convenience for parents during the breastfeeding stage or because of the novelty of a baby’s arrival, when everything is pure joy, moms and dads allow their babies to sleep in their bed for a few months until transitioning them to a crib. Other babies sleep in a crib from the time they’re born. Either way, there comes a time when babies must transition from a crib to a bed, which is no easy feat.

Moving a child from the crib to the bed is a challenge. Not only for the little one but also for the parents, who must overcome the little fear of having their baby away and the anguish of being separated from them.

Children need to create the habit of individuality early on, and the first way to help them is to send them to sleep in their room once they’re able to sleep alone. At 4 or 5 months of age, a baby is ready to move to their room; basically, this is so because, at that age, they already have feeding and extended sleep routines.

7 tips to transition your baby from a crib to a bed

Organize your child’s room properly

Your baby’s room should be well lit, especially in the bed area, and it’s best to have a dim light on at night in case you need to enter if they wake up in order not to stumble upon surprises in their room and guide you calmly.

The ideal time for this transition is when they sleep through the night

Some children sleep through the night from 4 to 6 months, this will be key and definitive in your search for the best time to put them to sleep alone in their room. Knowing that your baby sleeps through the night will give you enough security to make the decision to send them to sleep alone in their bed, which gives you the opportunity to rest more.

Make their room the ideal place to sleep

Your baby’s room should be a warm space without humidity, a place where they want to be and sleep. It’s not good to put feather pillows in the baby’s room because your baby’s head can sink in.

If possible, use intercoms to put in the baby’s room and listen when they wake up or cry to tend to them right away.

You don’t need railings to limit the bed

For this move from the crib to the bed, you don’t need to put rails on the child’s bed, as they’ll learn to manage and memorize the mattress space easily.

However, if you want to add some extra peace of mind to your sleep, during the first few weeks of the change, you can put cushions around the baby or some other safety mechanism to stop them from falling. You can also use a Montessori bed that’s lies flush on the floor.

The bed you choose for your baby is very important

It’s very important to make sure that your child’s bed isn’t too high. Nor should it have sharp corners in order to avoid the risk of accidents.

If your child protests about leaving their crib, do your best to make the idea of their bed attractive to them, for example, choose a bedspread that has their favorite character on it. That way, they won’t want to get out of it. It’s also appropriate to let them participate in the decisions, let him choose the colors, prints, blankets, among others.

Maintain habits and customs

Your child may feel better if you let them continue sleeping with their old blanket even if it’s too small for such a big bed or with the stuffed animal they used in their crib, there’s no problem with that. Your child won’t miss their crib at all if they take a small souvenir to remind them of their previous stay in their crib.