How to Get My Daughter to Sleep in Her Bed

Hi A.,
I have three kids and for me, I found that it was easier to get my kids to stay in their beds if I put a tv in their room and let them fall asleep to watching cartoons or movies. One of my kids was scared of the dark and that helped her, the other used to sleep in bed with my husband and I an at first I thought that I would never get him in his own bed. Once I put the tv in his room and put his favorite shows on, he was fine. Good luck!

Hey, have you tried laying her in the bed just for fun? Maybe trying it at nap time? If she will do that great, if not try a reward system. If she takes her nap in there maybe a special treat. Did wonders for my son when we moved him from his crib to the bed 14 years ago. My son is 16 now. He loved those dinosaur fruit candies, don't no if they still make those. But it worked for us. I hope this helps.

Hi A., This is just like potty training. If you start at the right time, they cooperate and it is perfect. I had the same situation with an 18month old and a new born. We put him in his big boy bed before the new baby arrrived for nap time to get him used to it. That seemed to work for a few weeks. Then we put him in there for night time. He found freedom and would get up and come to our room to play. He is now 2 1/2 ( a year later) and he still gets up and makes a pallet on the floor in our room. The new baby goes to sleep on his own in his crib. You may want to set up a pack and play for the new baby in your room so as not to wake the 20month old and maybe she will stay in her room. One thing I have learned from my experience is to be consistent. If she gets up, walk her back into her room and her bed everytime and close the door. It may take a while. My husband likes his sleep so when I was up feeding the baby, he did not always walk Thomas back to his room and he is ruined now for no telling how long. Just make sure you AND your husband do the same thing everytime she gets out of the big girl bed. She will figure it out. You can also try putting a gate at her door and make her cry like the doctor suggested to me to get her to sleep all night.

I had the same concern with my daughter. And what really helped was to let her choose her own bedding. Having the choice seemed to make the bed all the much better. She is know at the age you should encourage choice about things that concern her. Good luck. Also think about a special night light.

Truthfully, I'd wait till she's climbing out of the crib before she went to the toddler bed. We switched our son to soon. He just got up at all hours of the night and wouldn't go to sleep like he's supposed to. Although, if you don't have money for another crib it might be necessary.If that's the case and she's really not attached to the crib I'd go ahead and switch her. Just make sure the toddler bed has a rail on it to keep her from falling off. If it doesn't already have one attached to it you can buy one. Truthfully I'd consider trying to keep her in the crib until absolutely necessary and not move her so the baby can sleep in it. I'd wait until she's about 3 to use the toddler bed.

What worked with my son is starting slow. Nap times first and move into night time when she is ready. He went back and forth from big boy bed to crib for a little while like a month. He finally warmed up to it and hasnt wanted back in his crib.

Hey well you have alot of great responces. What I did was before I got the toddler bed I would take out my daughters mattress and put it on the floor durring the day so she would get on and off of it. Then for nap time I would lay her on the mattress. It took a few days for her to get used to it and go to sleep but she did. Then when we got her toddler bed put up she was used to getting in and out of bed. She loved it and slept on it that night. I was so proud of her. Now my son is getting ready to start his bed should be here next week. So I'll see how he does. I'm a 22yr old stay at home mother and a Mary Kay consultant. I have 2 kids a girl 2 1/2 and a boy who is 1. I've been happily married for 2yrs in march.

You'll never know till you try it. The sooner the better I'm guessing b/c she's got a few months to get used to it b/fore the baby comes and if she does it now chances are she'll be fine by then or you'll have plenty of time to work out the kinks. As I say this I'm laughing at my self b/c I have a 22mo I've been sleeping in the bed w/ for about 4mos. Granted he sleeps all night now I just know I really boo booed and I'm paying for it b/c now he won't sleep alone. So good for you for wanting her independance. Too bad no one gave me that advise 4mos ago:)

Hi A.,

My children are 16 months apart. When my second baby came I had decided we would put our daughter in a toddler bed. We talked the bed up to her and took her in to play on it and read books to her in it. At approx 17 1/2 months I decided to put her in her bed for a morning nap (she had stopped taking morning naps but was extra fussy that day). I didn't really care if she didn't go to sleep so I thought it was a good opportunity. I went back in a few minutes and she was asleep. I continued putting her in her "big girl bed" for her naps for about a week. My newborn was sleeping in a pack and play in my room. We then put her in her toddler bed at night the following weekend. We never had a problem. She loved it. When our son turned 3 months we put him in his room(her old room). She never seemed jealous and continues to sleep in her bed. We do have a rail up on one side and a wall on the other.

Good luck!!

C.

Just try her on it a few nights to see how she reacts before u throw her in it for good. Also, be sure she's not likely to get up and walk around the house unsupervised while ur asleep. Ans as far as her safety goes, toddler beds are usually safe b/c they are so close to the ground and you can also but guard rails to fit on the bed just in case. We bought my son a thomas the train bed... he sleeps in the train so he loves it. Next yr we plan on buying him a whole bedroom suit and giving his bed to his younger brother.