Hi Moms!
I have a 3 year old boy who moved from his crib to his toddler bed last November. It is the small wooden kind with a small side rail near his head. He was defintely ready and has been doing great with staying in his room and sleeping through the night and during naps. But here is the problem. Several times per night he will gently roll out of the bed and onto the floor, where we will find him fast asleep. Last night it literally happened more than 10 times. Usually it is about twice per night. We pick him up and put him back in bed where sometimes he stays and sometimes he'll roll out again. Has anyone else experienced this? I am wondering if putting him in a twin bed with a larger side railing might be better so he isn't as likely to roll out. Or would he just continue and then get hurt rolling out? Any ideas or suggestions would be great! Thanks in advance!
Hi J...my daughter did the same thing. She was always falling out of her toddler bed because she moves around so much when she sleeps. I decided to put her in the twin bed against the wall with the extra long rail on the other side and its worked great. Good Luck!
Are you sure he is rolling out all the time, ir is he possibly getting out on purpose? Either way I wouldn't move him - put him in blanket pjs and put a mattress and sleeping bag on the floor, instead of everyone doing so much during the night! Try a twin mattress on the floor and see if he "travels" so much - if not, skip the toddler bed.
Hi J.,
I have never tried this, but I have heard of people cutting a pool noodle to the length of the bed, and putting it under the fitted sheet along the edge of the bed. Seems like it would work! Good luck! -E.
I know some of the other suggestions imply that these kids may be waking and climbing out of bed, which could be true, but others just sleep like this. My oldest, who is now 9, still falls out of bed all the time - and I know this because I have a t.v. monitor in their room - as well as witnessing her in hotel rooms when we travel (where I have usually put the mattress down on the floor for her). She is a wild sleeper, and no matter what, falls out all the time. She'll even fall out from the head of the bed, if it's designed without a headboard. So, having said that, you may not be losing much to invest in a twin bed with side rails now, because it is possible you'll be using them for a long time, if your son is also a wild sleeper. My daughter agreed to have rails on the bed until she was 7 years old, at which point she switched to a bed that is practically on the floor itself, so that when she does fall out, she doesn't get hurt. I myself was a wild sleeper as a child - so maybe it is genetic -although my youngest child sleeps like a rock. Good luck.
I always started my kids out on a mattress on the floor. That way if they do roll out its only a couple inch drop. It you really want him in a bed off the floor then put a full side rail that goes under the mattress. Make sure it can't be dislodged by him pushing it with his body.
This is so familiar to me! My first daughter switched to her toddler bed and started waking up several times a night having rolled out the side. It sounds like we have the same toddler bed.
This went on for a month or so- and was causing all kinds of nighttime problems for the whole family! None of us were sleeping. I just thought she'd get the hang of it. She never did.
I put her in a twin size bed- with a full length bed rail. She slept through the night that first night and we haven't looked back.
She moves around so much at night that without the crib sides holding her in, she just didn't have enough room to sleep!
She used the bedrail for about a year- and now at 6 sleeps fine in her twin size bed.
My other daughter is 4.5 and still sleeps in that same little toddler bed. She sleeps like a rock, never had a problem with rolling out and doesn't want to get rid of her "little bed".
I guess all kids are different. I say- just go straight to the big bed and get a good side rail.
-S.
Go to Toys-r-Us. They sell a thing that is made of nylon and mesh and it is a thing you put on the side of the bed (another part slips under the mattress) and it holds the child in. Sorry, my mind is a blank for what one properly calls it. Good luck.
J.,
I would definitely recommend moving to a twin. Both my kids transitioned well to their twin beds with the longer side rail. My other suggestion alongside this is to buy a "bunkee board" instead of a box spring. That way if there is any chance of him rolling out he's still very close to the ground. Best of luck:)
I would go straight to the twin bed with side rails. The bed rails they make for twin beds are twice the height as the ones on a toddler bed. I just put my 2 year old in a twin bed not too long ago and she did great with just the regular side bed rails we got at babies r us. I wouldn't bother with the toddler bed...totally not worth it. Go right for the twin bed. If you want to try it out get a twin mattress and just put it on the floor with the bed rails on it to see how your son likes it.
Hi J.,
Yes, I would put him in a twin bed with a bunkee board as someone suggested. Crib mattresses are big enough for infants, not toddlers.
: ) Maureen
Have you ever seen how they sleep!? My 7yr old has a full bed and some nights I will find him almost on the floor w/ his upper part of his body hanging off so I don't really think going to a twin will help w/ anything. My suggestion is put some pillows on the floor and if you find him comfortably sleeping on the floor leave him. For all you know he could be waking and moving himself to the floor. I've found my 2yr old on several occasions on the floor by his gate I don't generally put him back in his bed unless I catch him awake because chances are he is just going to do it again and there is no harm in sleeping on the floor.
