How to Get Toddler to Fall Asleep in Toddler Bed????

I would recommend going back to the crib. If he is climbing out, then get a crib tent. I consulted w/a sleep expert and she told me that it's best that toddlers stay in their crib until they are 2 1/2 - 3 years of age. Good luck to you!

The bed rails did the trick for my kids but honestly, 16 months seems young to be in a toddler bed. My son was almost 3 before we put him in a big bed and our twins were probably 3 1/2. All 3 just liked the security of their cribs. They slept great in them so I figured why change. If I were you, if you still have the crib, use it. If it is in the attic in pieces, get it back out and put it together. I went through the rocking thing with our son for a while and it was a tough habit to break. It was so bad that when he woke in the night he couldn't put himself back to sleep. If you don't have the crib, get the bed rails. They helped our kids feel secure in their big beds.

I'm curious why he's unable to get back onto the bed--is it truly a toddler bed or is it something bigger? He should have a bed he can get into, or he may get frightened if he has a tumble trying to get in.

Yes, side rails or panels may be good and make him feel more secure. Or alternatively as others posted, do a crib mattress that's on the floor -- that's just fine.

I would not go back into the crib, though. That will be very confusing for him. Frankly, I know some other moms will say no way, but here's what worked for my daughter: We made the transition very gradual. I stayed with her until she was asleep -- but not rocking or holding her, just sitting on the floor next to the bed, NOT talking but with lights out and one hand very lightly on her; it made her feel more secure, but I was careful not to engage her. Then after a week or so of that, I could move across the room and sit while she fell asleep on the bed. Then I was able to move into the hall -- yes, I would sit in the hallway reading my book, outside her cracked door where she could see me. She was good about not getting out of the bed as long as she knew I was there. (Yep, some moms would wail, but I got reading done and she made the transition better, so it worked fine for us.) Eventually she would stay in the bed and I would just return after about 10 minutes to look in on her -- silently, not engaging her -- if you talk to or scold or engage kids at bedtime they get stimulated, so it's about just letting them know you're present, but you're not going to provide any fun, you're just nearby. Then I could return 10 minutes after that visit and usually by then she was asleep.

One really big thing -- every time he gets up, you need to return him to the toddler bed. You can't say "go to bed" but you have to steer him to bed physically. Don't talk except maybe the first time to say, "It's bedtime so we need to stay in bed." After that, no words, just very gently walking him back to bed and leaving pretty swiftly, not lingering, or else he'll cry to be rocked. You may have to return him to bed over and over and over in a single night for some time to come! It's tedious and wears you out but it is a transition that must happen sooner or later, so get the phase over with now since you've started it. Check out the SuperNanny Jo Frost and her books for the routine of returning a child to bed repeatedly and quietly. Good luck.

I think you should back to the crib. unless he is climbing out of it there is no reason to take it away from him. my son's crib changes to a day bed. we tried it out when he was about 17 mnths, and he screamed as soon as we put him in it. so we switched back. he is now 19 mnths and perfectly happy still in his crib. however my son is small for his age (about30.5 inches) so we are in no hurry to move him

Bed rails might make him feel more secure-you just have to keep putting him in bed-as many times as it takes until he falls asleep on his own-it's difficult-good luck!.

Maybe he's not as ready for a bed as you think - he might have been sleeping in the bed on vacation just because he was so exhausted there was no way he would not wake up but at home it's a different story. I read somewhere once that before the age of 3, kids don't really have the ability to imagine the "invisible boundaries" of a bed and therefore stay put. We only just recently got our DD out of the crib because she was so happy in it and she's 3.5. Personally, I would just bring the crib back and wait until he is older. And start getting him out of the habit of needing to be rocked to sleep, because it will only get harder the longer it goes on.

We put both of our kids in a toddler bed at a very young age too because they were climbing out of their cribs. Maybe try putting just the mattress on the floor until your child gets used to it more? Transitions are always difficult...good luck.

Well, it's nice to hear that I'm not the only one struggling with this one! I posted a question about this just last week. We just moved my 18 month old into the Dora toddler bed from BabiesRUs. She had jumped/fallen out of her crib. Her crib doesn't convert so the side rail is up and the bed is on the lowest setting. But it's still a very far fall. She's petite and we just couldn't take the fear of another - and heaven forbid a worse - fall. So far, she has slept all or part of 2 nights and 1 nap in her new bed. I found that reading to her in the quietest, slowest voice possible puts her to sleep. Now I must work on getting her to fall asleep on her own (like she did in the crib) and then keeping her in her bed. She can get in and out very easily. We put a gate on the door to contain her. I think that scares her more than anything. I'm going to try the post suggesting we just sit quietly next to her with a light touch, eventually moving further away until we're out the door. Then it's just about returning her to the bed every single time she gets up. Also, I'm going to start a sticker chart for every time she sleeps in her bed. She loves it and it seems like she's kind of starting to understand consequences. We also sing a song to congratulate/recognize/thank her for different things she does which she loves, too.

If he was happy in his crib I'd go back to that. My son was in his crib till he was over 2. Perfectly happy there and he slept well. For some kids (like both of mine) 16 months would have been too young for a big boy bed. He's still too young to fully understand the whole bed thing and it's obvious since he gets out and can't get himself back in. He doesn't remember or understand that he can't do that. Go back to what he knows and is comfy with. Then no one is frustrated or upset!

Bed rails may help, because it may FEEL more like a crib to him...more comforting. You can buy plastic ones made by Safety 1st for $35 bucks or so, so it's not a huge investment and probably worth a try. If he's getting out of bed and not able to get back into bed, that's a problem however. The bed rails probably won't stop him from getting out of bed.

Why can't he get back into bed? Too little? I'm not sure if he's big enough, but maybe you could put a stool next to his bed so he can get back into bed?

Have you tried just popping him into bed, then leaving and shutting the door? He's old enough to self-soothe and shouldn't need to be rocked for every nap and every bedtime. That's a lot of work for you!

Kids always cry when they have to make an adjustment like this. It's not that unusual, but you may prolong it by rocking him. You may just have to listen to him cry a little bit until he makes the adjustment to the new bed.

Of course, you could always just put the crib back up. My kids could all crawl out of their cribs by 18 months, so he may not need it much longer.

http://keystosimpleliving.com/kids_bedtime.php