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How To Transition From A Crib To A Toddler Bed

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young girl sitting up in a toddler-sized bed, looking happy and well rested

Moving from crib to bed is yet another milestone in your toddler’s life. There’s no set time for when it’s best to switch your child from a crib to a toddler bed. However, little ones generally make the switch from crib to toddler bed any time between 18 months and 3 1/2 years old, ideally as close to age 3 as possible, according to guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

There are a few factors to consider before you make the transition – most important, making sure your child is developmentally ready for the move. If you notice your toddler doing any of the following, it’s likely time to make the switch.

Signs your child is ready to transition to a toddler bed

  • The AAP recommends transitioning a child out of a crib and into a toddler bed once the crib railing is lower than their chest. At that height, children are more easily able to climb out of the crib, which can lead to injury.
  • After they’re fully potty-trained at night. For many kids, potty training overnight comes after daytime potty training. But once they’re no longer wearing diapers or training paints to sleep, they’ll need easy access to a bathroom.
  • Once they’ve expressed interest in a big kid bed, that’s a good sign they’re cognitively and emotionally ready for the transition.
  • Make sure the transition to the toddler bed doesn’t coincide with any other big lifestyle changes, such as moving or bringing home a new baby.

In short, you will follow your toddler’s lead to determine when it’s time. For example, if your child hasn’t mastered the art of self-control and doesn’t understand the importance of staying in their bed or room at night, they may not be ready. When they are ready, here’s some advice to make the transition as smooth and positive as possible.

Tips for easing the transition to a toddler bed

  • Put the new bed in the same place your toddler’s crib used to be. Make sure your toddler’s bed is positioned away from any potential hazards that could lead to injury. Place the bed at least 2 feet from any windows, heating vents, radiators, wall lamps or window blind cords. It’s best to either avoid having blind cords in your child’s bedroom if possible or tack them high up and out of reach.
  • Get the right size bed and mattress. If you’re moving from a nonconvertible crib to a bed, you might be tempted to buy a twin bed that will last your child for years to come, but a toddler-specific bed is a better choice. It’s lower to the ground and the mattress is smaller, both of which make it easier for very young children ages 15 months and up to climb in and hop out without getting hurt. Toddler beds are also designed to be used with a full-sized crib mattress (so feel free to use the full-sized mattress from your child’s crib, if it’s still in good condition). The crib mattress should fit snugly — if you’re not sure whether it’s right, use the two-finger test. The mattress isn’t a good fit if you’re able to fit more than two fingers in between it and the bed. You can explore the Colgate Mattress® new CuddleSnooze® Crib Mattress Collection designed to gently lull baby into a cozy, sound and restful sleep throughout the infant and toddler years.
  • Make sure the toddler bed comes equipped with safety rails. Safety rails serve the purpose of stopping your child from rolling out of bed. Convertible cribs and toddler beds are required to have side rails at least 5 inches taller than the top of the mattress. If you’re using a bed without a built-in rail, be sure to install separate guardrails that are at least that tall.
  • Check that the hardware is firmly secured. Whether you’re converting your crib or buying something new, a thorough safety inspection is always a good idea. Confirm that hardware like bolts and screws are firmly secured and that the sides and slats have tight, sturdy joints.
  • Set physical boundaries. Late-night visits from your child might be inevitable at the beginning, but tell them that they need to stay in bed once the lights go out. If they try to escape a few times and call for you in the middle of the night, simply tell them everything’s okay, give them a kiss, and walk them back to bed. It might take a few tries, but they’ll catch on eventually.
  • Maintain your routine. The bed may change, but the bedtime routine doesn’t have to. Keep your nighttime routine consistent with how it was in the crib – bath, teeth brushing, books – so your child has a sense of familiarity and knows when they’re expected to settle in for the night.
  • Reward good behavior. If your child stays in their bed all night, tell them how proud you are of them so they’re inclined to do it again. It’s up to you whether you want to use prizes or other incentives to encourage good listening.

Now that your child has free reign of the house – don’t panic! But, you will need to review important home childproofing. Here are some more tips:

  • Make sure your child is comfortable. This might mean buying a new nightlight or leaving a light on in the hallway if they’re newly afraid of the dark or letting them sleep with a comfort object such a lovey or stuffed animal during the night.
  • Steer clear of electrical outlets. If you have to put the bed near an outlet, make sure nothing is plugged in and that the outlets have child-protected plugs in them to protect curious little fingers.
  • Install safety gates at the top and bottom of the stairs, lock all doors and windows, and anchor furniture that could topple over.
  • Keep unsafe items out of reach. This includes latching all drawers with cleaning products, medicine, and electrical items.

As with many aspects of parenting, there’s no way to predict how this transition to the bed will go. Once in a while it’s okay to bend the rules and let your child cuddle up in your bed. But it’s best to develop a plan and stick with it as often as possible. Your child will thrive on the consistency of a routine just as much as you will.

If your child is upset and doesn’t want to sleep in the new bed, don’t give up right away. Encourage your child to try out the bed. If they’re still distraught after a few days, bring the crib back without treating it like it’s a punishment, and try again in a few months.

Ask The Crib Mattress Specialist: Why doesn’t Colgate offer an organic mattress?

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Colgate Mattress™️ created the “Ask the Crib Mattress Specialist” series in response to frequently asked questions from our valued customers. Through this blog series, we hope sharing our thoughts on these topics will help you better understand why we handcraft our products with your baby in mind using the highest industry standards.

If you have a question you’d like included in the series, we’d love to hear from you at [email protected]

Question: Hello, Crib Mattress Specialists! 

I know and trust the Colgate Mattress name — in fact, it’s the brand most recommended to me by friends, family and even Google. But I really want to make sure my baby’s crib mattress is organic and you don’t seem to have an organic crib mattress offering? Why is that? 

– Curious Caroline

 

Hello, Caroline! Thank you for your question.

The term “organic” is frequently used across different industries to describe various types of products — ranging from foods to cleaning products to bedding and everything in between. But such common usage of the term can make it difficult to discern when items truly are in fact organic (meaning certified by an industry authority) and when they’re not.

Additionally, there isn’t one universal “clearinghouse” across all industries that sets the standard for when and how the term can be used. And so “organic” can be defined differently depending on the product — and at the discretion of the manufacturer.

The Global Organic Textile Standard provides certification for products such as sheets and mattresses. However, it’s still common for some manufacturer and retailers to set their own standards for what they’ll sell with an organic label.

For example, some manufacturers call a mattress organic even if only one component is organic. Colgate does not consider a mattress organic unless the entire product and all of its components are organic. If we use an organic cotton cover on a foam mattress, for example, we will say that the cover is organic but will not call the entire mattress organic.

“Last we checked, there’s no such thing as organic metal innersprings or organic foam. We choose to call our natural products “eco-friendlier” in order to be transparent with our customers,” says Dennis, Colgate’s Crib Mattress Expert.

Here at Colgate, integrity is paramount. So, while some manufacturers use the term “organic” generously in their marketing, we choose to be more judicious with how and when we do so. As a family-owned and operated business for three generations, we take exception when companies intentionally mislead consumers and market products that aren’t truly organic — that’s an ethical line we don’t cross. We proudly handcraft all of our mattresses here in the USA using the highest quality components.

Learn more about all of our products here.

Ask The Crib Mattress Specialist: Are Natural, Eco-friendly and Organic all the Same?

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Ask The Crib Mattress Specialist

Colgate Mattress created the “Ask the Crib Mattress Specialist” series in response to frequently asked questions from our valued customers. We’ll be publishing a new series blog post each month. We hope sharing our thoughts on these topics will help you better understand why we handcraft our products with your baby in mind using the highest industry standards.

If you have a question you’d like included in the series, we’d love to hear from you at [email protected].

Question: Hello, Crib Mattress Specialists! I often see the words “all-natural,” “eco-friendly” and “organic” used out there while researching crib mattresses and other baby products. But it’s hard to really understand the difference between the three. Aren’t they all the same? – Confused Connie

 

Hello, Connie! Thank you for your question.

Babies sleep upwards of 10-20 hours per day, so it goes without saying that the mattress your baby sleeps on matters. But as you well know, with so many crib mattresses on the market, it can be hard to understand the marketing terminology used – let alone discern the safety benefits and differences of each one. So today, we’ll do our best to help explain the main differences between the terms “natural” “eco-friendly” and “organic.”

Natural

The term “natural” typically refers to materials that can be found in nature (but this doesn’t necessarily mean they are organic – more on that later). Further, the FDA defines natural materials as any “extracted directly from plants or animal products as opposed to being produced synthetically.”  Examples of natural materials include untreated cotton, coconut shell husks and all-natural latex from plants.

Eco-friendly

The term “eco-friendly” usually refers to products that contribute to green living or practices that help reduce the consumption of natural resources like water and require little or no pesticides to grow. For example, Colgate’s EcoFoam™ is made with sustainable oils derived from plant sources, as opposed to animal fats or petroleum.

Organic

The term “organic” refers to materials that are cultivated without pesticides, chemical herbicides or synthetic fertilizers that can be harmful to the environment. In order for a material to be considered organic, ideally it should meet strict guidelines in regards to how it is processed, produced and handled. However, it should be noted that there is no industry-wide standard for qualifying a crib mattress as organic. Most crib mattresses that claim to be organic are only about 14% organic by weight. Which means 86% of the mattress is not organic, often using a vinyl or polyethylene interior.

Colgate’s Higher Standards

We hold ourselves to a higher standard than our industry. Every Colgate product passes all federal and state requirements for flammability and chemical composition. Our crib mattresses are also GREENGUARD Gold certified to have no harmful air emissions.

“If it’s not 100% organic, Colgate Mattress will not call it organic. We call it eco-friendly if the product uses natural and organic components in its composition,” says Dennis, Colgate’s Crib Mattress Expert.

Colgate Mattress has been a family owned and operated business for three generations and takes exception when companies intentionally mislead consumers and market products that aren’t truly organic.