Foolproof Tips on How to Transition from a Crib to a Toddler Bed

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Watching your baby grow into not so much a baby anymore is definitely bittersweet. The transition from baby to toddler was certainly not an easy one for Cooper – the mix of wanting to be independent yet not being able to communicate clearly was a recipe for constant tantrums and general mayhem. But I’m proud (thankful?!) to say that he’s dealt with the latest bunch of transitions pretty seamlessly – in the past 8 months, he has: become a big brother, moved bedrooms, started preschool, potty trained, and transitioned from a crib to a toddler bed. That’s kind of a lot for one little person to deal with so in the moments that he’s being extra difficult, I try to remind myself that I’d be balled up in a corner if I had gone through all that growth so rapidly.

One of the things that has eased his transition from a crib to a toddler bed is the SnoozyPod by HALO. HALO is one of my favorite baby gear companies – they were founded by a dad who started HALO after the loss of his infant daughter to SIDS – so everything they create puts baby’s safety first. The SnoozyPod is a vibrating, all-in-one bedtime soother that plays soothing sounds and has an optional amber glow nightlight to lull infants and toddlers to their best sleep. It fits most cribs, toddler and twin beds by sliding right underneath the mattress so there’s nothing in the bed with your child. You can also control it via an App (apple & Android!) which is amazing when you don’t want to go into the room but you want to turn on vibrations or the nightlight. You can grab it here from BuyBuyBaby. Cooper loves the nightlight part (#scaredofthedark) and the rain sound is great to drown out any outside noise from his sisters (cough cough, Emmy).

Here are the rest of my tips on how to transition from a crib to a toddler bed:

Make Sure They’re Ready

Honestly, we keep our kids in cribs for as long as possible. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it! But Cooper was climbing out of his crib, despite wearing a HALO Footed Sleepsack, so we knew it was time for him to transition to a toddler bed.

Play it Up

We talked about the Big Boy Bed and really amped it up as a place that big kids sleep, the baby sleeps in her crib but you’re big, mom and dad sleep in a bed, etc. He is motivated by anything that makes him “big” so this really worked well to get him excited.

Keep a Routine

This is HUGE for getting any child of any age to go to sleep and stay asleep. Our bedtime routine is: PJs, story, a song, teeth brushed, then a million hugs and tons of “one more kisses”.

Make the Room Safe

The biggest change is that Cooper now has access to his entire room versus being confined to a small, safe space in the crib. I made sure his room was a safe place for him by anchoring all the furniture to the wall, installing plug covers, and keeping some books and toys for him to play with.

Dont Stress

Both of our kids have gone through phases of wanting to sleep on their floors. As long as they’re safe, in their rooms, and asleep, I don’t stress and I don’t turn bedtime into a power struggle.