Transitioning from Cot to Bed: When & How to Do It Without Disrupting Sleep

A Toddler Sleep Guide from Parenting Collective

Moving your toddler from a cot to a big-kid bed is a big milestone and one that can significantly impact toddler sleep, for better or worse. Parents usually ask two key questions: when should we do it? and how do we make the transition without ruining sleep?

Let’s start with the most important factor of all: sleep readiness.

When Is the Right Time to Move from Cot to Bed?

The first question I always ask parents is:
Is your toddler sleeping through the night?

If the answer is no, then my advice is simple: not yet.

There is absolutely no rush to move a toddler out of their cot. Many children sleep safely and happily in a cot well into their third year. The only strong reason to transition earlier is safety for example, if your toddler has learned to climb out.

From a sleep perspective, a cot provides:

• Clear physical boundaries

• A strong sleep association

• A sense of security that supports overnight sleep

Removing those boundaries too early is one of the most common causes of toddler night waking.

Cot to Bed Transition and Sleep Training

If you’re about to start working on independent sleep, this is not the time to change beds.

Learning to fall asleep independently already requires adjustment. Keeping the sleep environment familiar same room, same sheets, same comfort items, same cot helps your toddler feel safe while they develop new sleep skills.

A toddler who:

• Falls asleep independently

• Sleeps through the night

• Is well-rested

is far less likely to leave their room once they move to a bed. This is key, because leaving the bedroom overnight is the single biggest sleep issue parents face after the cot-to-bed transition.

Preparing Your Toddler for the Cot to Bed Transition

Preparation matters but so does not making it overwhelming.

Talk About the Change

Explain calmly and positively that they’ll be moving to a big-kid bed. Let them know when it will happen, but avoid turning it into a huge event that creates pressure or anxiety.

Toddlers often feel torn between “growing up” and wanting to stay little both feelings can exist at once.

Involving Your Toddler in the New Bed

When it’s time to choose the bed, involve your toddler where possible:

• Let them help choose the bed

• Pick sheets or pillows together

• Let them explore what feels comfortable

This sense of ownership can make a big difference in how secure they feel at bedtime.

Once the bed is set up:

• Keep it in the same place as the cot

• Keep the room layout the same

• Avoid making extra changes

Familiarity supports sleep.

The First Night in a Big-Kid Bed

On the first night, keep everything else exactly the same:

• Same bedtime routine

• Same dinner foods

• Same bedtime

• Same calming steps

Predictability is your best friend for toddler sleep.

Offer reassurance and pride but avoid phrases like “You’re such a big boy/girl now!” which can accidentally increase pressure.

What Happens After Lights Out?

There are usually three common scenarios.

Scenario 1: Smooth Sailing

Your toddler stays in bed and sleeps through the night.
🎉 Celebrate quietly this is the unicorn outcome.

Scenario 2: Delayed Testing

Things go well at first, then after a week or two your toddler starts leaving their room, calling out, or playing overnight.

Scenario 3: Immediate Boundary Testing

Your toddler leaves their room repeatedly from night one.

How to Handle Leaving the Room at Night

For scenarios 2 and 3, the response should be calm, consistent, and predictable.

• Clearly explain the rule: “You stay in your bed at night.”

• Give one warning, explaining the consequence

• Follow through calmly and consistently

Boundaries provide safety. Inconsistency creates confusion.

If you haven’t yet found a consequence that works for your child, brief, non-emotional consequences tend to be most effective for example, temporarily removing a comfort item or briefly closing the door, increasing the duration by one minute with each repeated boundary break.

The key is not punishment it’s clarity and consistency.

Final Thoughts on Cot to Bed Transitions and Sleep

Transitioning from cot to bed doesn’t have to derail sleep but timing and preparation matter more than the bed itself.

If your toddler:

• Is sleeping through the night

• Can fall asleep independently

• Feels secure in their sleep space

the transition is usually far smoother.

Go slowly, keep routines consistent, protect sleep first and remember, there is no prize for moving out of the cot early.

Much Love

Donna

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