Sleeping FAQ: 12-18 Months – Other

How do I move a 14-month-old to his big bed?

I have a fourteen-month-old boy and I am expecting a new baby at the end of January. I would like to move my little boy into a cot bed and give the new baby his cot, which is getting too small for him. I just wondered what might be the best way to get my son used to a new bed. He hates change, and whenever we have been on holiday, I have needed to lie down with him on a bed, and then move him once he is asleep; he is very attached to one of my nightdresses. I don’t, however, want to do that again, as it took some time after our last holiday before I got him back to sleeping on his own, which he always did very happily before.

With older children, the transfer to a big bed often has to be a gradual one. But your son is still very young, so I would suggest that you dismantle the cot that the baby is going to sleep in and put it away for a few weeks. In this way, when the baby arrives, your son will not immediately feel that the baby has taken his cot.

You mention that your little boy is very attached to one of your old nightdresses, so I would certainly allow him to use that when he goes into his new bed. Also, if possible, try to purchase a cot bed that is very similar to his cot, position it in the same place and try to recreate the same environment within the cot, e.g. the same blankets, duvet and toys.

He may be upset for a couple of nights following the change and, if this happens, I would refer you to the gradual withdrawal method that I recommend within my Sleep Guide book. If he wakes in the night, use the same gradual withdrawal method. I know it can be hard, but try not to get into the habit of getting him to sleep before putting him in his cot bed.

Once the new baby arrives, you will be back to broken nights again, so it is important to avoid setting the wrong sleep associations when you first transfer your toddler to the new cot bed. From the very first night, settle him in his cot bed sleepy but still awake. It may mean that for several nights you will have to use the gradual withdrawal method, and perhaps even a couple of nights of serious sleep training, but he is still very young and, in my experience, the younger they are the easier it is to create and establish the right sleep associations. Good luck!