3 Myths About the Crib to Bed Transition and 5 Tips For Making It a Smooth Transition

crib to bed transition

2022 Update: I’ve recorded a detailed podcast on this topic! CLICK HERE to listen.


I have a confession to make. Or, maybe I should say, I have an announcement to make. My 4 year old is still sleeping in her crib! Happily, I might add. I know what you’re thinking. “Say what?! You’re a sleep pro and your preschooler is still in a crib?!” Darn right!

If you know the story of this sweet little child of mine (and me) not sleeping for nearly two years, you likely won’t be surprised to hear she’s my sensitive sleeper and constant limit tester. So there was no way I was going to rush the transition to a bed and I’d encourage you to resist the urge to rush it as well. I do plan to make the transition soon, however, and promise to document all the excitement for you – start popping the popcorn – I’m not sure if this will be an action, a comedy, or a drama!

But before I take you on that adventure with me, I want to share 3 myths about when to make the crib-to-bed transition. I have helped a lot of parents who have transitioned their child from the crib to a bed and then hit some serious bumps in the road. Like all of the sleep struggles we find ourselves in from time-to-time, these issues can be addressed and your little one can learn to stay in their bed all night. So, if you have already made the transition, don’t panic. Hopefully things are going well, but if they aren’t, you’ll want to get some tools to address the situation and remember to stay consistent. If you haven’t yet made the transition to the bed, however, I may be able to save you many sleepless nights by debunking some of the crib to bed transition myths and sharing my 5 Tips For a Smooth Crib-to-Bed Transition.

Myth #1: You should make the transition before your next baby arrives so you do not need to buy another crib.

Please, please, please don’t make the transition to a bed because another baby is coming. Seriously, don’t. I can’t tell you how often I hear from parents who transitioned their tot to a bed because they didn’t want to buy another crib and now they have a 2 year old who is up all night or getting in bed with them. Let me put this in perspective. For $100, you can buy a crib from IKEA that gets an “A” safety rating. I assure you that when you are up during the night with a newborn and then your 2 year old starts popping out of their room, you would happily fork over $100 to make that problem go away. Buy the crib – even if you only plan to need two cribs for 6 months. Who knows, you might end up like me with a 4 year old who still happily sleeps in their crib!

Myth #2: You are ready to potty train your 2 year old so they need to be in a bed for nighttime potty runs.

I know there are many potty training experts who will disagree with me on this one, but you can potty train your child and keep them in a crib. Ask my crib-lovin’ 4 year old who I potty trained at 2 years 4 months. Now, if you’re potty training and sticking with the crib, I do recommend continuing to use a pull-up at night. Most importantly, I recommend having good sleep habits in place before you take on potty training. There will likely be some nights where you will need to run in and get your child out of the crib so they can use the bathroom, but even if they were in a bed, they’d likely still be waking you for assistance with nighttime potty runs.

Myth #3: Your little one is climbing out of the crib so they must be ready for a bed.

Climbing out of the crib does not mean your child is ready for a bed. Somewhere between 18 months and 2 years, many little ones seem to think that climbing out of the crib is a good idea. Good news, you can teach them that the climb-out-of-the-crib game isn’t much fun. As soon as you see on the monitor or hear your child pop out of that crib, calmly (try to show no emotion) walk in their room, firmly say “No,” and then place them back in the crib. They may pop right back out and you will calmly put them right back in. Eventually they will get bored, or tired, and give up. Addison did this when she was about 2 years old. I think those shenanigans lasted for about 3 days and then she has never gotten out again.

Extra Tip: Ainsley, my 2.5 year old still hasn’t climbed out of her crib and I attribute that, in part, to keeping her in a sleep sack. Sleep sacks are not only awesome because they are safe wearable blankets, but also because they make it harder for kids to swing their legs over the railing. In the event you’re wondering, my favorite sleep sacks are the: Bitta Kidda and the Kyte Baby (it’s nice and long).

So when should you make the transition out of the crib and into the bed? Never. Just kidding. Sorta.

When to transition to the bed:

  • If you can, I definitely recommend waiting until your child is at least 3 years old, ideally closer to 4 years old.
  • Your child asking for a big kid bed is a good sign they are ready for the transition out of the crib and ready for the responsibility that comes with having a big kid bed.
  • You want your child to consistently be sleeping well before you make the transition. Don’t assume the cool new bed is going to fix your child’s sleep struggles. If it does help, it will likely only be for a short period of time.
  • You want your child to be doing well with their potty training when you make the transition so they aren’t dealing with these two big milestones at the same time.

To help you make the transition when your child is ready, I’ve put together 5 Tips For a Smooth Crib-to-Bed Transition.

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