Transitioning children to a big bed

The thing about children is that even in lockdown they continue to grow and develop through the milestones in their little lives. Whether that’s potty training, or becoming dry at night like my little girl. Their bodies and minds pay no attention to Coronavirus. 

One big developmental milestone is transitioning to a duvet and pillow from baby sleeping bags. And then onto a child’s first big bed. There is no right age to do this, like all child development it is about when they are emotionally and physically ready as opposed to how old they are.

The NHS advises that children under the age of 1 should not be given duvets and pillows because they won’t be able to push the duvet away so can suffocate if their face gets covered.

Once they are old enough, it is often a good idea to introduce a duvet and pillow to little ones whilst they’re still in a cot as this will help them get used to the new bedding before you eventually move them to a toddler bed.

Someone in the process of this stage is Interiors Blogger House Lust aka Amanda Cotton. Her son Otis has just turned 2 and she decided to introduce him to a duvet and pillow whilst still in his cot. Amanda chose our Treetops cot bed set and this is her journey:

The duvet has been a HUGE hit with Otis. We've wanted to move Otis from his sleeping bag into a toddler quilt for a while as he loves getting cosy and now we have there's no looking back. First off, Otis absolutely loved the Treetops print. He got super excited and started pointing out all of the animals and details - in particular the owls. The introduction was quite smooth too. We used it to snuggle under for reading time before putting it over him in his cot, and Otis just naturally snuggles up underneath it, even sometimes lifting it right over his head and neck.

He's not as interested in the pillow yet, but we're using the duvet full time now and we'll try the pillow again in a few months’ time. And we're just making the most of the last few months that Otis is restricted in his cot before we have to take the side down, as I'm sure it won't be long until he can climb out.

It’s not unusual for toddlers to be disinterested in using pillows. The truth is that whilst us grown-ups aren’t comfy without them, little ones are. As UK based parenting club Bounty said

"How many times have you gone into your toddler’s room and found their feet where their head should be? Toddlers can’t use pillows the way we do when they’re sleeping as they completely shift every which way but up during the night”

The big bed transition usually happens between the ages of 18 months and 3.5 years depending on the child. If they’re starting to climb out of the cot, this is an obvious sign they are ready. Or in the case of my super tall little boy, he quickly got too big for his cot to sleep safely.

"Children’s sleep expert Little Dreams Consulting recommend leaving the translation to a big bed for as long as possible unless, as we suggested, they are climbing out of their cot or have physically grown out of it. In their experience, early unnecessary transition can cause sleep regressions. because

"toddlers just aren’t ready for this big step and can’t handle the change until they are older, closer to 3 years old in many cases”

We’re here to help your journey whether you’d like to introduce a duvet and pillow first as @houselust did. Or your little one is ready to begin the big bed transition. Our collections are designed to inspire so why not let your little one choose some new bedding to take on their adventure.

Both our Treetops and Enchanted Forest bedding sets come in both Cot Bed and Single Bed size. They are made from 100% percale cotton. A high quality, crisp and cool 200 Thread Count weave that is lightweight and breathable helping to keep children cool and cosy at night.

We use the highest quality digital fabric printing available, using reactive inks that boast brighter colours, give superior wash fastness, and feel softer to the skin. 

They also proudly carry the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 having been successfully tested to Product Class 1, proving their safety for young children.

Our Cot Bed duvet covers are button-free, and instead feature a super safe and toddler friendly envelope closure. 

Plus they are machine washable at 60 degrees and can be tumble dried on a low heat, helping you to change their bedding quickly when needed.

Start your big bed adventure today.

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