Cot to Toddler Bed: When to Make the Move (and How to Survive It)

Here is a number that might take the pressure off: most toddlers move from cot to bed somewhere between 18 months and three and a half years. That is a two-year window. So if your friend's 20-month-old is already sleeping in a "big kid bed" and yours is happily snoring in their cot at two, neither of you is doing it wrong. 🛏️

The cot-to-bed switch is one of those milestones that gets weirdly competitive. People ask about it the way they ask about potty training, as if there is a deadline you are running late on. There is not. The best time to move your toddler into a bed is when THEY are ready, not when the calendar says so.

This guide covers the real signs of readiness, how to set up a safe sleeping space, and what to do when your newly liberated toddler treats bedtime as a suggestion rather than a rule.

The Real Signs Your Toddler Is Ready

Forget age. Focus on behaviour. Your toddler is probably ready to make the switch if they are doing one or more of these things.

• Climbing out of the cot. This is the big one. Once they can get a leg over the rail, the cot is no longer the safe containment it was designed to be. A fall from cot height onto a hard floor is a genuine injury risk.
• Asking for a bed. Some toddlers start pointing at older siblings' beds or telling you they want one. If the interest is there, the transition tends to go more smoothly.
• Physically too tall. When the cot rail sits at or below their chest, the geometry stops working. Most cots have a weight or height limit in the manual, and it is worth checking.
• A new baby is arriving. If you need the cot back, make the switch at least two months before the due date. You do not want your toddler to feel replaced.

Signs They Are NOT Ready (Even If Everyone Says They Are)

Equally important: the signs that mean "not yet."

• They are sleeping brilliantly in the cot. If it is not broken, do not fix it. A toddler who sleeps well in a cot and is not climbing out has no reason to move. Enjoy the containment while it lasts.
• A big life change just happened. New nursery, new sibling, a house move, dropping a nap. Stacking transitions is a recipe for disrupted sleep. One thing at a time.
• They do not understand "stay in bed." If your toddler cannot follow simple instructions like "wait here" or "stay on the mat," they are unlikely to grasp the concept of staying in bed voluntarily.

There is no shame in waiting. A toddler who moves at three often transitions more smoothly than one who moves at 18 months, simply because they understand what is happening.

Choosing the Right Setup

You have three main options, and none of them is wrong.

A toddler bed is the most common choice. They are low to the ground, sized for small bodies, and often use the same cot mattress you already own. Some come with built-in side rails, which saves you buying separate ones.

A floor mattress is the minimalist route. Put a single mattress directly on the floor, add fitted sheets, done. It is the safest option for climbers because there is literally nowhere to fall. Some families stick with this for months before buying a frame.

A single bed with a rail is the skip-ahead option. It costs more upfront but lasts for years. If you go this route, a portable bed rail is non-negotiable for the first few months at least.

Making the Room Safe First

This is the bit people forget. When your toddler was in a cot, the room did not matter much because they could not access it. Now they can get up, walk around, and investigate at 3am in the dark. The room needs to be safe for unsupervised wandering.

• Furniture anchored to walls. Bookshelves, chest of drawers, wardrobes. If it can tip, it must be fixed. This is the single most important safety step.
• Blind cords out of reach or replaced with cordless blinds. Strangulation risk is real and often overlooked.
• Socket covers on and anything breakable moved to higher shelves.
• A stairgate on the bedroom door (or a door handle cover) so they cannot roam the house at night. Some parents prefer a gate so the door can stay open for comfort.
• A dim nightlight so they can see where they are if they wake up. Total darkness plus a new bed plus "where am I?" equals tears.

The First Night Game Plan

Make it exciting but low-key. Let your toddler help choose the bedding. Read a story in the new bed. Talk about it like it is a promotion, not a punishment. "You are so grown up, you get your own big bed!"

Keep the rest of the bedtime routine exactly the same. Bath, pyjamas, story, songs, whatever you normally do. The bed is the only thing that changes. Everything else stays familiar.

A white noise machine or a familiar nightlight can anchor the routine and signal "sleep time" even though the environment has shifted. If you have been using one in the nursery already, move it to the new setup.

Expect them to test the boundaries on night one. They might get out, wander over, call for you. That is normal. It does not mean the transition has failed. It means they are working out the new rules.

When They Keep Getting Out (Because They Will)

This is the part that breaks parents. You put them in. They get out. You put them in again. They appear in the living room grinning. You put them in a third time and seriously consider moving into the cot yourself.

Here is what works, even though it is boring and repetitive.

The silent return. Every time they get up, walk them back to bed. No chat, no cuddles, no negotiation. Just a calm, quiet walk back. The first night might take 20 returns. The second might take 10. By night four or five, most toddlers get the message. Consistency is everything.

A sleep trainer clock. These are brilliant for toddlers old enough to understand colours. The clock glows one colour at bedtime and changes when it is OK to get up. It gives them a visual rule that does not involve you standing guard.

A reward chart. Simple sticker chart on the wall. Every morning they stayed in bed, they get a sticker. Five stickers equals a small treat. Toddlers are surprisingly motivated by stickers.

Check your timing. If they are getting up constantly, they might not be tired enough. Check whether they still need that afternoon nap, or whether bedtime needs to move 30 minutes later.

What About Naps?

Naps in the new bed are often harder than night sleep. Toddlers who accept bedtime as final will happily spend nap time playing in their room instead of sleeping. If this happens, do not panic. Some toddlers drop their nap around the same time they move to a bed, and the two things are not always related.

If they still need the nap, keep the routine short and consistent. Darken the room, do a mini version of the bedtime routine, and use the same sleep cues. If they are truly not sleeping, quiet time in their room is a perfectly acceptable alternative.

It Gets Easier, Promise

The first week is the hardest. You will question everything. You will google "can I put them back in the cot?" at midnight (and the answer is yes, if you need to, no judgement). By week two, most toddlers have settled. By week three, it is hard to remember what the fuss was about.

The transition is not a test of your parenting. Some kids waltz into a bed and never look back. Others treat it like a jailbreak for a fortnight. Both are normal. Both end.

If you are building your registry or updating your wishlist for an older baby, you can add toddler bed essentials to your BubsNest Nest so family know exactly what you need. Because nobody wants three novelty duvet sets and zero bed rails. 🐣