If you're somewhere in the cot-to-bed transition, you'll probably recognise this.
Maybe your child:
- Has started climbing out of their cot
- Is excited about getting a “big bed”
- Loves their sleep suit and isn't ready to give it up
- Doesn't know what to do with a sheet or blanket
- Kicks bedding off immediately
- Keeps getting out of their new bed
- Wants their old cot, sleep suit or familiar routine back
- Sleeps brilliantly one night and struggles the next
You might be wondering if they're ready. And the answer isn't always as simple as their age.
Because there are several different transitions happening here.
You're not just changing the bed. You're changing the sleep experience.
A sleep suit gives a child a very predictable sensory experience.
It's familiar.
It's contained around their body.
And it stays with them while they move around during sleep.
Bedding is different.
Their legs are free.
The sheet moves.
The blanket can be kicked off.
Their body has to learn a completely new way of sleeping.
At the same time, the cot itself provides a physical boundary that a toddler bed doesn't.
Going from cot + sleep suit to big bed + bedding is actually several changes bundled into one milestone.
No wonder some children need time to adjust.
What if you didn't have to make all the changes at once?
Children often cope better with change when they can hold onto something familiar.
So instead of thinking:
Cot → big bed
think:
Sleep suit → bedding → big bed
You can introduce the feeling of bedding while your child is still sleeping in their familiar cot.
They can learn how a sheet feels. Practise sleeping with their legs free. Get used to pulling a blanket over themselves.
And when the time comes to leave the cot, the bedding itself isn't completely new.
One change at a time.
If you're somewhere in the cot-to-bed transition, you'll probably recognise this.
Maybe your child:
- Has started climbing out of their cot
- Is excited about getting a “big bed”
- Loves their sleep suit and isn't ready to give it up
- Doesn't know what to do with a sheet or blanket
- Kicks bedding off immediately
- Keeps getting out of their new bed
- Wants their old cot, sleep suit or familiar routine back
- Sleeps brilliantly one night and struggles the next
You might be wondering if they're ready. And the answer isn't always as simple as their age.
Because there are several different transitions happening here.
You're not just changing the bed. You're changing the sleep experience.
A sleep suit gives a child a very predictable sensory experience.
It's familiar.
It's contained around their body.
And it stays with them while they move around during sleep.
Bedding is different.
Their legs are free.
The sheet moves.
The blanket can be kicked off.
Their body has to learn a completely new way of sleeping.
At the same time, the cot itself provides a physical boundary that a toddler bed doesn't.
Going from cot + sleep suit to big bed + bedding is actually several changes bundled into one milestone.
No wonder some children need time to adjust.
What if you didn't have to make all the changes at once?
Children often cope better with change when they can hold onto something familiar.
So instead of thinking:
Cot → big bed
think:
Sleep suit → bedding → big bed
You can introduce the feeling of bedding while your child is still sleeping in their familiar cot.
They can learn how a sheet feels. Practise sleeping with their legs free. Get used to pulling a blanket over themselves.
And when the time comes to leave the cot, the bedding itself isn't completely new.
One change at a time.
Make the transition gradual.
You don't need to completely overhaul their bedtime routine.
Small changes can make a difference.
01 — Start with the bedding
If your child is ready to move out of a sleep suit or would prefer the experience of bedding, introduce a flat sheet.
02 — Keep the sleep environment familiar
Same room. Same bedtime routine. Same favourite book. Same comfort object.
03 — Let them practise
Give them time to get used to having their legs free and bedding around them before introducing change. Practice using a duvet at nap times.
04 — Then make the move
Once they're comfortable with the new way of sleeping, the big bed becomes one less new thing to learn.
05 — Expect some wobble
A child can be completely ready for a big bed and still find the transition difficult.
We designed a cot sheet set for the transition.
Moving from a sleep suit to bedding is already a significant change. Add a new bed at the same time, and your child is adjusting to several new things at once.
We believe those transitions don't need to happen together.
The Cot Sheet Set lets you introduce bedding while your child is still in the familiar environment of their cot. Creating a gentler step between sleep suit and big bed.
Don't wait until the big bed to introduce the big-bed habits.
If you're planning the transition, start practising the bedding part first.
Introduce the flat sheet and a small-pillow while they're still in their cot.
Let them get used to the sensation.
Let them learn to pull the sheet up.
Let them kick it off and discover what happens.
The goal isn't to get it perfect. It's to make it familiar.
