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Baby and toddler

Crib transition

Moving a child from a crib to a toddler bed or regular bed, which the AAP ties to height or to the crib rail getting too low for them.

What It Means

Crib transition is the move from a crib to a toddlerToddlerA child from 1 to 3 years old, the stage CDC's parenting guidance places between infancy and the preschool years. See more bed or a regular bed. HealthyChildren.org, the AAP's site for parents, bases the timing on size rather than a birthday: switch once your child is 35 inches (89 cm) tall, or once the crib's side rail is less than three-quarters of their height, which is roughly nipple level. At that point a crib is no longer tall enough to keep them from climbing or falling out.

Try It: Check Your Child Against the AAP's Crib Rule

Measure your child standing, and measure from the top of the crib mattress to the top of the side rail.

Three-quarters of height24.0
Inches to go until 353.0

Not yet by the AAP's rule. Keep the mattress at its lowest setting.

How Parents Say It

  • "She climbed out of the crib last night, so that's it."
  • "We're moving him to a big kid bed."
  • "The crib rail only comes up to his chest now."

The Breakdown

The crib by stage, from HealthyChildren.org

StageWhat to do
Before your baby can sitLower the mattress so they can't fall out by leaning on the side or pulling over it
Before your baby learns to standSet the mattress at its lowest position
Side rail below three-quarters of your child's heightMove to another bed
35 inches (89 cm) tallMove to another bed
Climbing out before a new bed is readyPut the crib mattress on the floor in the meantime

Making the switch

  1. Measure your child's height and the rail height, and check them against the rule.
  2. Keep the bedtime routineBedtime routineThe same short series of calm steps a child goes through each night before sleep, such as brushing teeth, reading a book and lights out at a set time. See more exactly as it was, in the same room if you can.
  3. Go over the room for anything a child out of bed could reach or climb, since they can now get up on their own.

When to talk to the doctor. If bedtime turns into weeks of night waking or distress after the move, bring it up at your child's next checkup. HealthyChildren.org notes that separation anxiety can cause night waking at this age, and your pediatrician can help you sort out what's behind it.

Good to Know

HealthyChildren.org gives two triggers, height and rail, and either one on its own is enough. A child who climbs out before a new bed is ready faces a fall from rail height, which is why HealthyChildren.org suggests the mattress on the floor as a stopgap. Once your child is in a bed, they can get up and wander, so room safety matters more than it did with the crib.

FAQ

When should a toddler move out of the crib?

HealthyChildren.org says to move them once they're 35 inches (89 cm) tall or when the crib's side rail is less than three-quarters of their height, about nipple level.

What if my toddler climbs out of the crib?

While you get another bed ready, HealthyChildren.org suggests putting the crib mattress on the floor so there's no fall. Then plan the move to a bed.

How low should the crib mattress be?

HealthyChildren.org says to lower it before your baby can sit and to set it at the lowest position before they learn to stand.

Do It in Buhata

Tasks and Calendar

Add a monthly Task in Buhata to measure your child against the crib rail, and put the day you switch beds on the Calendar.

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Related Terms and Categories

  • Toddler

    A child from 1 to 3 years old, the stage CDC's parenting guidance places between infancy and the preschool years.

  • Bedtime battles

    The nightly struggle when a child stalls, protests or keeps getting out of bed instead of settling down to sleep at bedtime.

  • 18-month sleep regression

    Parents' name for a stretch of worse sleep around 18 months, when separation anxiety peaks and many toddlers settle into one nap.

Baby and toddler

Sources

HealthyChildren.org (AAP), "Big Kid Beds: When to Switch From a Crib"; HealthyChildren.org (AAP), "Make Baby's Room Safe: Parent Checklist"; HealthyChildren.org (AAP), "Separation Anxiety & Sleeping Trouble in Young Children"

Last updated .