Sometimes as bubs and toddlers, we can get injured from falling out of cots and beds. Sometimes this happens because someone looking after us might not know the right time to move us out of a cot.
When do you move us out of a cot?
The safest place for us to sleep is in a cot that meets the current Australian Standard.
Keep the cot free of toys, pillows and anything else that could be ‘stacked up’. We are good at climbing and will climb up anything that’s in the cot!
We don’t need weighted blankets either. Those things are heavy and are no good for us.
When you first see us trying to climb out of a cot and looking like we might actually make it, it is time to move us out of the cot. It is for our own good!
This usually happens between two and three and a half years of age but some of us are escape artists and could be as early as 18 months.
Wait until bub is two years of age and is no longer sleeping in a cot or portable cot before introducing a pillow for sleep.
Where can we sleep once we have moved from a cot?
Floor mattress
Take the mattress from a cot or single bed and make it up on the floor. We love a good sleep on a floor mattress. Put the mattress away from the walls because we don’t want to get trapped between the mattress and wall. The mattress needs to be firm too, we don’t want any sleep accidents.
As much as we love our cuddly toys, we don’t need them to sleep with us. That cuddly toy can be dangerous to us if they are in our sleep space. Same thing goes for bean bags, plastic bags or other things like that. All these things can get in our face and then we’re in trouble because we won’t be able to breathe.
If you place the mattress away from areas in the home that people use a lot, that will keep us safe. Don’t want anyone tripping over and falling on us when we are trying to sleep!
Toddler bed
Another way to tuck us in is to use a toddler bed:
- These are safe because they are low to the ground. We are less likely to fall out and hurt ourselves.
- Saves money too! The cot mattress and bedding can be used on toddler bed once the cot is no longer good for us.
Adult height bed
If you’ve got me a bed the same height as an adult bed, just remember we might end up hurting ourselves more because it is higher up. We’re growing big and strong, but we are still little so we just have to make sure this is safe for us.
No big gaps, we don’t want to fall and get trapped and just move all my toys and things that might be on the ground. If I do fall, I don’t want hurt myself landing on my toys!
Making your home safe before the move
We just need to make sure my room is safe! Now I am out of the cot, I could get up to mischief in my room and hurt myself.
To keep me safe:
- Take things out of the room that may cause me harm such as choking hazards, getting trapped or poisoned.
- I haven’t learned what is good and bad for me yet and I need your help.
- Dangling cords are no good. We don’t want them accidently caught around our neck.
- We don’t want to burn ourselves either. Heaters need to be out of our reach, and we can’t be playing with power points.
- As much as we like to explore, keep us away from stairs and windows.
Alert!
- Do not use a portable cot if your child weighs more than 15kg (or check instructions of your particular model).
- Bean bags, sofas, big cushions and air mattresses are no good for young ones to sleep
- Bunk beds are no good for us kids until we are about 9 or 10 years old
- Weighted blankets are too heavy for us and can affect our breathing
- We love floor mattresses! Just take it from the cot and put it on the floor away from the wall
Remember, us young mob need to sleep safely:
- Safe sleeping environment night and day
- Safe sleep space
- Safe mattress
- Safe bedding
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