I have been dreaming about switching the twins to toddler beds for what seems like forever. I think I likely started dreaming about it when we picked out our cribs and they were still in utero. But, when it came time to actually make the switch, I was TERRIFIED. The thought of them being able to get out of their bed scared the crap out of me and I thought we’d never sleep again. But, the signs were there that they were ready to make the switch.

The Signs:

We hit a rough sleep patch with the twins right around 2. They were starting to wake up in the middle of the night, seeming agitated and uncomfortable. We tried giving them new blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, etc. but it didn’t seem to help. Shortly after, they started showing a lot more interest in just relaxing in their cribs. They were’t so eager to get out in the morning and they would ask to go in throughout the day. More than anything, they wanted to be in one crib together and it became a real pain having to put them in and out constantly, so we decided to make the switch.

What We Did to Prepare:

We already had the toddler bed conversion kits for our cribs put away so we didn’t have to worry about that. Our cribs (that we are obsessed with) converted easily with just removing the front panel and replacing with a rail. I wanted to make sure that they were really happy with their rooms, as I thought that would help them be inclined to stay in them. So, we took them out shopping and let them pick out some new things for their rooms (and I made executive decisions and ordered some others). They each got a new comforter, new sheets, and a couple new accessories. We also started hyping them up about their “big kid beds” and went above and beyond to try and get them excited about the process.

How It Went:

The first night was nerve-racking for sure but we only had one escapee. Right after putting them to bed, our boy made his first escape. After putting him back in his bed maybe 5-6 times, and Googling a Supernanny sleep tip youtube page, we took turns sitting on his floor, not making eye contact, and being silent/not acknowledging him. Anytime he would try to get out of bed, we would silently lay him back down and return to the floor. After a few times, this worked and he went to sleep. He did stay asleep through the night. The next couple days we had to do similar routines for nap, but bedtime became a breeze again. The kids have been in their “big kid beds” for almost a month now and we haven’t had more than a couple overnight wake ups and they LOVE their beds! I’m so so glad we made the switch!