What Happens When My Son Switches From A Crib To A Toddler Bed?

My son has finally switched from a crib to a toddler bed. Okay, to be completely honest, his crib turns into a toddler bed - we just removed one of the sides and replaced it with a safety rail. Now he's free to get in and out of bed whenever he wants.

We made this move a few months ago, but since I was MIA on this blog for the first part of the year, I didn't write about it. Until now.

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I didn't want him to sleep in a toddler bed. I wanted him in a crib. I was scared that once we converted his crib, he'd be up and down all night. My anxiety level shot up like a rocket the day we made the move.

I've always had a lot of anxiety about him sleeping, even though he's a very good sleeper and has been since he was a baby. That still doesn't stop me from having a panic attack if he starts to make noise at night.

What happened once he wasn't in a crib anymore? Nothing. He slept just like he always did. The only real difference has been that he gets up a little earlier in the morning, usually before 8. But that's been about it. And after talking to many, many other parents about this milestone, I think my wife and I have gotten off pretty easy. We are very lucky.

My logic was that if he had the freedom to get in and out of bed whenever he wanted to, he'd be all over the place. I underestimated him though, since he does what most people do at night - sleep. Imagine that. 

I should note there was a time when he wasn't tired and got out of bed and began knocking on the door while crying. It took my wife another story or two to get him back into his crib where he finally fell asleep.

What has been your experience with your little ones making the transition from crib to bed?