13 month old escaped (fell out) of cot...what now for bedtime?!

[srisky]

This morning our 13m old fell head first out of his cot, which is at the lowest level. I think he may have been reaching for something but he was definitely leaning & reaching when he fell, so a sleeping bag won't prevent it happening again. We have put his cot mattress on the floor and will see how it goes but I don't hold out much hope. Anyone have any suggestions where such a young toddler can sleep safely? Thanks!

[Saffron]

My daughter has always been tall for her age, and around a similar age to your LO she started to get a leg over her cot rail!

We went for a futon instead, and super-babyproofed the rest of her room in the case of her getting up to play before I was up (which happened a lot). She slept on a futon until she was three, then we got a toddler bed.

[Grotty]

one of ours did this too, but it turned out to be a one off. We perservered as we weren't quite mentally prepared for no cot, and she hasn't climbed out since. Worth giving it another chance before you abandon cot completely. He may well do it again, but worth trying?

[Ellie78]

we 'restrain' our climbing toddler (2yo nearly) during bedtime with the use of a sleeping bag. I don't know about the other ones but he can't get the bambino marino one off by himself (yet...) and he can't lift a leg high enough (or stand easily enough) to get over the cot with it on.

I have to emphasise we didn't plan it that way - we just put him in the sleeping bag because he's a wriggly little one and would wake up having kicked blankets off etc. But I do have to say it's been remarkably convenient....Mwah mwah mwah....

(and I should add that he likes his sleeping bag and asks to go into it - so I don't feel too bad about it)

[uncleglen]

we had a bed with a removable side panel and that did the trick.

[srisky]

Thanks all for the advice. He is already in a sleeping bag so I think our best bet for an immediate (and cheap) solution is to use the travel cot as it is very deep. He tends to lean forward over the side of the cot if the wants to get out or is upset, plus it is difficult to drop everything immediately and run to him whenever he wakes just in case he goes over the side again.