A Gentle Toddler Sleep Transition: One Child’s Sleep Journey

Sleep journeys don’t always follow a straight line. They shift, evolve, and respond to seasons of life—for our children and for us as mothers. This is the story of how Lorenzo’s sleep unfolded, and how a slow, intuitive transition helped us both find more rest.

When I first brought Lorenzo home from the hospital, he mostly slept in his crib. In those early weeks, I would bring him into bed with me during the early morning hours, just for those cozy last stretches of sleep. Around six months old, that changed. He began sleeping in our bed full-time, and that continued until I weaned him at around 14 months, when I stopped breastfeeding.

When I felt ready to make a change, I started gently. I placed his crib right next to my bed with one side removed, creating a sidecar setup. He slept like that for a few nights, but before long, he wanted to come back into our bed. That’s when I paused—and remembered what had worked so well with my first child.

I moved Lorenzo’s crib completely away from our bed and removed one side. Instead of reinstalling the bars, I added a simple bed rail—soft, flexible, and easy to lift. This small change made it feel more like a real bed than a baby crib, while still keeping him secure. Sometimes, it’s not about doing more—it’s about making one thoughtful adjustment.

.We introduced a new, simple routine:

• -Sitting on the floor beside his bed

  -Reading a few books

• -Sharing a few cuddles

• -Playing soft lullaby music

I stayed quietly beside him until he fell asleep. The first few nights were a little bumpy. He took time to settle and still woke three to four times a night. When he woke, I didn’t rush to pick him up. I would go to him, gently pat his bottom, shush him softly, and he would drift back to sleep.

Within a few days, the night wakings dropped from four… to three… to two… to one… and eventually, none.

Today, Lorenzo is two years old, and it’s been months since he began sleeping in his own little bed.

Most nights, he sleeps through the night—from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. There are occasional nights when he wakes because of a bad dream or when he isn’t feeling well, and on those days, we adjust. But about 95% of the time, he sleeps through the night in his own bed.

For now, he’s still in our room. We’ll be moving into a new house at the end of the year, and since my five-year-old is still navigating early wakings, keeping Lorenzo close helps ensure that everyone in the family gets the rest they need.

This journey has been a gentle reminder that transitions don’t have to be dramatic. They don’t have to be rushed. And they don’t have to look like anyone else’s.

They can be slow, intuitive, and led with connection.

And even more than the sleep itself, it’s the trust I’ve built—with Lorenzo, and with myself—that’s helping us both rest easier.