Why your baby should sleep in a cot until they're 3 years old

There's a very good reason children should sleep in their cots until they're at least 3. Photo / 123rf

While some parents can't wait to upgrade their toddlers to a "big boy" or "big girl" bed, experts recommend keeping children in cots until they are at least 3.

A lot of parents, especially those with another little one on the way, feel the need to get this transition period out of the way. However, caution is advised.

Moving children out of their cots and into a toddler bed too early can actually have long-term effects.

New research shows that children who sleep in cots until 3 have better sleeping patterns.

The study, published in the journal Sleep Medicine also found benefits for parents who choose to keep children in cots for at least 36 months.

Researchers looked at the sleeping patterns of children and caregivers in five countries, including New Zealand.

It found that transitioning to a bed later in a child's life can positively impact their sleep.

"Research during the last decade has shown how important healthy sleep is across the lifespan, but especially during childhood," lead study author Ariel Williamson, of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, told Reuters Health.

While adults tend to "see cribs as cages", that is not how children see them.

"Children like small spaces as they feel safe and comfortable with them; if you watch young children play, they like to play under the table or in large boxes," said Lisa Meltzer, a paediatric psychologist at the National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado, who wasn't involved in the study.

Experts recommend adjustable cots that stand lower to the ground for toddlers who are not yet 3 but who have started climbing out of their cot.

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