in bikes & ride-ons Action FiguresVideo GamesBikes & Ride-onsElectronicsBuilding SetsLearningGames & PuzzlesOutdoor PlayVehicles, Hobby & R/CPretend PlayArts & CraftsPreschoolMusical InstrumentsStuffed AnimalsCooking for Kids Hot WheelsMinecraftLEGOStar WarsTransformersTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DollsArts & CraftsBath, Beauty & AccessoriesPretend PlayBikes & Ride-onsElectronicsBuilding SetsOutdoor PlayLearningPreschoolGames & PuzzlesMusical InstrumentsStuffed AnimalsVideo GamesCooking for Kids Disney FrozenBarbieDisney PrincessMy Little PonyMonster HighDoc McStuffins1. Joey JCB Digger Junior Bed This colourful themed bed is a dream-come-true for little boys. Complete with bold and chunky features, and even a front bucket that doubles up as a useful toy box, parents will also be pleased that it requires no glue, screws or tools to put together. You'll be hard pushed to find a littlun' who wouldn't be pleased as punch with this slatted base bed with canopy.
It's durable and easy to assemble, not to mention great value for money. 3. ASPACE Coco Bunk Bed This sleek, urban take on the traditional bunk bed design comes in a striking combination of dark and white wood. It has handy built-in storage and the ladder can go at either end, although be warned you have to pay a whopping £65 for delivery. Not only does this cot create a nest like environment for your baby, but it has smooth action lockable wheels for rocking them to sleep or moving them from one room to another. It comes in a range of colours and converts into a toddler bed too. 5. GLTC Reece Cabin Bed This has to be the funkiest kids' bed ever and the great thing is you don't even need a big bedroom to put it in. Featuring bookshelves, cupboard and further shelving, there's also a pull-out desk on castors and deep ladder steps that are kinder to feet. It's also available in white. 6. John Lewis Anna Toddler Bedstead It can be a nightmare persuading kids to move from a cot to their first grown-up bed, but you should be able to ease the transition with this smart, birch bed, complete with two side rails for added reassurance.
It's easy to assemble and there's a dark finish available too. 7. Cuckooland Kids' Tent Cabin Bed If you can afford it, this is an awesome bed that would make the perfect centre piece in any kids' bedroom. The cloth side wall opens up as a canopy, but it can easily be taken down when they want to keep annoying siblings, or indeed mum and dad, out. The second slide-away bed is great for sleepovers. Girls of all ages will love this study, but pretty ivory painted bed with crystal effect handles. It goes with most other pieces of furniture, although if you do want to buy one of the matching pieces of Sophie furniture from Next at the same time, you'll get £50 off. 9. KUKUU Bird & Berry Crib Most cots look pretty similar, give or take the colour, but this contemporary design is a statement piece that will look great in any modern home. It's not cheap, but at least the price includes the mattress. All the wood is ethically sourced and is as durable as they come. 10. World's Apart DeVan Bed
Not only is this retro-styled camper van bed a great space saving option, thanks to the built-in desk area and seating area with storage underneath, but it's also really cool and will impress friends instantly. Also available in pink, it is so much more than just a bed.1 1 Facebook PinterestGordon Beall Is He Ready?Between the ages of 18 months and 3 years, toddlers make the transition to their very first big-kid bed. It is best to keep your toddler in a crib as long as possible, but if he starts to climb over the rail, is potty-trained, or expresses a desire to move into a big-boy bed, it is time for the transition. Here is a step-by-step guide to make it easy on you and your toddler.2 2 Facebook PinterestGemma Commas Movin' UpMake the move as fun as possible. Involve your child in the selection of his bed as well as the new bedding. Then when he is moved in, make a big deal about showing guests his new bed.3 Making the Switch from Crib to Bed | How to Sleep for Children 3 Facebook PinterestWin Baby Gear!
4 4 Facebook PinterestBill Hopkins Choose the Best BedChoose a bed that is best for your toddler. While beds designed for toddlers are colorful and fun to look at, your toddler will outgrow it quickly. If you choose a twin or double bed, make sure you attach a guardrail so she doesn't roll out of bed. Children should not sleep in the top of a bunk bed until they reach 6 years old.5 5 Facebook PinterestMarty Baldwin Timing Is EverythingConsider the timing of the move with other events that are happening in your toddler's life. Do not combine the move with her first day of preschool or the birth of a new sibling. Instead, transition her into a big bed a couple of months in advance.6 6 Facebook PinterestEkaterina Monakhova/ iStockphoto Keep Your RoutineMake it a point to stick with your usual bedtime routine. While it is tempting to lie down with your toddler as she falls asleep, this habit is hard to break once started. Keep things as normal as possible to ensure a smooth transition into her new bed.
Terry started wetting the bed age 4 and continued to do so until he turned 15. His family was at their wit's end and didn't know where to turn for help. That's because myths abound when it comes to bed-wetting and they often prevent children from getting the proper help, says Alan Greene, MD, an assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., and author of several books including the forthcoming From First Kicks to First Steps. WebMD talked to leading pediatricians to debunk some of the more common myths and address parental concerns about bed-wetting. Here's what we uncovered: There's something wrong with my 3-year-old! "Bed-wetting is very common in younger kids, in fact, it is so common that it is even considered normal before age 5," Greene says. "Nighttime dryness is the last part of toilet learning that kids achieve," he adds. At ages 6 and below, bed-wetting only needs to be addressed if the child is feeling really bad about himself as a result, he says.
"As adults, when the bladder gets full, it sends a signal to the brain to wake up or you start dreaming about water or going to bathroom, and then you wake up, but for kids the signal isn't quite strong enough to get them awake," Greene says. That's why "it is normal for kids to wet the bed," agrees Charles I. Shubin, director of the children's health center at Mercy FamilyCare in Baltimore, Md. "By age 6, one out of six or seven will do it." He adds that bed-wetting is "a developmental issue and therefore the treatment is time, so for kids age 6 or under, they will most likely grow out of it." Parents need to realize that "to some extent this is a social problem and in a more primitive setting, it would not matter," Shubin tells WebMD. In other words, "if a 3-year-old is not bothered by wearing a pull-up at night, then don't bother him about it," says Oschner Clinic Foundation pediatrician Michael Wasserman, MD, of New Orleans. But "if it's a 6-year-old and he or she is afraid that a buddy will make fun of him because of bed-wetting, then it becomes an issue."
Don't Blame the Victim "It makes matters worse when parents yell and scream at their children for what they do in their deep sleep," Shubin says. And some parents still believe that bed-wetting is the child's fault. In fact, bed-wetters may even be punished by their parents for wetting the bed, and that's the worst possible response. Stanford's Greene agrees: "Many parents feel like it's their fault or their kids fault or that their kid is lazy and children often feel very guilty and ashamed and what this leads to is punishment and that only makes bed-wetting worse. "For kids that are under 5 or 6, it's normal, they are not doing something wrong and it won't last forever," Greene says. "Kids need reassurance and encouragement, not punishment." Consider that though 20% of 5-year-old children wet the bed, only about 5% of 10-year-olds and 1% of 15-year-olds -- like Terry -- wet the bed. And betwetting that continues into adulthood occurs rarely, according to the NKF.
While babies produce urine around the clock, toddlers start to go to the bathroom on a daytime and nighttime schedule once their bodies start to produce a substance called 'antidiuretic hormone' (ADH) that inhibits urine production. In addition, as kids mature they become more sensitive to the feeling (produced by stretching of the bladder walls) that they need to urinate. Children who continue to wet the bed beyond the age of 6 may not be producing enough ADH hormone at appropriate times or may not yet be attuned to their bodies' signals, or both, says Greene. Parents should start looking into formal treatment sometime between the ages of 6 and 7, according to the National Enuresis Society or sooner if the child seems troubled by the bed-wetting. "Older kid are not as likely to outgrow it and these are the kids that deserve specific help -- whether an alarm, medication, or a combination," he says. "With help, most kids will be dry within 12 weeks," he says. I will never sleep through the night again.
If parents like Terry's find themselves setting their own alarm to wake their children during the night to urinate, they should purchase a bed-wetting alarm. "They really do work," says Shubin. Enuresis alarms sound in response to wetness and can be purchased at drugstores for as little as $60. They have a cure rate of 75%, according to a study published in the journal Pediatric Psychology. And when combined with medication such as desmopressin (DDAVP), which acts on the kidneys to reduce the flow of urine, the urine alarms are even more effective, the study says. Just don't give up too soon, Greene says. "Many parents say, 'I tried it for a couple of weeks and it didn't work,' but enuresis alarms often take up to 12 weeks to make a difference." Before resorting to an alarm or medication, try using a "star chart," where you give a child a star for every dry night and a prize for a few dry nights in a row. But "if this doesn't work in two weeks, it won't and continuing it may only discourage the child," Greene says.
Behavioral changes too play a role in achieving dryness, he says. Try decreasing the amount that kids drink before bed. "This will make a difference and may just be enough for some kids," Greene says. Limit fluid intake to 2 ounces in the last two hours before bedtime and cut out caffeine, which is a natural diuretic, he says. "Kids should not be drinking a lot of soda with caffeine anyway, but a lot of them do," Greene says. Also consider moving bedtime up by 30 minutes, he says. "In some studies, getting just one half of an hour more sleep at night decreases bed-wetting because kids are less tired and don't sleep as soundly and are able to wake up more easily when their bladder gets full." Such reassurance can be based on the fact that bed-wetting tends to run in families, Wasserman points out. "Calm down and reassure your child and do things to help his or her self esteem," he says. "If it's true, you may even say 'daddy used to do this,'" he suggests. He or she will grow out of it.
This is usually true, Greene says. My son or daughter can never have sleep over at a friend's house!Drugs such as DDAVP can be used for special occasions. "For special situations, medication can be prescribed to make sure the child is dry to participate in social events like sleep-overs," Shubin says. "If a child is afraid to sleep at a friend's for fear he or she will wet the bed, DDAVP works," Shubin says. The problem with prescribing this medication over the long-term is its expense. "DDAVP can be a great solution for some kids, but the disadvantage is the cost and there may be a long-term need unlike the alarm which usually works in 12 weeks," Greene says. The other medication that doctors sometimes prescribe for bed-wetting is an older tricyclic antidepressant called imipramine. "This allows you to have better control of the bladder, affects the bladder musculature and may change sleep patterns, so kids wake up if they have to urinate," Wasserman says. While this drug is cheaper, it does have more side effects including nervousness, intestinal problems, and excessive tiredness during the day.