Space Saving Cots and Cribs That'll Fit into the Master Bedroom
During the first 6 months, it’s recommended that you sleep in the same room as your baby. As advised by the NCT, NHS and similar services – by positioning your baby’s cot in the same room and keeping them in a separate cot or moses basket, it can help reduce the risk of SIDS.
Following expert advice, trying to fit a cot into your master bedroom could pose a challenge! Babies are mini, but their furniture might not be…
Before selecting your babies’ crib (and playing furniture Tetris in the bedroom), there are a few things to consider first! We’ve compiled a short list of do’s and don’ts to help you navigate the changes to your bedroom and the layout of their temporary nursery.
Including space-saving cribs, moses baskets and cot recommendations, you’ll be able to create a safe and comfortable shared space for you and your new bedroom buddy!
1. Ensure the area around the cot is clear
When room-sharing with your baby, one of the most important considerations is keeping the area around their cot or moses basket clear. Any furniture, accessories, curtains etc. could pose a hazard if placed too close to their sleep space. Even decorations like mobiles and canopies could potentially become a risk if they’re within arm’s reach of your little one.
If you’ve chosen to place their cot up against a wall or in a corner, to avoid other obstacles, you should also ensure there isn’t a gap between their furniture and neighbouring surfaces. This prevents little one’s from becoming trapped should they decide to re-create the great escape!
If you’ve considered co-sleeping, opting for a bedside crib like the Snuzpod 4, could be a great choice if you’re struggling to fit in extra furniture.
Available to be used as a standalone crib, a removable bassinet or attached to your bed as a safer alternative to bed-sharing or co-sleeping – the Snuzpod takes up less space than traditional cots and allows you to easily comfort, feed, tend and bond with your baby, from the comfort of your own bed. It provides a separate and safe sleep space for your little one, as recommended by baby experts! You’ll need to ensure that bedside tables, shelves etc. are moved out of the way of the crib, and within a safe distance, but the design should help save on space!
Suitable from birth until approximately 6 months, once your baby is ready to move into the nursery, you’ll then have to update their sleep setup.
Another great co-sleeping alternative, but with a longer lifespan, is the Vox Simple Customisable Cot Bed with Storage Drawer. The design can be used as a freestanding cot or securely attached to any of the Vox adult beds.
Designed with 9 height settings, to keep little ones safe, and give you all of the benefits of co-sleeping – once you’re ready to move them onto the nursery, the convertible cot bed can continue to be used throughout their infancy and later transformed into a toddler bed when they’re ready for this stage.
2. Keep the cot away from windows, radiators and sockets
This leads us onto windows, radiators and plug sockets! When deciding where your babies’ cot will end up, make sure to avoid positioning their furniture near these potential hazards.
When babies are first born, they’re unable to regulate their body temperature in the same way children and adults do. Therefore their crib, moses basket or cot will need to be away from windows, heaters and air conditioning units to avoid changing temperatures or risk overheating.
If you’re concerned about maintaining your baby’s body temperature, we’d recommend selecting a cot or crib with slats on all sides and avoid designs with solid panels if you can! On all four sides of the Obaby Maya Mini Cot Bed – the rounded, vertical spindles promote good air circulation to help keep your youngster at the perfect temperature and give you peace of mind while they snooze.
Plug sockets should also be avoided, along with electronics, cables etc. Anything that could potentially be a hazard, should be kept clear of your baby’s sleep space and shouldn’t be within reach of curious little hands!
3. Keep the cot free of unnecessary bedding
The Lullaby Trust, and other baby experts, advise keeping cots free of bedding, bumpers and soft toys. Baby sleeping bags are great for keeping your baby comfortable and safe. But, where to keep them all? If you don’t have the space in the bedroom to keep their essentials stored but want them within reach and easy to grab if needed, choosing a cot with built-in storage would be a huge benefit.
The Obaby Nika Mini Cot Bed & Underdrawer offers 38.4L of added storage space for baby bits and bobs.
Available in a choice of coordinating colours, the convertible cot bed has also been designed with a smaller footprint to make fitting it into the bedroom a much simpler task! When every centimetre counts, accommodating a cot with a mattress measuring 120 x 60cm, when compared to a 140 x 70cm full-sized cot bed, means you’ll get all the same benefits, just in a smaller package.
Suitable from birth up to the age of 4, it can be moved from your bedroom to the nursery without disturbing your youngster’s routine too!
Still need something smaller and with storage? The Obaby Bantam Space Saver Cot fits a mattress sized 100 x 50cm in size. With the option to add the pull-out under-bed drawer, the recessed handles keep the footprint to a minimum. Bedding, comforters and soft toys can live in the drawer – on hand when you need them and safely tucked away when they’re sleeping.
The space-saver cot’s slatted design also helps circulate the air and regulate your baby’s temperature. They’ll be snug as a bug, without the need for bulky bedding that could be unsafe!
4. Select a design that can be portable!
If you’re short on space, choosing a design that can be portable might be worth considering. Arriving with a freestanding, foldable stand – The Little Green Sheep Natural Quilted Moses Basket takes up very little space, and can be moved out of the master bedroom, should you need to! Having that added flexibility will be a helping hand in the first few months of parenthood.
Day and night you can keep a close eye on your little bundle while they rest in their moses basket, and when it’s your turn to get some shut-eye – if you’ve got someone to help watch over your baby – move their moses basket out of the main bedroom and you can try and get some rest without being disturbed!
5. Place the cot away from other furniture
It’s advised that additional furniture, such as wardrobes, chest of drawers etc. should be securely installed or anchored to prevent tipping, and it’s best to keep the cot or crib away from these potential hazards.
If you’re unable to position the cot away from freestanding storage in the bedroom, and built-ins aren’t an option, it might be worth selecting an all-in-one like the Galipette Celeste Convertible Compact Cot Bed.
The space-saving design combines several pieces of furniture into one. Including a cupboard with hanging rail, chest of drawers, changing unit, bench seat with storage and a cot bed with an under-bed drawer – everything you and your baby could need will fit into one compact and safe space. Retire your old wardrobe and make better use of the space with this innovative and multi-functional design instead!
6. Keep the cot away from shelving and hanging wall décor
Like with bulky furniture, curtains, and other potential hazards – watch out for other hanging décor too! When fitting nursery furniture into the master bedroom, it might be tempting to look upwards to maximise on space. It’s a great idea to utilise the walls, but we’d recommend keeping shelving and hanging décor away from the cot. We aren’t doubting your DIY know-how, but it’s always best to be safe.
7. Try to sleep when they sleep!
When your little sleepyhead is dreaming away, it’s recommended you should try and get some rest yourself! When they sleep, you should sleep. It’s easier said than done, but there are a few things you can try to sync up yours and your babies sleep pattern.
Try to establish a baby bedtime routine by having a bath, changing into night clothes, reading a bedtime story, dimming the lights to create a calming atmosphere and using gentle music to lull the both of you to sleep. These are just a few ideas to help, but there’s plenty of information from baby sleep specialists if you’re struggling with this.
Another benefit of bedroom sharing also means you and your baby will be getting more one-on-one time together, you’re able to easily see and settle your little one with less disturbance and you’ll have added reassurance. By staying close and fitting their furniture around your own, you’ll have a better chance of syncing your sleep and feeling confident enough to nod off yourself.
8. Try not to worry too much about everyday noise
If you’ve decided bedroom sharing is the way to go, noise is something to bear in mind, but shouldn’t be a factor in your decision. Babies can sleep anywhere between 8 and 18 hours a day, so don’t worry if you’re not able to sleep when they sleep! It’s not always going to be possible.
But you shouldn’t stress about everyday noise in your bedroom either! If your baby is napping, it can be an opportunity to catch up with other things in the background. Baby’s need to get used to general noise, so try and avoid tip-toeing and staying silent while you’re busy tidying away or catching up on chores.
It’s actually a great way of establishing a bedtime routine. During the day carry on as normal if you’re not sleeping too, and during the night when the house is quiet and lights are low, you’ll be establishing a clear difference between daytime and night-time!
Master Sleep with a Space-saving Cot in the Master Bedroom
Create a safe and liveable space in the master bedroom, with our selection of space-saving nursery cots, cot beds and moses baskets. We hope our recommendations have been the helping hand you needed, but we’d always advise following expert guidance and information. Want to know more? Contact the team on +44 (0) 1305 231231 or email customerservice@cuckooland.com and we’ll point you in the right direction!
