There comes a point in every young childs' life when they've out-grown their cot and it's time to think about up-sizing to a toddler bed.

To be honest I wasn't as enthusiastic as my wife, Adele, as I wanted to leave it as long as possible, let me explain.. Our beautiful little boy Jacob, looks like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth, but he has the amazing ability to destroy everything in his path!

Everything the little fella touches is de-constructed and hidden down the back of the sofa, inside another toy or even stuffed into his nappy. I was trying to cling on to those last moments where he'd be imprisoned in his cot, safe from harm and not ravaging his lovely little bedroom!

However, his room's quite small and it's very limited to where his cot was placed which was by his window. When he woke up after one particular afternoon nap session I caught a glimpse in the baby monitor that he was in the process of climbing out of his cot and onto the window ledge! Subsequently a few more escape attempts were undertaken, Jacob crashing down on the floor after scaling the perimeter of his prison cot - enough was enough, obviously we didn't want him to get hurt so the cot sadly had to go.

Jacob, age 2, our second child has a completely different personality to his older sister Amber, age 9, so it was unfamiliar ground 'again' on how he'd react to an open bed.

With a strict night time routine (that works really well), we wanted to try and still make bedtime enjoyable and have a bed that he'd want to sleep in, so being a passionate Disney Pixar 'Cars' fan it seemed a 'no brainer' to try a Cars 2 Lightning McQueen toddler bed from Worlds Apart

Disney Pixar Lightening McQueen toddler bed from Worlds Apart

As I said, Jacob's room is quite small and this toddler bed is ideal measuring under 80cm wide and 170cm long. It's just the right height at 54cm for him to climb into and has protective side panels near the pillow area to stop him rolling out.

Built out of solid MDF it makes for a sturdy bed that took me less than an hour to build and manoeuvre into his room. As you'll agree Lightning McQueen looks very cool and Jacob loves it, it's even got a very handy large storage drawer built into his bonnet so we can quickly throw all of Jacobs toys into it!

Bed size: (H)54 x (W)77 x (L)170 cm, Takes mattress size (L) 140cm x (W) 70cm. Suitable from 18 months up to 5 years

Available from Amazon, and Argos from £169.99.

This toddler bed doesn't include a mattress, so we decided to go for The Twist™ Natural Mattress from The Little Green Sheep.

The Little Green Sheep are experts when it comes to mattresses. Their range is entirely chemical free and breathable, ensuring all little ones get the best sleep from day one. The whole collection is extremely popular, but it seems there is one mattress that outsells all the rest because not only is it 100% natural, it’s also truly innovative and a very worthwhile investment.

The Twist™ Natural Mattress is super clever because it transforms in two different ways. Small babies need firm and flat support whilst they sleep, and that’s exactly what the Twist offers (on one side!) As they grow into toddlers, they no longer need their mattress to be as firm. If you invest in a Twist, you won’t need to start shopping again for some time – you can simply Twist the mattress to provide supple and springy comfort for toddlers and young children up to the age of 7 years!

Made from a combination of coconut coir, fleece wool, natural latex and unbleached cotton the Twist is built to last. The coconut coir provides an evenly sprung surface that is extremely comfortable, so parents can rest assured this mattress will see their little one through those bouncy toddler times up until they start big school. All Little Green Sheep mattresses are also naturally anti-dust mite and breathable, promising a peaceful night’s sleep for every child. Even better each one comes with a five year guarantee to keep parents sleeping through the night too!

RRP: from £145 from www.thelittlegreensheep.co.uk

The Gro To Bed bedding set from The Gro Company

Our family are very big fans of The Gro Company. Our daughter, Amber, had Grobags (the baby Sleep Bag) from being very tiny. We are convinced that along with our bedtime routine, these have helped both our children to be great sleepers and can't recommend them enough to other parents.

So imagine our sadness when Jacob was too big for Grobags. What now? Will he keep waking during the night from a quilt that keeps sliding off the bed?

Well the clever people at The Gro Company, have come up with a brilliant, yet simple invention. The Gro To Bed bedding.

The Gro to Bed bedding set is ideal for toddlers making the transition from cot to bed or Grobag to bedding.

It has a unique zip-in system that keeps the duvet secure on the bed with the toddler safe underneath it. It makes it impossible to kick the duvet off and makes it almost as hard to fall out. The pillow is fixed in place and the whole thing secured to the bed with a clever elastic holder.

A warm and secure toddler is much more likely to sleep right through, and that's exactly what Jacob is doing, thank goodness!

The Gro To Bed Set is recommended from 2yrs + and is Machine washable, it includes a secure bottom fitted sheet with integral pillow case, and attachable duvet cover, and is available in cot bed size.

Price: £49.99 from www.gro-store.com

Jacob had a very peaceful first night sleep in his new bed and didn't wake up once...phew!

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