Floor bed and how to use it
Our floor bed is a low bed designed for babies and young children, inspired by the Montessori educational philosophy. The Montessori approach advocates for creating an environment that fosters a child's independence, freedom of movement, and self-directed learning. The floor bed aligns with these principles and is often used as an alternative to traditional cribs or raised beds.
How to use it?
In the first weeks, the baby needs the pronounced closeness of the mother. Cestina is the tool that can provide this for a newborn, and for this reason, cestina is used as the first sleeping place prior to transitioning to the floor bed. At night, cestina with the sleeping baby is placed next to the parent’s bed, but during the day, the mother moves around the house with the baby and cestina. Additionally, a topponcino is used – something familiar and promoting a sense of security. During the day, the baby sleeps in cestina – the mother can take care of herself while the baby sleeps and be close to the baby at the same time. When more predictable sleep-wake rhythms are established (around 6-8 weeks), the floor bed can be slowly introduced during nap times (during this time, the baby is still placed in the floor bed with cestina). At around three to four months, the baby is placed into the floor bed for a nap without cestina but with topponcino only.
During daytime naps, the baby is gradually introduced to the floor bed, the place where the baby will soon sleep at night too. Topponcino (something familiar and beloved) helps familiarize the baby with the floor bed. Slowly but surely, the baby is starting to understand that this is the place where the body experiences the sleepy feeling, and this is also the environment the baby first experiences upon waking up.
By creating sleep and wake-up rituals, we allow the baby to understand and anticipate what will happen next and what the baby is expected to do next, for example, to have a nap or to understand that the floor bed is a safe place for napping. It is also very important to provide your baby with space and time when the baby wakes up from the nap in the floor bed. Allow the time to wake up slowly, to look around and explore the surroundings. Approach only when the baby is asking for it. If the baby is calling, an immediate response is provided, of course. This helps them understand that the floor bed is a safe place to sleep in, and mom and dad will always be there if needed.