3 year old sleeping on the floor......is this ok?

[nalla]

Hi, my daughter is 3 (will be 4 next month) and every night she gets out of her bed and will sleep on the floor. She brings her pillow, blankets and animals with her. And sometimes she will make a little bed in her closet and sleep in there. She goes back and forth between her closet and the floor right next to her bed.
I ask her why she doesn't want to sleep in her bed, and everytime she just says because the floor is fun.
What I'm wondering is if she can get a proper nights sleep being on the floor? As far as I know she doens't wake up at night but she has been a little more crabby during the day and has needed a nap. (she stopped napping in the afternoon a year ago).
Just wondering what your thoughts are on this. Should I just let her continue to sleep on the floor and/or closet?

[Smorley]

My 10 year old has slept on the floor for the past 6 months, he curls up under his desk in his sleeping bag.  Before that he converted a box (that our new furniture arrived in) in to a bed, every night he would climb in with his blankets, duvet and teddies, we even cut windows out of it (as I worried about him not getting enough air) but he is absolutely fine.  He just likes snuggling up in den like places.

[Mamabophelo]

My two year old daughter prefers to sleep on a floor. I wonder if its healthy for her and she has fever during the night. Please assist.

[jamonica]

I think this is a bad idea letting her sleep on the floor or the closet .It's weird that this isn't rare because my 3 year old brother just whenever he gets mad or sad he just lays on the floor and sometimes he sleeps so when searched for this i thought that it was going to be 0 results , but instead 500 and something .Its really odd that many children do that we've gotta have solution . :(

[herbymomof2]

I'm at a lose i have a 7 year old and a 5 year old both boys and even in the crib they would literally rock and bang their heads on the bars. My youngest would even go so far as sitting in his crib legs between the bars holding on to the top rail and literally bang his head so hard it would wake me from a dead sleep.  By the time my oldest was 5 he pretty much has grown out of it, but my youngest, my 5 year old for the past 2 years has graduated to not only banging his head in his sleep, but to sleeping on the floor.  No matter how many times i put him back in his bed he always ends up on the floor in the mourning (and i have to move him at least 3 to 4 times a night never fail.) Is this normal i fee like a horrible parent, I've moved his bedrooms put him in the same room as his older brother tried night lights heck everything i can think of but he still ends up on the floor. Anyone gone through the same thing or any advice i'd appreciate it.

[bseverino85]

its just that age. believe it or not my son is Autistic and actually WILL sometimes nap in the bed but when it come to bedtime he just seem so much happier on the floor and seeing as he does have sleeping problems if you touch him and he wakes up he is up ALL night. the doctor told me as long as he sleeps all night and doesn't wake up its fine let him get what sleep his brain will allow him because in all reality my son doesn't quite understand WHY we go to bed or can even tell when he is tired. trust me its been this way for 3 years and he is 4 going on 5. he will eventually choose to sleep in his bed when HE is ready and your daughter probably will too.

[reegsp]

My Daughter is only just two and since October last year we moved her from Cot into a small baby bed. She has probably had one nights sleep through but otherwise she always tried our bed until I stopped that. Now she started pre school and insists on sleeping on the floor every night. She either goes and lies under the computer table or under her table and chairs in her room. She takes one blanket (only sometimes) and one cuddly toy. I wake up every night 2 or three times to check on her and move her back into her bed but in the morning she is always back on the floor. My problem is the floor is hard and wooden in her room and there is a very thin carpet in the lounge under the computer table but we also have two small dogs who lie under there during the day. I am afraid she is going to get bitten by a rouge flea at some stage and I am also concerned that she could get cold and uncomfortable. PLEASE HELP any suggestions? I must say I am relieved after reading many other comments that I am not alone in this. I just want a good nights sleep.

[lottie1punch]

My 2 and a half year old has slept on the floor for a couple of months now and it is hard to see her down there when she has a big comfy bed that she could sleep in. The health visitor said it was very common and they do grow out of it and if she is sleeping all night then not to worry (easier said then done).The way i am looking at it now is that if she has a good nights sleep then she must be ok.  

[rilbrianne]

Oh yes, my 4 yr old did it too.  I used to sleep under the dining room table when I was little, just crawl under there and fall asleep.  When we went grocery shopping, I'd crawl under the cart and sleep! Talk about uncormfortable!! But I was fine.  

It is perfectly normal.  Sounds like he's making a nice little pallet for himself :)

[mommyof3cuties]

I'm so glad that i found this site because i have the same problem with my 3 year old daughter. I was worried about it but now i know what i should do and that there are other children that do it too.

[anxiousmomtobe?]

If she is sleeping well and you are sleeping well, I don't think it is a problem.  My babysitter's son also liked to sleep in the closet, he felt snug.  He's 10 and has been sleeping in his bed for many years.

[pixijal]

My son does the same thing.  If it bothers you that bad, go in after she is asleep and move her to her bed.  My 3, almost 4 year old son always prefers to sleep on the floor.  We tuck him in his bed, and check on him later, he is cuddled up on the floor w/his favorite blanket and toys.  I usually leave him there.

[nalla]

Thanks ladies!
No, she doens't go to a daycare, so she isn't getting it from that.
It doesn't really bother me, it just seems so uncomfortable. But thinking back when I was a kid I could sleep anywhere. Man my kids make me feel old sometimes! LOL!!
She just says that she likes it and she likes to pretend she is camping. so it's fine. I just wanted to make sure she could get a good nights sleep while being on the floor all night. I know I couldn't! LOL

[tiredbuthappy]

good point blondie- at many daycares, the children nap on thin mats on the floor. i often see the children end up sleeping completely off the mat and on the floor. doesn't seem to bother any of them. if she insists on sleeping on the floor and you're concerned about comfort or her being cold, maybe buy an exercise or camping mat for her to lay on. perhaps she doesn't like the height of the bed. have you tried her mattress directly on the floor? i'd say as long as she's actually sleeping, and not disturbing you or your other children, let her do it.

[blondie72]

I say if she seems content on the floor let her do it - I would even invest in a sleeping bag for her and make it really fun.   My 8 yr old will come into our room every so often and make a little bed on the floor next to our bed and is just fine.   I say if your daughter is ok with it - Then you should be too.   Does she go to daycare or anything where they take naps on the floor???  I say don't worry :o)