Ideas for a Day Bed in a Baby Room

Convertible Furniture

• Cribs that turn into daybeds or serve as a full-size headboard can grow with your child from his baby years to his college years. Turn the crib into a daybed when he starts to climb out of his crib. Tell your baby the daybed is his "big boy bed" when you're setting it up, prior to putting him in it.

Practical Uses

• Set up a daybed in the baby's room in addition to her crib to serve multiple purposes. You can nap on the daybed when she does, or sleep in her room when she's not feeling well. Add an abundance of plush pillows to the daybed to serve as a comfortable place for you to sit while feeding the baby, especially in the middle of the night. The daybed can also provide guests, like her grandma, a place to sleep when visiting. Move the baby to your bedroom in a portable crib or bassinet if you don't want the baby to disturb your guests.

Decorating

• Include the daybed in your decor plans. Purchase a daybed that complements the crib with the same color or style. Use pillows or bedding that complement the crib bedding, such as using the same colors as the baby's bedding. Add a few novelty pillows or stuffed animals that go with the baby's bedroom theme, such as lions and giraffes for a jungle-themed nursery. Your baby can use the pillows or stuffed animals when he's older since you shouldn't place those items in his crib, to prevent suffocation accidents.

Safety

• Avoid wrapping loose items around the spindles of the daybed, such as strings of lights or silk ivy. Those items can look great in an older child's bedroom, but can pose hazards to babies and toddlers. Lay long body pillows on the floor beneath the daybed when she starts to sleep in it, even if only for naps, to provide a soft surface in case she rolls off the bed in her sleep.