How can I get my toddler to stay in his room at night?

I dont knwo what to do with my toddler anymore…i am so close to removing all items from his room…he just turned 3…always wakes up and comes in my room at night but this time he left the frudge open, there was syrup all over the kitchen floor…he brough yogurt into my bed and i just cannot handle this anymore…how do i get him to stop leavin his bed at night and getting into things?

143 Likes

Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How can I get my toddler to stay in his room at night?

I suggest getting a camera for his room so you can get notifications for sounds and movement. But if he’s getting into whatever he wants at night, it’s time to think about gates or a lock.

2 Likes

A tall baby gate that he a tually can’t open or climb over.
Or, a laser senor that’ll wake you up when he ealks out of his room.
Whew, I’d lose my mind of mine did that. :woman_facepalming:

Lock on the fridge for sure

2 Likes

Baby gate. One of those fridge pigs that squeal when the door opens . My gma had one when we was little to keep us out of it at night. Lol

I put a baby gate on my daughter’s room for the first year and a half, close to 2 years just for her safety at night.

It’s lack of impulse control ability for the age. It’s all about preventative measure. Gates. Fridge locks. Camera.

A tall baby gate. We have one with a door that opens and we have an extra lock on it so he can’t open it.

Baby gate in his doorway

We put a doorknob cover IN his room.

4 Likes

He’s 3… he wants you… :pleading_face::broken_heart:

9 Likes

Baby gate on his room

I have locks child proof locks on the bedroom door. At 9 pm all kids must be in there room watching TV until they go to sleep they also have camera that will link to your phone where u can watch them at all times

I would talk to your Pediatrician… Just in case. But sounds pretty normal. But…the above ideas sound worth a try.

I put those child proof door knob locks on my daughters she stopped trying after a week, i took them off and she didn’t notice

1 Like

Buy a bigger bed ! We did. Everyone slept !!! It won’t last forever, I promise ! :heart:

3 Likes

A baby gate in his door way should do the trick

1 Like

Feed him sugarfree foods and they have a calming lavender bath time by Johnson and Johnson that might keep him sleeping through the night. Also no late day naps and read books with him before bedtime

1 Like

My daughter is 2.5 I have a child safety door knob cover on her door knob, works pretty good so far

1 Like

Definitely baby gate at his door.

1 Like

Spank his butt an put him in his bed

I remember when my 2 youngest were 2 and 3. I was working midnight and had just laid down to sleep for a couple of hours. I woke up to a weird sound. The sound was a cracking noise and then lots of laughter…long story short I got up only to find an entire flat of eggs smashed all over the floor and the fridge wide open…thats when I learned my lesson. I quit my job the next day and got my sleep when they did from then on

3 Likes

Baby proof to the max, get those fridge and cupboard locks, make it impossible for him to get into anything. He’ll get bored and go back to bed.

2 Likes

Use a half door and keep the knob on the top part. Open only the top leave bottom closed (there’s a latch hidden only adults can open)
Or close his door and put alarm sensor on it so if it’s opened an alarm sounds.

1 Like

I’ve got a baby gate on my sons door. He just yells out when he wakes up

I Get Paid 0ver $ 109 per hour w0rking from h0me. I never thought l’d be able to do it but my colleague makes over $ 13700 a m0nth doing this and she convinced me t0 try. The possibility with this is limitless.

SEE MORE HERE… https://LifeStyle86.pages.dev

It depends… id prefer a baby gate over door locks for my kids, as we all sleep with our doors open.

1 Like

I got child locks on the fridge , freezer , microwave , cabinets and the oven . Child locks on EVERYTHING

2 Likes

Put a child lock on the fridge at night

3 Likes

Put a lock on your fridge, and a gate or something at his door.

1 Like

Tie bells all over him

4 Likes

Good baby gate and a potty chair in his room just in case .

I guess it depends on how your home is set up but we put up gates to block off areas we don’t want her in but she could still wake up and come in our room if needed.

3 Likes

I wouldnt make a toddler sleep alone in their room. I 100% believe in bed sharing until they are ready and then when you start to transición them start by putting their bed in your room so that they Will gradually get used to sleeping alone.

1 Like

My brother had to put child locks on all his cupboards and his fridge because his kids “made pancakes” in the middle of his kitchen floor

2 Likes

Fridge lock first so no mess or loss of food. Baby gate . There are also bed alarms.

2 Likes

Sounds like my son. Lock everything up get something to tie fridge handles together. Everything out of reach. Sucks I know or get a gate for his doorway. Unless he’s like my son and just climbs over them :woman_facepalming:

1 Like

Baby gate in front of his door and baby proof your house before you go to bed

1 Like

It’s your job a sa parent to teach him… proof everything and put an alarm on his door of need.

5 Likes

My son is 3 and sleeps with me. He’s not ready to sleep on his own so I’m not going to force it.

Taking everything out of his room is a little absurd I think. Put a gate to keep him in his room and have him help you clean up in the morning.

4 Likes

Try a bed time snack and as long as he falls asleep In his room let him sleep with you it doesn’t last long and a later bedtime

2 Likes

This is not a behavior issue as much as a safety issue. He simply can’t be roaming the house unsupervised. The number of children who actually make it out the front door and down the road while their parents are sleeping is a lot more than one would think. Be glad he left the fridge open instead of turning the burner on the stove. A baby gate and some sort of alert system on his door. Even if you hang Christmas bells on the door knob. You have to know he is not roaming the house and when he does, you have to get up and put him back to bed.

11 Likes

Let him sleep with you. :woman_shrugging:

3 Likes

You could invest in a tall baby gate. They can be double-locked so he can’t Houdini his way out. There should also be a catch you can put on the fridge door. I would also double check those safety latches on the cabinets. My daughter’s youngest was a wanderer at night too. She had to put a chain lock high up on her door going to the outside because she was afraid he’d take off. She also had to move her sharp knives. She caught him in the kitchen one morning at 2:30 spreading peanut butter with a butcher knife. There’s no end to the things they’ll get into when they aren’t corralled at night. Good luck.

2 Likes

If hes raiding the fridge maybe he needs a snack at bed time…cereal or toast and milk
Cant say mine wandered at night. They did get up an odd time but came through to me.
Baby gate didnt work with my son during the day …he lay on the floor and kicked it open. Was less than 1yo at that point lol so a 3yo will easily climb or open the gate.
Id lock the fridge and baby safe the house at night but not keen on blocking them in at night tbh . If hes able to wander without waking you maybe a baby monitor is needed so you can catch him and get him settled quickly.

2 Likes

A kid will sleep in his room all night when he’s ready

DOOR MONKEY Child Proof Door Lock & Pinch Guard - For Door Knobs & Lever Handles - Easy to Install - No Tools or Tape Required - Baby Safety Door Lock For Kids - Very Portable - Great for Dogs & Cats https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ECJWK4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_D181B0Z0X8YJ8FSXD0S0

A lot of friends of mine use this for their toddlers!

A gate with a potty chair in his room if he’s potty trained. Provide him hand sanitizing wipes but just a few. Good luck.

2 Likes

I don’t think it’s safe to lock him in his room even if it’s just a baby gate, in case of an emergency or fire. But maybe an alarm on his door that sounds when he opens it. They sell them for anything with contact like a door or window it will make a loud chime. And set the rules ahead of time let him know that other than using the toilet I guess if he gets up and leaves his room for anything that he will have consequences and then follow through with those consequences. But at least if you have a chime that will wake you up you can intercept before the situation gets sticky

1 Like

We had to put a lock on our fridge when our daughter was 3 and had a obsession with eggs after Easter lol.

3 Likes

Lock him in his room- flip the door knob so the lock is on the outside.

4 Likes

Fridge lock I woke up one morning to a bowl full of cereal in the middle of the kitchen floor the box of cereal sitting beside the bowl and the whole gallon of milk all over the floor because he poured the milk in the bowl until it overflowed and all the rest of the milk out into the bowl until it was gone

2 Likes

Chain locks and alarms are my best friend but my daughter is autistic and has escaped our house so it’s all for safety.

2 Likes

Also put locks high up on the doors on the inside so he can’t get outside

Do u have a monitor
Then you would hear and see him
Safety first

2 Likes

My son sleeps in my bed he’s 4.5 and sleep walks so I have him sleep in my room so I can know when he gets up, I’ve also installed safety locks on all cabinet doors and the refrigerator, oven, dishwasher anything that’s a potential safety hazard.

1 Like

Make food and chemicals so he can’t get to them… Baby proof and tell him that if he wakes up at night that if he wants to sleep with you that he will have to sleep on the floor… It won’t last forever and let’s you know where he is while you sleep if he wakes up. And if you really want to you can buy a security system off Amazon that plugs into your wall and it will detect any movement and will alert you at night…

2 Likes

Maybe try one of those little alarms that sounds when he gets up. And maybe some sleep aids, like lullabies or sleepy sounds.

1 Like

How about a baby gate in his doorway

2 Likes

We used a baby gate that was really hard to climb. Had to leave the door open though.& Remove any toys he could stand on to get over lol.

1 Like

Sounds like he needs some love and attention.

2 Likes

Sounds like he’s hungry.

I keep the house dark if I leave even a little light my step so. Will do the same
Kind of crap.

Mine couldn’t turn the handle at that age. I baby proofed every inch of her room and kept the baby monitor in there in case she needed me

1 Like

I have one of those baby proof doorknob covers on the inside of my daughters room…

2 Likes

I wouldn’t say lock the kid in the room. But you can get a little alarm to stick to the door and frame so when it opens it goes off. I’ve also used a camera monitor in their room with motion sensor.

2 Likes

Buy a child-proof door handle cover so he can’t open door from inside or install a sliding lock.

2 Likes

Get a blink monitor! It’s only $35 but you’ll get a notification when he moves. Maybe leave it only checking the door that way you’ll get a notification when he opens the door. You can also set it up so it’s only monitoring at night time

2 Likes

“Dog” Gate on his room…my 1st born was really tall for his age and could easily climb over a baby gate . It took me 3 nights of constantly putting him back to bed and camping in the hall outside his bedroom door for him to understand bedtime meant bedtime and to stay there. I explained bed a few times then after that just returned him to bed without explanation. Both kids initially understood.
Each child is different of course but routine and consistency is the key x

1 Like

I just have to say from personal experience, it is extremely traumatizing to be locked in a room by your mother at a young age for any reason.

7 Likes

My son used to sleep walk. I used to find him all over the place, scary as crap! I put anything he could really hurt himself with up and bought magnetic alarms for the windows, doors, and certain cabinets.

2 Likes

All kids are DIFFERENT. I have raised 11. My 4 yr. Old greatgrandson is always. hungry at 3am. I was always awake at night as a child. Some are night owls. Mine sleeps in a crib by my bed so i can meet any need he has. Grandchildren and greatgrandchildren are different than your OWN. The list goes on. GRAND children GREAT grandchildren m, GREAT GREAT grandchildren. Get it? It gets BETTER and BETTER. You will have to figure this out from trial and error and experience which is ALWAYS the BEST TEACHER!:rose::gift_heart:

Maybe some glow in the dark lights like outer space N stars n stuff???

Or something with like a light show that moves Type thing

I had to child proof all of the cabinets and fridge from my middle of the night eater. I had to get a camera monitor that would alert me when he’d wake up. I could talk to him through the camera. Of course, now that he’s 10 he tells me the voice in the camera wouldn’t let him get up at night. :woman_facepalming:t3:. Please don’t lock him up. Try something else.

Toddlers! You have to LOCK EVERYTHING INCLUDING THEM! I dreamed that a baby was crying. Woke up and checked on my 2 year old. Not in her room. Had gone outside at 3am in her gown, no shoes in a 2 foot :flushed: :sob: :weary: of snow blizzard. Lock was put on her bedroom door. She could have frozen to death.

2 Likes

I feel you on half of this post, my son gets into so much in the fridge and kitchen because he’s so independent with getting his snacks and plates, he HAS to get things himself. He’ll sneak out and pour himself milk and stuff and it spills everywhere lol.

But I just let him sleep with me. He’s 3 and he’s always slept with me. I don’t mind it, I know it won’t last forever.

3 Likes

What I did to get my daughter to sleep and not get out of bed is made her room pitch black. No lights. No TV. No night light. She goes to bed every night without a fight now.

1 Like

I’d lock the fridge, not his door :woman_facepalming:t2: I’m pretty sure it’s illegal in certain states to lock your kids in their room anyways. Maybe leave him a snack by his bed that he can eat if he’s hungry and put a baby gate in front of his door so he can’t leave it by himself

4 Likes

We put a little fridge lock on our fridge, as well as cabinet locks, and even a microwave lock to keep my 3 year old out of things. also we kept her awake during the day often so she can sleep at night. We didn’t put locks on her door or anything to prevent her from getting out of her room for safety reasons.

1 Like

Either move him to your room and co-sleep.

1 Like

Can you let me know? My 5 year old still wont sleep unless every inch of her is on me. :woman_shrugging:

1 Like

I put a child lock on the fridge because mine gets in there and leaves it open too.

1 Like

A “doorbell” to sound in his doorway? So at least you know he’s up and can tend to him

2 Likes

Let the Karen’s come at me but. Make his room a “yes” room. Meaning he can get into anything in it. ( video monitor for ease of mind and safety) and turn that door knob around so you can lock it from the outside. Or put the child safety knob things on so he can’t use it( but I know toddlers that figure those out with all night to do so)

2 Likes

Put a baby gate up at his door

2 Likes

When my daughter started this I just started putting the baby gate up in her doorway before I went to sleep. Then she has to wake me up when she gets up.

1 Like

speak with your pediatrician there are lots of good ideas here, but your pediatrician knows your child the kitchen forrays can be quite dangerous—there are knives and a stove in there good luck

I had to put a screen door on my sons rooms he could see out but not escape.
He was getting into things that weren’t safe…climbing on counters and even touching the stove one night

Locks and baby gates.

1 Like

I cut the door in half so I had a half door with a latch on it

3 Likes

You don’t hear him? Maybe he is too far from your room

2 Likes

Put a gate up in his doorway to contain him in his room.

1 Like

Not sure if this has been said but what about a small gift reward? Put a sticker on a chart if he earns it for the night. And give him something small as a gift when he completes a day or a week??
Kids are smarter than we give them credit for, which I’m sure you know. So talk to him and help him get excited about being a big boy who stays in bed when it’s bed time.

I would definitely figure out something. If he’s getting into whatever he wants, I’d be more worried about his safety rather than some syrup on floor or yogurt on the bed :woman_shrugging:t2:

2 Likes

Completely baby proof his room, add baby gate. My son will bust down a gate fairly quickly but we hear it. Luckily, the worst he’s brought to bed was a tortilla.

That sucks but it’s cute too, he brought you yogurt lol. I know, trust me, mine squirted ketchup all over the bed, so I get it lol

He’s 3 it’s just gonna take a little patience from you until he learns. But you shouldn’t take things out of his room, it’s not fair to him because he doesn’t fully understand “rules” yet

7 Likes

Is he getting a bedtime snack? I remember waking up in the middle of the night routinely as a young child because I was HUNGRY.

2 Likes