My Toddler Won’t Stay in Bed

Picture this: it’s 8:00 p.m. You’ve done the bedtime routine flawlessly; bath, pyjamas, stories, snuggles, water, one more story, one more snuggle, a different stuffed animal, and just when you think you’ve won… your toddler reappears in the hallway like a tiny pyjama-clad ghost.

Dutch Door

Close the bottom half to keep your child safe, open the top half so they don’t feel trapped in their room alone. It's a win, win. I wish houses came standard with these.

Bedtime “escape acts” are so common they might as well hand you a Houdini diploma at your child’s two-year check-up. But before you start googling “small medieval castle cells for children”, let’s work smarter.

Here are three tips that might just save your bedtime and your sanity:

1. Make Sure They’re Actually Tired

It’s shocking how many parents are tucking in a toddler who is still basically wired from their afternoon nap. If your little one is napping but bouncing out of bed like a caffeinated kangaroo, check if the nap is still necessary.

• Under 3? Probably still needs it.

• Over 3? Could be ready to drop it or shorten it.

A child who’s truly tired is far less likely to want to sprint laps in the hallway after lights out.

2. Focus on Staying in the Room, Not the Bed

If you make the rule “you have to stay in bed,” congratulations, you’ve just set yourself up for years of micromanaging blanket arrangements. Instead, set the boundary that they must stay in their room.
Think of their bedroom as a giant crib. A safe, contained space where they can play, sing, or roll around until they’re ready to sleep, but without wandering the house like a feral raccoon.

3. Consider the Dutch Door Upgrade

If your partner is handy (or you’re feeling brave with a circular saw), you can convert their regular bedroom door into a Dutch door.

What’s a Dutch door? It’s a door split horizontally in half so the top can open while the bottom stays closed. You’ve probably seen them in:

• Schools. So teachers can talk to hallway wanderers without letting the whole class escape.

• Hospitals. To allow airflow but maintain safety.

• Old farmhouses. To let light in but keep animals out.

For bedtime, this means you can peek in, pass them a last-minute stuffie or drink of water, but still keep them contained in their “giant crib” bedroom. Not only are they great for toddlers but they are also teenager approved.

Bonus Tip:
If they keep popping out just for attention, remember, bedtime is your time too. Don’t get trapped in a loop of endless returns. Calmly walk them back to their room, limit the conversation, and repeat as many times as it takes (yes, sometimes it’s a lot).

Are you struggling with this ? Would you like to connect and get some tips? Drop me a comment below