What To Do If Your Toddler Is Climbing Out Of The Crib

Expecting to keep your toddler in the crib until at least 3 years old but one night you are greeted in the middle of the night by the sound of pitter patter of little feet and then a tiny face suddenly appears at the doorway….Help?! If your toddler has started climbing out of the crib, you’re not alone. Even though it can feel a bit unnerving, let’s look at ways to maintain the crib as their sleep space.

What Age Do Toddlers Start Climbing Out of the Crib?

Typically, it ranges from 18 months to 3 years old, although some adventurous ones may try it earlier. Around this stage of development, toddlers gain increased strength, independence, coordination, and curiosity. The crib that once felt cozy and secure may now feel like a barrier standing between them and the rest of the world.

Signs your toddler may attempt to climb out:

• Pulling themselves up and swinging a leg over the rail

• Jumping or bouncing aggressively in the crib

• Stacking stuffed animals or blankets to stand on

• Reaching for nearby furniture or walls for leverage

Once a toddler successfully climbs out, it often becomes a new skill they want to practice repeatedly.

Why Toddlers Try to Climb Out of the Crib

1. Developmental Milestones

Toddlers are learning to climb, balance, and exploring their environment are common parts of development. The crib rails may suddenly become an exciting challenge rather than a boundary.

2. Curiosity and Independence

Around age two, toddlers begin asserting independence which can look like deciding when to get up, when to play, and where to go. Once they understand they can leave the crib on their own, it can also feel like a major accomplishment.

3. Sleep Disruptions

Climbing unexpectedly may happen when a toddler is struggling with sleep. Overtiredness, nap transitions, or inconsistent schedules can lead to extra energy at bedtime that may pour into climbing out of their crib with all that extra energy and time.

Safety Comes First

Before focusing on the behavior of climbing out of the crib, let’s look at how to make the crib as safe as possible. If your toddler is already climbing out, it’s important to immediately adjust the sleep environment to help them stay in the crib safely.

• Lower the crib mattress to the lowest possible position.

• Remove large stuffed animals, pillows, and blankets that could be used as a step.

• Move furniture away from the crib so they cannot use it to climb higher.

• Keep the sleep space minimal and simple.

Even with these adjustments, toddlers may still find a way out so let’s look at additional strategies to help reduce the likelihood.

How to Help Prevent Climbing

While some toddlers will still attempt to climb out, the following strategies can reduce the likelihood.

1. Sleep Sack

A sleep sack can make it harder for toddlers to lift their legs high enough to climb over the rail. Choose one that fits properly and allows comfortable movement without restricting sleep. If we feel that they have outgrown the sizes for a sleep sack, then would look at sleep sack walkers. Many families find this simple change significantly reduces climbing attempts.

2. Make Sure Your Toddler Is Getting Enough Sleep

Overtired toddlers often become restless and energetic at bedtime and during naps. Make sure your toddler’s schedule is age appropriate and allows for enough awake time and rest throughout the day. A tired toddler does not look like a tired toddler!  When they tip into overtired, they get a surge of energy, get the zoomies and look like they are ready to run, jump, play, etc. We want to catch them before they get to this point because once they are there it is hard to calm the brain for sleep.

3. Consistent Routine

A calm and consistent bedtime routine signals that sleep is coming and helps toddlers settle more easily. Toddlers tend to ask for all the things to delay going to bed. Typically, when we add more steps to the routine the more it makes bedtime feel out of sorts.

A typical routine might look like: Bath, Potty, Pajamas, books, songs, lights out.

4. Orientation of the Crib

Toddlers are very creative and may still try to Houdini out of the crib. Couple of thoughts to try: 1) If you have a lower front of the crib and higher back to the crib, turn the crib around to have the lower front of the crib face the wall and higher back facing out and move the whole crib to a corner so that there is only one way out. 2) If all four sides are equal, move the crib to the corner so there are less side to climb out of.

5. Use our voice to create a warm boundary

If we have tried all the things and we still see them try to hoist a leg over the crib rail, use our voice and say a strong and firm “No!” over the monitor to stop them from trying to climb. It may jar them a bit but will stop them from performing the action of climbing. No matter what anyone recommends if you feel that keeping your child in a crib is no longer safe and they will hurt themselves, then trust your Mom/Dad gut and move them out of the crib.

How to Handle It When Your Toddler Climbs Out

If your toddler climbs out after bedtime, let’s have our game plan and response plan ready. The goal is to keep the situation calm, predictable, and consistent.

1. Stay Calm and Neutral

It can be surprising or even frustrating when your toddler suddenly appears outside their room. Try to respond calmly without showing excitement or frustration. Big reactions can accidentally reinforce the behavior.

2. Return Them to Bed

Quietly and with very little engagement, walk your toddler back to the crib with minimal interaction. Keep your response simple and consistent each time: “It's time for sleep.” Then tuck them back in and leave the room.

3. Consistency

Toddlers often test limits to see what happens next. Consistency is key. Each time they leave, calmly guide them back. This may take multiple repetitions for the first few nights, but toddlers quickly learn what to expect when the response stays the same.

4. Use a Gate if Needed

Some families choose to place a childproof gate at the bedroom door once a toddler is out of the crib. This keeps the child safely inside their sleep space and from wandering the entire house during the night while still allowing them freedom within the room. If we feel they are going to climb the gate and fall, then don’t use a gate.

Room Safety Checklist

When a toddler gains the ability to leave their crib independently, it’s important to treat the entire room as their sleep space.

Make sure the room is safe by:

• Anchoring furniture to the wall

• Covering electrical outlets

• Removing cords and small objects

• Securing dressers and bookshelves

• Keeping monitors securely in place so you can check on them

Think of the bedroom as a large crib rather than a place they can explore freely without boundaries.

A toddler climbing out of the crib can feel a bit unnerving and the gut reaction is to move to the big kid bed asap. Using strategies combined with consistent responses can help families move through this phase successfully. If you feel that staying in the crib is no longer safe, then you absolutely can choose to move to the bed for your family if it makes sense!

Sleep Well!