When Can You Take Rails Off Toddler’s Bed?

Discover how long toddlers need bed rails and at what age to remove them. Uncover the signs that your kid is ready to stop using bed guards.

You can take the bed rails off when your child is 5 years old. However, after transitioning from the crib to a grown-up bed, it’s not all kids who need bed rails at all. On the other hand, some type of toddler bed has necessary side guards that should never be removed.

As parents, we’re constantly on the lookout for our little ones. Knowing how long our kid needs bed rails is important to keep them from rolling out of bed. From the moment they transition from a crib to a bed, the rails become our safety allies, our guards against nighttime tumbles. But when is the right age to remove these bed guards?

Toddler bed rails are like training wheels for a bike, providing our toddlers with the confidence to sleep without the fear of falling. But just as with training wheels, there comes a time when we need to take the bed rails off and let our kids embark on the next phase. The question becomes, “When should we remove bed rails, and how do we know our toddlers are ready?”

This article will cover the following:

1. What Age Do You Take the Bed Guard Off?
2. Does My Toddler Need Bed Guards?
3. Signs Your Toddler is Ready for Bed Rail Removal
4. Safety Considerations Before Removing Bed Rails
5. Takeaway

I’ll share my experience along with comprehensive insight and practical tips to help you understand when and how to remove bed rails for your toddler.

What Age Do You Take the Bed Guard Off?

The experts recommend using bed rails until age 5 because older children are less at risk of significant injuries from falling out of bed.

Sure, most 3 years old can climb in and out of bed, and some start to escape the crib at 1 year old. However, guard rails are not intended to prevent children from climbing out but to prevent rolling out of bed while sleeping.

Therefore, you shouldn’t rush to remove the bed guards if your toddler moves a lot during the night.

Does My Toddler Need Bed Guards?

While researching for this article, I came across tons of parent testimonials, and it seems everyone has a different experience with bed rails. Some use it until their children are 5 years old, and others never use it at all.

This means the question you should be asking is: does my kid still need bed rails?

When your kid was between 18 and 24 months of age, you made the switch from the crib to a toddler’s bed. Since then, did you notice if he moves a lot in his sleep? If you answer yes, then your child might still need the guardrail to prevent falling out.

Also, some kids could be afraid of sleeping without the safety rails, and keeping them might take away their anxiety.

In both situations, you’ll need to decide when your child is too old to keep the guards on their bed and start planning for the day you’ll take the rails off.

On the other hand, some children have complained about the rails since day one. Then, you’ll need to explain they are temporary and there for safety purposes.

Signs Your Toddler is Ready for Bed Rail Removal

So you’re thinking about taking the bed rails off. Can it feel like the first time you take off the training wheels on a bike? But don’t worry. You got this. There are a few signs that your toddler might be ready for this big leap.

1. Increased Physical Agility: When your child easily climbs in and out of the crib, that’s your cue. It means they have enough balance and motor skills to sleep without bed rails.
2. Consistent Sleep Patterns: If your little one sleeps through the night without making several trips to your room, that’s a golden sign. Consistency shows that your kiddo can stay put without rolling too much. They’re less likely to roll off the bed when the rails come off. Also, consistent sleep usually means better quality sleep, which we all can appreciate.
3. Expressing Interest in Independence: If they start expressing an interest in sleeping without the rails, they might be ready. Listen to them, acknowledge their desire for independence, and consider it seriously. They’re not just trying to mess with your meticulously planned bedtime routine. They’re growing up.

So, it might be time to kiss the bed rails goodbye when your child is climbing like a pro, sleeping like a log, and declaring independence like they’re drafting their own constitution.

Safety Considerations Before Removing Bed Rails

The moment we’ve been leading up to. Removing those trusty bed rails. I know this can feel like a leap into the unknown. I’ve been there. But don’t panic! We’re not launching them into space; we’re just removing the bed rails.

But like any good NASA mission, we need to have some safety considerations in place before liftoff.

1. Assessing Bed Height: Does your kid’s bed seem as tall as Mount Everest to them? If yes, it might not be the right time to remove the bed rails. However, a lower bed or a floor bed could be a safer starting point.
2. Pay attention to the room layout: Keep the area around the bed clear of sharp corners or hard objects. Your little one’s room should be a safe haven, not a danger zone.
3. Ensuring Availability of Soft Landing Zones: You must have soft landing zones around the bed. Remember the old saying, “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst?” That’s what we’re doing here. Think plush area rugs, extra pillows, or even those foam play mats – anything that could soften an unexpected landing.
4. Examining Nighttime Activity: If your child is more active at night than a nocturnal animal, consider removing the bed rails. They might not be ready for an open bed if they constantly shuffle, roll, or bounce around like a pinball machine.

Remember, there’s no award for taking the bed rails off early. It’s not a race; your child’s safety always comes first.

Are Bed Rails Safe for Toddlers?

Bed guards are safe if they are built-in in your toddler’s bed or use a twin-size mattress with a box spring.

However, there are different types of toddler beds, and not all need safety rails.

Kid’s bunk beds have built-in safety rails and should never be taken off. A bunk bed without rails is just dangerous and potentially life-threatening. Accidents occur yearly when children get trapped between the bed and the wall or take a significant fall on their heads. In those conditions, bed guards are needed for safety reasons.

Low-to-the-ground beds or floor beds don’t really need safety rails. Some parents put them on to stop their children from rolling out the mattress during the night, but the danger is not as severe as with bunk beds.

For those types of beds, the side guards, which are not necessary, could become dangerous.

Are Toddler Bed Rails Necessary?

Since children might be tempted to climb over the rails to get out of bed. This could lead to severe injuries such as a broken arm, wrist, or dislocated shoulder.

Moreover, the old bed guards from the ’90s had to be redesigned after the CPC recorded 18 deaths of children under 2 years old who got trapped between the mattress and the rails. Most modern bed guards won’t push away from the kid’s mattress and create a hazardous gap.

Ok, How Do I Keep My Toddler From Falling Out of a Toddler Bed?

Without the bed guards, your toddler might be very enthusiastic about his boundless bed, and it’s the perfect opportunity to learn new responsibilities. However, the possibility of hurting himself by falling off the bed while sleeping might still concern you.

Here are some ideas you should explore:

• Place a cushy carpet, pillow, plush toy, or yoga mattress beside the bed.
• Place the bed beside the wall.

Or, here’s how to make a guard rail for a toddler bed without having access to a proper bed rail:

• Roll up a towel under the fitted sheet near the edge of the mattress
• Instead of a towel, use a pool noodle under the fitted sheet

Those solutions might ease the transition when you take the rails off your toddler’s bed.

My kids move so much in their sleep that sleeping in the same bed is almost impossible. However, when it was time to transition from a crib to a toddler’s bed, we didn’t add side guards. They had a thick, cushy rug beside their bed, which was fine. I can’t remember if they even fall once out of their bed.

Takeaway

In general, toddlers before age 5 might need to sleep on a bed with safety guards. Nevertheless, when taking off the safety rails from your kid’s bed, it’s essential to trust your instinct and not solely listen to other parents’ opinions. You are the best person to know what’s best for your child.

Some parents might never use it, and you’re 5 years old and might still need it.

The types of beds your toddler sleeps in might influence your decision to keep the rails for a little bit more. If it’s low to the ground, I would worry about the severity of a fall, but if it’s a bunk bed, you definitely want to keep the safety rails on.