Door Open? Door Closed?

Families may have varying opinions about whether to keep their child’s bedroom door open or closed when they are sleeping. Research shows that only about 29% of families keep their doors closed at night. Many parents like to keep their children’s doors open because they feel it is safer, makes monitoring their children easier, and alleviates anxiety in both the child and parent. But is keeping your kiddo’s bedroom door open the best choice? The truth is, it can be much safer to close the bedroom door at bedtime. Here’s why.

Many experts would say it is much safer for your child to sleep in a room with a closed door. Injuries related to falls are one of the biggest reasons why you should keep your child’s door closed. Over 10,000 children a day will make a visit to the emergency room due to a fall in the home. This can happen easily when children can leave their bedrooms and wander the house in the middle of the night while parents are sleeping. Creating small changes in your child’s bedroom can make the space the safest place in the house for them. Childproofing your little one's bedroom can consist of attaching furniture to walls, using outlet covers in electrical outlets, installing window locks and fire alarms, and using the appropriate sleep surface for your child’s age (crib, pack-n-play, toddler bed, etc.). Instead of keeping your child’s bedroom door open to check on them, buying an inexpensive baby monitor or camera can allow parents to keep an eye on their kids at night.

Fire safety is another good reason to keep your child’s bedroom door closed at night. A closed door can stop a house fire from spreading and give families more time to escape the flames. A closed door can also make the difference between 1000° and 100° temperatures and protect your family from smoke and unbreathable air. In the attached video, you can see the dramatic difference that keeping a door closed can make.

Some parents might feel it is uncaring or heartless to keep their little one's door closed at night. Parents worry their child might get scared of the dark or fear monsters in their bedroom, and want to keep their child’s door open for comfort. However, fear of the dark and monsters is a developmental stage that children do not hit until 2 to 3 years of age. In fact, for newborns and babies, a dark room provides the best environment for sleep. Even once your kiddo develops these common fears, there are other options to choose from than keeping a bedroom door open. Parents can keep a hallway light on so that children can see a crack of light under the door, or can provide their child with a low, glowing nightlight.

There are pros and cons that families want to consider when deciding on an open or closed-door policy. However, when it comes to safety, the choice is simple. A closed door is the safest way to sleep.