How To Keep Your Child From Rolling Out Of Bed Using A Pool Noodle

The moment your child moves from the crib to a big kid bed is very exciting but also nerve-racking. For most toddlers, the crib still provides a certain level of containment — an assurance that the baby isn't going to get up and wander around the house in the middle of the night. But the big kid bed, whether a toddler-size or a single twin, offers no such protection. On top of that, for babies that roll and flop around in their sleep (which is possibly all of them, considering how often parents are kicked in the head by their co-sleeping children), there's a real danger of your child rolling out of bed. Not only can that fall cause severe injuries, it's almost guaranteed to frighten the child. To guard against this possibility, create an easy DIY barrier using only a pool noodle.

The pool noodle is an extremely versatile and inexpensive item and can almost always be found at a dollar store. In fact, there are so many pool noodle DIY hacks for the home that if you have the storage space, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to pick up half a dozen at a time so you're not having to always go back and forth from the store. For this hack, it doesn't matter what color you get, because the noodle itself won't be seen.

To make a simple but effective barrier against your child rolling out of bed, measure the length of your child's mattress. Toddler beds are usually somewhere between 50 to 60 inches in length, while standard twin beds measure 75 inches, and twin XL mattresses are 5 inches longer than the standard. Pool noodles, on the other hand, come in various sizes, generally ranging from 48 inches to 63 inches. Obviously, you're going to want a pool noodle that is the same length or slightly shorter than your mattress, so if your noodle is too long, take a large, serrated kitchen knife and cut off the excess. 

Next, take the correctly-sized noodle and place it on the edge of the mattress under the fitted sheet and along the length of the bed. The noodle will provide just enough height and resistance that, should your child roll into it, it will stop them from going further. If your noodle is already shorter than the mattress, simply center it along the side. A few free inches at the head or the foot of the bed won't make a difference. Obviously, this won't stop children from climbing out of bed, so if that's the issue you may just have to explain why that's not okay. But for active sleepers, the pool noodle is just enough. And don't worry, your kid should outgrow the habit by age 4 or 5.

To make this pool noodle bed rail the most effective, make sure your fitted sheet is as tight as possible. Consider using suspenders or other gadgets intended to hold your fitted sheet firmly in place. This will prevent slippage of the noodle under the sheet and will hopefully prevent your child from removing the noodle altogether. As a bonus, the pool noodle might help keep the fitted sheet in place as well, ending the tiresome problem of it popping off the mattress in the middle of the night. This could also make it easier for your child to make their bed in the morning.

Another option is to purchase one of the thicker pool noodle varieties and, in addition to cutting it for length, also slice it in half lengthwise. This will create a flat edge that will sit securely on your child's mattress. If your child's bed is open on both sides, this is also an economical way to create two DIY bed rails with just one pool noodle. Not only is this far less expensive than similar items sold as child bed "bumpers," it's also much more convenient and less cumbersome than traditional bed rails.