Stair gate for 3 year old

[AnxiousAxolotl]

My DC(3) has learned to undo the top stair gate. The bottom one we've stopped putting on as DC is confident going upstairs but I'm concerned about the top one. DC has now come downstairs in the middle of the night after undoing the top gate, is a climber and will now pull on the gate if it's difficult to open. It's started to get worrying but I don't feel comfortable with leaving the stairs without anything at the top.

My kids generally walk around half asleep when they wake up so that's my main concern leaving nothing at the top.

I'm just wondering what options there are in this scenario?

Unless your child is physically disabled or an actual sleep walker, I would think he'd not just wander vaguely down the stairs by now.

Honestly at three I don't think it's necessary? And could be more dangerous if trying to climb over it.

If you're worried about them wandering around half asleep could you put it on their bedroom door Instead?

Sorry, I forgot to put in my original post, not disabled at all. Older DC does sleepwalk very occasionally.

DC is cheeky and I can imagine will start to go for a wander downstairs to look for both or one of us.

Unfortunately we can't fit one on the bedroom door.

If they're not in sleeping bags it's fine. We took ours off the other month, youngest was 2yr2 months, eldest is 3.5yrs. Absolutely no need for it now.

Stair gates at that age would be more of a hazard than none surely? A health visitor told me they don’t recommend them for over 2s due to the climbing hazard they become. Teach them to sit down and bump down the stairs if you’re really concerned, but honestly I feel you could be overthinking this. My 3 year old has managed our stairs with a tight turn for about 18 months now.

I hope I'm just overthinking it then! I've just had a couple of tumbles on the stairs myself whilst fully conscious and it wasn't fun.

DC is absolutely fine during the day, I'm happy for DC to go up and down them then as we always taught our DC to either hold on or bump down whichever is more comfortable.

Will look into removing it asap.

You could get a motion sensor light in the hallway well before the stairs so if you do get the odd sleepy stroll it'll snap them out of it? We have battery operated ones so that DC can find their way to the loo in the night without leaving lights on (and we don't have plugs for nightlights in the right places)

Far more risky if he tried climbing over it and fell or if he managed to open it and fell. Definitely get rid. Can you leave staircase/landing lights on so that at least the stairs aren’t dark?

Great idea about the lights! I'll look into getting some of those as I think it'd work to wake DC up a bit before trying to go downstairs.