How to Sneak Out of Your House at Night

Planning

Practice your route ahead of time. This is to find out how loud the route is from your bedroom to the door or window. Try to remember where any creaks or loud noises occur so that you can try to avoid them when you’re actually sneaking out. For example, if you’re going down the stairs and notice that one of them squeaks, be sure to avoid this step when you’re sneaking out. If you have super squeaky doors, you might consider greasing the hinges so they’re quieter using WD-40, petroleum jelly, or even olive oil.

Hide a change of clothes outside or near the door. If you don’t want to have to change outside, hide your change of clothes very close to the door in a cabinet or covered up on a shelf. This will help make sure that no one sees you dressed in normal clothes while you’re trying to sneak out. When you’re sneaking out, it’s best to wear your pajamas in case someone spots you.

Pack a bag with anything you’ll need so it’s ready to go. This includes things like extra clothing, a wallet, keys, or your cell phone. Have everything in one accessible bag so that you don’t have to fumble around trying to gather everything you need when it’s time to go. Having all your belongings already in a bag will also make your escape quieter.

Plan an excuse in case you get caught. It’s a good idea to come up with a plan just in case things don’t go as you expected. If someone sees you trying to leave the house, think of what you’d say to them so they don’t become suspicious of why you’re awake. For example, you might say that you’re getting a drink of water or you thought you heard a noise coming from downstairs and wanted to check it out.

Be aware of any alarms on the doors or windows. Many houses have alarms set on the doors, and sometimes the windows, to alert the homeowners that someone is trying to enter (or in your case, leave!). If your parents set an alarm for the house before they go to bed, make sure you know the code to turn it off, or try to find another way to exit the house.

Make sure you can get back in the way you come out. This means that if you’re planning on leaving through a window, make sure you’re going to be able to climb back through it when you return home. If you’re leaving from a door, make sure you have a key if necessary or any codes needed to come back through it. Consider hiding a key under a doormat or rock if desired.

Escaping

Dress in your pajamas. Put on what you would normally wear to sleep. Be sure not to change out of your pjs before sneaking out, just in case someone sees you. If you’re wearing your pajamas, it’ll be much easier to come up with an excuse and no one will be suspicious. If you usually wear bulkier pajamas, consider wearing your clothes under your pajamas to make changing more efficient.

Make noise before pretending to go to sleep. This could be something as simple as making a point to say goodnight to your family before closing your bedroom door audibly, or you might play music or a television show in your room so people think you’re busy. This will make your parents less likely to check up on you. If you usually listen to music while going to sleep, turn the music on as you normally would before sneaking out.

Wait for your family members to fall asleep. It’s important to be patient and wait until you’re as positive as possible that your parents are asleep. If you know your parents are deep sleepers, you won’t have to worry about this too much. If they’re not, listen for sounds of deep breathing or snoring to ensure they won’t hear you. If you’re worried you’ll have to wait a long time, set a quiet alarm on your phone in case you fall asleep.

Place pillows under your blankets so it looks like you're asleep. This is useful in case your parents come check in your room while you're gone. Make an outline of your body shape using pillows on your bed and cover up the pillows using your blanket. This should make it look like you're sleeping soundly in bed. You can even go a step further and place a wig near the top of the pillows to make it look like your own hair if desired.

Tiptoe along your escape route to the door. Walk quietly through any hallways or rooms and down any staircases that lead you to the door. Take your time and try to be as quiet as possible so no one hears you. If you’re going out through a window, be extra careful to be quiet when opening it and climbing through.

Change clothes when you’re close to the door, or outside. Take out your clothing that you hid earlier and change into it, staying as quiet as possible. It’s best to change once you’re already out of the house so that no one sees you in your clothing, but you can change close to the door if necessary. Hide your pajamas so you can easily change back into them once you return home.

Close the door or window behind you, making sure you can get back in. Take your time opening and closing the door or window, as this is the part that often makes more noise. Lock the door behind you if necessary, and make sure you have a way to get back in later. Double check that the hidden key is still in its spot, or slip the key into your pocket or purse. If your parents locked the door before going to sleep, make sure it’s locked when you come back home and go to bed.

Staying Quiet

Try to walk across carpet whenever possible. If you’re able to walk on carpeting or a rug, choose this instead of wood. The extra padding will quiet your footsteps so no one can hear you, and it’s less likely to cause squeaking. Remember to walk slowly across the floor to avoid making noise. Consider wearing socks if you’re walking across wood.

Stay alert so you can hear people coming. Focus hard on listening to all the sounds around you as you’re sneaking out. If you’re paying attention to any noise, you’ll hopefully be able to hear someone else moving around or coming towards you.

Open doors very slowly to avoid making noise. If you did a practice run of your escape plan, you should be aware of any doors that creak or make noise. Twist the doorknobs very slowly to stay quiet, and open and close doors very slowly as well. If you’re opening a window, avoid pushing it up too quickly or it will make noise as well.

Walk down the sides of staircases to avoid any creaks. The center of each step is usually the spot that produces the most creaks. Try to stick close to the railing or the wall, tiptoeing down the steps slowly. Put more of your weight on the wall or the railing to produce less noise on the stairs. The sides of the stairs are where they’re most reinforced, making them less likely to squeak or make noise.

Put your shoes on after you’re already outside. Not only will this save you time, but you won’t have to worry about sitting down and tying your shoelaces in the dark or walking in heels quietly towards the door. Wait until you’re outside and out of sight before you put on your shoes. Carry your shoes in your bag so you don’t have to fumble with them in your hands as you’re leaving.

Have any keys ready in your hand to lock or unlock doors. If your door requires a key to lock or unlock it, separate the key from the keychain if necessary and have it ready to go in your hand. This will eliminate any sounds of jingling that might wake up someone in the house, as well as save time. Have your key out and ready when you return home as well.