Bunk Beds – Types, Safety And Mattress Care

With apartments becoming smaller by the day, bunk beds are becoming more and more popular. No longer are bunk beds pieces of furniture associated only with hostels, today they have become an important part of homes around the world. And it's not just children that are using these bunk beds anymore. What's more – the bunk beds are actually becoming more and more a kind of fashion accessory for the home. Here's a lowdown on what you need to know about bunk beds.

Bunk Beds – The Types

Basically, bunk beds are two beds in which one is stacked on top of each other. The lower bed is at normal bed height, but the upper bed's height can be variable and sometimes, even adjustable with minor efforts. The upper bed is provided with a ladder to reach it.

Depending on the sizes and natures of the two beds, there are different kinds of bunk beds. The following are some of the popular types:-

• Basic Bunk Beds – The basic bunk beds are the most elementary kinds of bunk bed designs, where one bed is stacked on top of the other. Depending on their sizes, there are three types of basic bunk beds – twin over twin, twin over full and full over full.
• Loft BedsLoft beds basically contain only the top of the bunk bed, which can be accessed through a ladder. The bed itself is hoisted to the height through four rods at its four corners. The area below the loft bed is kept free, and can be utilized for a large number of things. You can place another bed beneath, or you can set up a work table, or you can use this space to keep a cabinet and use it as storage space. Loft beds are very popularly used in children's rooms and in study rooms.
• Trundle Beds – Trundle beds are a variation of the loft bed design, where the area under the loft bed is used to hold another bed, which can be pulled out on its wheels. During the daytime, when the bed is not in use, the bed can be trundled in to give more floor space.
• Stackable Beds – Quite paradoxically, stackable bunk beds are also unstackable. These are simply bunk beds in which the two beds can be separated when needed. Stackable beds are considered to be good options when the bunk bed is no longer needed, for it can be dismantled into two separate sleeping surfaces.
• Futon Bunk Beds – Futon bunk beds are more of a fashion addition to your décor than a utility bed. These beds are bunk beds to their core, but instead of a lower bed, they have a futon. Often, the futon is made very stylish, and can be customized according to the rest of the room décor.

Bunk Bed – The Safety

Bunk beds call for more safety measures because the top bed is at a height of about five to six feet above the ground. A fall from that height when the person is sleeping could be very injurious. Most bunk beds are provided with railings for the upper beds. If your children are young, then you must definitely invest in a bunk bed with railings – that doesn't add much to the overall cost of the bed. Also, see how much the gap between the railings is. Very tiny children might pass through the gap in the railings and fall down. You must remember that though bunk beds have railings, the place where the ladder meets the bed will be open. So, toddlers must never be placed in the top bed. The top of the bunk beds must be kept for only those children who have a sense of their own safety.

For most children, bunk beds are just a means to be sprightlier around the room. No sooner is a bunk bed installed in the room than children will begin devising strategies to get in and out of the bed. And that could include jumping off the beds. Though there is a ladder provided to get to the top of the bed, children will certainly discover more and more ingenious ways to get on top. Be very careful about it. At least for a few weeks after the bed is installed in the home, you must monitor your children's usage of it.

It is very important to place a mattress below the bunk bed. This will prevent children who jump off the bunk bed from slipping on the floor and having a fall. Make sure you use rug pads too, for they will prevent the mattresses themselves from slipping under the feet of the children.

When you are buying the bunk beds, make sure that there are no open screws or any sharp or rough ends that could cause injuries. When buying for children, make sure it is a children's bunk bed that you are getting, and not an adults' bed. Adults' bunk beds are made stronger and even a bit rougher than children's bunk beds.

Bunk Beds – Mattress Care

Finally, just a few points about caring for the mattresses on your bunk bed:-

• Get a mattress size that will fit in properly within your bunk bed. For the top bed, make sure that the mattress doesn't jut out of the ends. If needed, get a smaller mattress.
• Insert mothballs in the mattresses. This will keep the pests away.
• At least once in a month, keep the mattresses out in the sun, if possible. This helps to deter insects from making their house in the mattresses, and will also thwart the growth of molds.
• Always keep a clean sheet over the mattresses when sleeping on them. This will prevent body sweat from entering into the mattress. Also, it will protect your body from coming in contact with the dust that the mattress might have collected in the daytime. If others use the bed too, then putting a clean sheet on it will help for hygienic reasons too.