Bed for 11 year old starting high school

[GarlicCrackers]

A couple of years ago my insomniac child convinced me that he would sleep better on a double bed. Turns out he just doesn't like to go to sleep.

We are moving in three months and his bedroom will be a different shape, not necessarily smaller but honestly having a double bed when he needs to have a desk and a wardrobe for his bloody expensive blazer uniform isn't going to work very well.

I've been looking at high sleeprs, I've seen some cool but expensive ones that have space to hang clothes, a desk underneath, as well as a bookcase. In theory I think they would work really well and solve issues

What are the pros and cons? Ideally I don't want to replace the bed again so it needs to last for 7 years?

DS1 used to have a high sleeper. It was great space wise.
The negatives were,
difficulty changing the sheets,
not great when he was ill and once had a foot injury which meant he was on crutches and couldn't use the bed for 5 weeks,
and although we'd moved and got a double before this was an issue for us it's worth considering as you plan on him having the bed until late teens- DS has had his girlfriend to stay over regularly since he was 17 I don't know if that would be possible with a high sleeper!

Will he actually use a desk in his room, my eldest has a desk but rarely uses it preferring to work at the kitchen table which I actually preferred as I could keep an eye on what they were doing and I didn't really like them having a laptop in their rooms.

You can't get in for a cuddle at bedtime.

My two pretty much outgrew their high sleepers by that age.
They found them annoying to climb up into once they were that size.

My son is 11 and I just reolaced his with a double. He wanted something bigger and more grown up.

High sleepers are fun at 11 and so annoying at 15 especially mid growth spurt and they just feel silly as an adult.
Trying to climb off of them in the dark is hard, you can hit your head and back on the ceiling, my brother missed his ladder twice when he was exhausted in the morning and semi concious teenager falling six feet to the floor is bad, (he broke a desk lamp the first time and his wrist the second).
They are usually quite wobbly unless you screw it to the wall somehow, so they are creaky and not super sturdy.

Pros I guess is just the space it makes in the room. If he only has to hang a blazer does he really need a whole wardrobe? Can it not just go on a hook on the back of the door?

DS is in a regular single bed at 16 but I don't think he would enjoy climbing up into bed like a younger child might. He had a valet stand and a small chest of drawers for uniform, it's only a few shirts and the blazer that needed hanging, trousers now he is going into a suit for sixth form but they lived in a drawer before. He used table, bed, floor for study.

My 2 grew out of at hi-sleeper by 11 and are back in normal singles

No he’ll be too old for a high sleeper by 13/14. Don’t waste your money.
I’d let him keep the double and forget the desk

My 13 yr old has just got rid of his mid sleeper. Unless you need it to fit in the room, I wouldn't buy one now.
And yes, changing sheets is a pain!

I agree that he's too old now op. We got rid of ours at 10/11.

Homework at kitchen table (more likely to do it rather than waste time online with friends if you are near by!)
Hook on door for blazer.
Additional cost about £2.

I'd be tempted to stick with the double bed or a large single and work out a solution for a desk/workspace, most homework these days is online, my DS (13) hardly ever has any actual written stuff to do at home. I've just about given up trying to get him to actually hang his blazer up anywhere let alone in his wardrobe.

You cannot seriously expect anyone over the age of about 14 to sleep in a high sleeper.

I also agree that he will grow out of the high sleeper very soon.

They are also an absolute nightmare when you have to change the sheets!

My 12 year old has a single bed (no choice as she shares with her sister) and has a desk but doesn't use it for homework. It is however used to store 1000 lip glosses and body sprays.

I would expect any secondary aged child to strip and make up their own bed, but agree it's a pain to do high up!

I could sleep in a bunk or high sleeper myself but I'm a 5ft 5 female.

I think for an average or tall boy you won't get much use out of a high sleeper unless you're looking at a double one? Still not great unless you have really high ceilings though. Can he work at the kitchen table? My older children both have desks but prefer to do homework downstairs anyway most of the time. If the double has storage underneath I'd probably try to keep that and just hang school uniform somewhere else.

Stick with the double.

DS2 had a high sleeper until he left for Uni. I've managed to squeeze a small double into his box room now (along with a desk and carefully designed Pax wardrobe system)

Is a small double a better long term compromise?

I would not give a child a double as learning to sleep tidily is a useful life skill IMO. Not everyone can learn it but sharing with a star fish is fucking annoying.

I'd get a cheap single frame plus a top quality mattress and then put storage underneath.

If he doesn't like going to bed don't get a high sleeper as he'll be up and down the ladder for hours. Also they are annoying as you can't sit/lounge on them so easily.

We still have bunk beds for older two, oldest 16 and still fine using it. Can’t fit two beds in with the shape of their room.
DD has the ikea high sleeper with desk underneath for high school. It is the only way she can have desk and storage for anything as she has the small room. So really outgrowing it isn’t really an option unless she wants to give up her only storage, drawers, desktop computer etc.