What is the point of bed frames?

[Squelchsquerch]

I'm wondering, why is it customary to sleep on an elevated bed, rather than just a simple mattress on the floor?

I need to get my toddler his first bed, but then I'd need a rail to stop him rolling out. He might as well just be in a cot then. Has anyone just done away with a bed frame all together and just had a mattress on the floor? To me there are the pros of saving money and reducing risk of injury if falling out. Tell me, am I missing something?

I had my matress on the floor as a teen (and more recently while moving house - hated it)

I think it's warmer higher up, plus creepy crawlies can't get you so easily if you're up off the floor.

Plus i'm not keen on bed covers getting trodden on when you walk about the bed. Plus you lose the storage space underneath.

Air circulation. You sweat a lot into a mattress. If it’s on the floor it’ll go mouldy, eventually.

AND you can't reach up to your bedside table very well if you're down on the floor.

You sweat pints in your sleep, if you don't have a bed frame it all soaks into the mattress and stays there. Ugh.

What about a toddler bed?

They are small enough that when they do fall out, it's not such a big drop.

My dd moved into her toddler at 2 and is still in it and almost 5

D'y'know the sweat evaporating thing never occurred to me.

We had a cot/cotbed. When I when I took it the sides and ends off to turn it into a bed we realised the bits were missing to make the bed safe. I could be arsed to put the cot back together so she slept on a mattress on the floor for about 6 weeks until we bought a cheap toddler bed from Tesco for £60. Now we’ve moved we’re buying a single as it didn’t fit in her old box room with any other furniture in there too.

She was fine on the floor but would often roll out and sleep on the carpet.

The toddler bed had rails and we also have some rails for holidays that we may use when her single bed arrives but it’s also a trundle so we might just pull the mattress out as a landing pad instead.

You can put a rolled up duvet or blanket on the floor by toddlers bed and a few rolled up towels under the bottom sheet near the edge on the fall'y out side to stop them rolling to the edge so easily.

Well, it allows the air to circulate under the mattress, which helps to stop mould forming. We lose a lot of water when we're sleeping.

Just get him a bed and put a rail up if you're worried about him falling out of bed. Millions of children have progressed from cot to bed without any problems.

A toddler bed is what you need. Ikea do some lovely ones.

The main reason is to allow the mattress to air. Bodies sweat a lot overnight. Prolonged use of a mattress on the floor means the mattress will grow mould.

If you use a futon style mattress that you can take up every day and allow to air, you will probably be fine. A toddler will sweat less than an adult. And a toddler probably won't stay a toddler long enough for the mould to become visible.

But if you're thinking young child in first "bed" as mattress on floor, followed by mattress on floor permanently, then you'll run into problems.

Oh yeah good point about the sweat. But how does that work with divan beds? Plenty of adults sleep in divans which do not allow air to circulate under surely

I guess a divan isn’t solid blocks though. There’s still air inside.

Dunno - a divan is just a big hollow box though isn't it? - So quite airy - with a cheap fabric cover.

Despite the mould issue being raised my main concern with being on the floor would still be spiders

We used a low futon bed for DS2 as a toddler bed. It was quite expensive, but you can get trundle beds much more cheaply (wish I'd realised that first!) - I think Ikea might do one - basically a bed frame with slats but very low to the floor.

My worry with the bed guard was that he would try to climb over it and tip himself onto the floor.

I used to sleep in a divan that had drawers under it. Kept things like sheets in it that surely would go mouldy with all that sweat on top. Didn't seem very airy to me.

My son’s bed is like this from Ikea. It’s expandable and will grow with him. It’s low to the ground and the shape of it acts like a bed guard. I bought ours second hand and customised it into a pirate theme. I’m really pleased with it.

DOnt think the picture attached 😬

Of course now it’s showing twice 🙄

Also dd’s mattress has a plastic bit under a zip on protector

Ours was like one of these:

www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/beds/guest-beds-day-beds/utåker-stackable-bed-pine-art-00360484/

Put a big floor cushion next to the bed. DS2 never actually rolled out.

DD has a peppa pig toddler bed and peppas arms are like bed rails (it's absolutely hideous but she loves it ) Shes never once fell out and she doesn't stay still at all in her sleep.

Turn a single duvet sideways and lay it across the bed. Tuck the top and bottom under the sides of the mattress and hey presto, safe toddler 😃

I bought my toddler one of these, comes with slats for the base so it is raised. Got it custom sized (single width but a bit shorter) so it should last him till he's five or so. Fits single sheets with the end tucked under and a cot bed duvet on top.

1. Bedding would look all messy.
2. Where would I sit to put my tights on?
3. Where would I put all of the crap I keep under my bed!?