My 2 year old keeps falling out of bed - any advice?

[Clary]

This is a new area for us, bizarrely. 2.9yo DS2 has just gone into a big boy's bed (very exciting) as we have finally got the said bed off my BIL who made it.
But he keeps falling out. I must have put him back six times last night and I have no idea how long he was in it after I went to bed. He's not usually distressed in fact it's normally just THUD and then we go upstairs to find him fast asleep on the floor. But it can't be good for him and it's not much fun for us (or anyone babysitting).
It's not happened before I think because DS1's bed is against 3 walls so only one side to fall off, and DD was on a mattress on the floor at first (till BIL made her bed lol) so maybe she is more used to the bed concept.
Is there anything we can do? Really don't want to have to buy a bed guard (well, two actually, as he falls out both sides) at this late stage in my baby career.
(Should add that he has been in the big bed four days)

Can only suggest the bed guards sorry. Though when DS1 went to a bed for a while we put his cot mattress on the floor in case he fell out - as you say though they just keep sleeping don't they....

I'd either put him back in a cot, put him on a mattress on the floor, or get a bed guard, or two. Or leave him to sleep on the floor, it won't do him any harm.

I often see the bed guards cheap in the paper oe on eBay. Couldn't you push one side against the wall? But (as usual) I agree with NQC (she pays me a fortune to follow her around saying she is right), I would put him on a mattress on the floor.

Thank the lord I reread that before posting - it originally said that NQC pays me to follow her around saying she is tight

We've just got the ds's bunk beds so ds2 (15m) is in a big bed. We've cable tied the sides of his cot against the sides of the bed to act as bed guards.

I started of with a mattress on teh floor, but then put the duvet on sideways - that way you can tuck it in on both sides. She hasn't fallen out since. They do learn where the edges are eventually!

We did a similar thing to bootsmonkey except put the duvet on (it's a summer weight one) and then a blanket sideways across and tucked in at either side.

Every hour or so before I go to bed I peek in and make sure it's still tucked in (Ds is a wriggler!).

I thought when your children went into beds for the first time you just bought bed guards!!

It's not late in your baby career as you haven't needed bed guards untill now, they are for toddlers

Mine had them, would rather had a bed guard than them fall out

Looks like I may have to invest in 2 bedguards then!
Annie, what I meant about my baby career was that I already have a 6.5 yo and a 4.5 yo who have never fallen out of bed!
Maybe a mattress or similar on the floor might help soften the landing. How do you know when to stop with the bed guard?

MY dd has always had a bedguard, ours is an ikea bed with a wodden screwed on guard rail
She is 3.4 now, not sure when it'll come off as she sleeps with her leg hiked over it snuggled into it, her face pressed under the gap
Very strange I know....

clary if you are SE London I have a bed guard gathering dust in the boot fair pile you can have for free.

My DS is 4 and rarely falls out of bed but I leave his Thomas bean bag next to his bed for a soft landing just in case!

Bed guards
Pillows down the side
putting quilt on widthways and tucking edges in

everything that has been suggested really.

kbear that's really sweet of you.
But amazingly bootsmonkey and helsi's tip of sideways duvet tucked in seems to have worked! Thanks girls!
(mind you, he keeps getting out of bed and coming downstairs till 9pm - why is this? he could get out of his cot but never did that....)