3yo in a full size single bed, both sides not against walls?

[monkeynumberthree]

This may be a very silly question, but would you put a 3yo in a full size/height single bed where the head of the bed is against a wall but both the sides are open? I am 6mths pg and about to move my 2 DDs into a shared bedroom where the best (ie easiest and with the most storage!) option is with the bed layout as above.

She is currently in a cotbed (sides off) against a wall on one side and with a bed guard on the other. I always slept in a bed with one side against a wall when I was little and my instinct is that this is the more usual layout. Is this silly? WWYD? Would you have a bed guard on both sides?

The alternative is to take out a 2metre long fitted wardrobe, which means I'll then have to completely redecorate (inc carpet!) whereas I was hoping to get away with new curtains and a splash of paint... Her cotbed is needed for the new baby!

TIA!

You can get double sided bed rails, if you feel she really needs one. My 3.2 year old son still has a bed rail but it's more habit at this point, as proven at Granny's this weekend with no bed rail and didn't fall out of bed!

My son was in a full size single bed at age three but one side against the wall. However I'd have had no qualms about it not being against a wall.

Oooo, a double sided bed guard sounds perfect, I didn't know you could get them. I'll have a look online now - thanks! So I take it that you don't think that it's odd to not be against a wall?

Thanks Tanfastic, that's reassuring. My DH says I'm worrying unnecessarily about it, can I blame pregnancy hormones...? :)

Is your bed against a wall?
Mine's not and I don't find that odd so I wouldn't find my son's bed not being against the wall odd. I would get bed rails though as he throws himself about in his sleep. :-)

We use dream tubes - they have been fantastic.

Excellent, thanks all!

(AndieMatrix - my bed is not against a wall now but it always was until I was well into my teens and so I thought that was the standard thing for a child. I suppose it's just what I was used to :) )

I saw a tip recently on the Internet - you know those foam swimming noodles? If you put one on the edge of the bed under a fitted sheet it will stop them falling out.

That said my just turned 3 year old hasn't had a bed rail for about 6 months (we accidentally left it behind) and after falling out of bed a couple of times at the start he hasn't done since.

we put massive cushions on the floor either side of the bed.

after falling out about three times he learned to stay in bed while asleep, and he's not 2.5 yrs yet.

I am clearly worrying unnecessarily! Thanks all, I'm going to take her bed guard off her cotbed tonight and see what happens - it's so low to the floor that I won't fret too much about her falling out and hopefully she'll get used to having to sleep in the middle of the bed and not against the guard/wall. Should have done it months ago, I suspect!

Thanks for the reassurance :)

DD1 had a half hight bunk at that age and happily climbed in and out.

DD2 is 11 and can still fall out of a double bed.

A 3y should be fine in a single bed, DD2 is just a disaster looking for somewhere to happen.

I really wouldn't worry. My DD1 went into this arrangement from when she moved into a bed at just before 2. I used bed guards for a few months but they are a bit of a pain when changing sheets so from 2 and a bit she was without bed guards and was just fine.

DS is nearly 3 and in a full-size single bed with 1 side against a wall but I would still be happy if neither side was against the wall. No bed guard. He fell out every so often over the first fortnight but not since then. We just had a spare duvet on the floor to soften the fall, though it was usually a bit of a surprise for him. They get used to beds in no time. Good luck!

Saw a great link on pinterest yesterday.

Put a swimming noodle under the fitted sheet at the edge of the bed, still nice and soft to lie against, but quite tricky to roll over, and fall out of bed.

mine used to have his bed like this in our old house, its one side against the wall now because of lack of space but he never fell out when it was like that and cant say it ever crossed my mind that it wouldnt be okay but maybe depends whether they are a very active sleeper and likely to fall out?? im sure it should be okay

I took her bed guard off last night - no problems other than that she complained that her teddies didn't have their 'hammock' anymore :) But no falling out as yet... I'll give it a few nights and then maybe pull her cotbed away from the wall so that it's open on both sides and see what happens then. But she's a fairly active sleeper (often ends up with her head at the foot of the bed) so I have stored swimming noodles in my amazon basket just in case... Thanks for the tip noblegiraffe and boiledegg - that seems like a nice cheap solution!

My 3 year old would fall out she's a complete nightmare and has fallen out of lots of beds . She never learns and usually is found sleeping on the floor.

I never used bed guards. I used to put something soft on the floor just in case. Once I had established each particular dc wasn't a faller outer, I stopped.

All of mine have ocassionally fallen out but it's usually when they are way past the bed guard stage anyway

Honestly DD2 doesn't get any better she fell a sleep on the sofa the other day and ended up still asleep on the floor.

As I said she's 11 and can fall out of anything.

Ridiculous as she co slept on the outer edge of our bed quite often no problem.
But put her in bed by herself and thud.

At least she had the sense to request the bottom bunk at PGL