When it comes to furnishing your child's room, every parent stops for a moment to consider the classic bunk bed. Young children and teens alike enjoy the opportunity to call dibs on the bunk bed, turn it into a fort, a castle, or a homework refuge. Siblings can share it, and only-children can invite friends for sleep-overs all the time.

Of course, choosing a bed for your child is also a pretty serious decision. And not just choosing between Twin and Full-sized (in anticipation of teen years) or wondering if a novelty racecar bed would be more fun. If you're wondering if you should get your kids a bunk bed, we're here to provide a fair -if enthusiastic- assessment of the situation from top to bottom. Pun intended. 

Bunk Beds are Awesome

Let us preface by saying that as grown-up children ourselves, bunk beds are fantastic. Many of us have fond memories of our bunk beds or the bunk beds of friends. Of long nights whispering and giggling, or that safe feeling of waking up from a nightmare to the sound of your sibling snoring above. Bunk beds have been the center of many a childhood room adventure with three layers of awesomeness (under the bed counts) and a ladder or climbable frame to boot.

They are also darn affordable and often accessible to source from other families whose children have recently outgrown their bunks or finally left the nest and won't be bunking as adults. So there's that.

Double-Twin or Full-Twin Bunks

When considering the bunk bed options, there are two primary types of bunk beds. There are bunks with two twin beds stacked on top of each other and beds that have a full-size on the bottom and a twin-size on top. The double-twin mattresses are better for making the most of a shared room in a small house while the uneven bunk is excellent for older siblings on the bottom bunk so they can stretch out, as well as for continuing bunk use into the teens. Some bunks are evenly arranged, some form an L shape with a little loft underneath. You can agonize over the choice, but mostly, it depends on what will fit and what your kids will enjoy.

Sleepwalkers and Rollers

It should be noted that, like loft beds, special consideration should be given for children who sleepwalk and children who do a lot of tossing and turning in the night. Rollers can sleep safely in the top bunk as long as you install rails to keep them from rolling over the sides without realizing it. Children who sleepwalk should generally be given the bottom-bunk, just in case they try to climb out of bed in the night and forget the need for ladders. It's also worth asking friends who stay over whether they are prone to sleepwalking if they want to take the top bunk.

Make Sharing a Room Feel Cool

In homes where two or more children need to share a room, having two twin beds only works when there's enough floor space for two beds and a dresser and other essentials. A top bunk is not only a great space-saver in small houses and small rooms, but it also makes sharing a room more fun for your children. Older siblings may call dibs on the top bunk while younger siblings are little, they may switch later when they want the bigger bed instead.

You may also have a pair that is genuinely inseparable and would prefer to share a room even if there is a spare bedroom. Bunk beds are the ideal way for children who love to spend time together to share a room and sleep close to each other while each child also enjoys the independence of their bed.

Or Make Friend Sleepovers More Inviting

Even for only children, or for a child who doesn't have to share a room, a bunk bed can be a fantastic addition because the extra bunk is the perfect place for friends to sleep during sleepovers. Boys and girls both benefit from having friends that are comfortable staying over on nights and for weekends of fun. Bunk beds mean that no one has to sleep on the floor, and if your child makes a friend who prefers being at your house, they can quickly become an honorary sibling with a bed of their own.

The Basis for Endless Blanket Forts

Bunk beds are also a bed, a jungle gym, and a fortress of fun all at once. There is no child alive who has missed the opportunity to make a blanket fort out of a bunk bed because no blanket fort was ever more natural to make. The sheets and blankets from the top bunk are quickly dropped down and anchored under the lip of the mattress to form delightfully protective curtains. Or split for a mid-bed tent entry. 

In blanket-fort mode, a bunk bed can become a secret hideout, a castle, a pirate ship, and whatever else your children care to imagine. You can even artfully craft the bottom bunk into a "canopy bed" for a little princess while her sibling enjoys the open freedom of the top bunk. 

The Potential to Separate into Two Beds

Bunk beds are also incredibly versatile. Many parents split the bunks into two separate beds when the kids get older or move into a more prominent place. Rather than needing new stand-alone beds, the bunks serve excellently as two twin beds or a twin-sized and full-sized bed set.

Or Refit Into a Loft Bed

You can also use your bet-splitting techniques and some handily crafted bed-stilts to turn the remaining top bunk into a loft bed, giving your child the up-high sleeping arrangement they've grown to love and a handy place for the homework desk (or more blanket forts) underneath. Turning the top bunk into a loft bed is appealing for both children and teenagers after you've split the beds for separate rooms.

An All-Time Classic in Kid's Room Design

It's no small wonder why children have been sleeping in bunk beds for literal centuries and loving every minute of it. If you choose to get your child or children a bunk bed, they'll appreciate the ability to share with a sibling in a cool way or invite their friends over for sleepovers without anyone needing a sleeping bag on the floor. Of course, we'd also totally understand if you got the racecar bed instead.

Nest Bedding is passionate about providing the best possible sleep through amazing mattresses, soft bedding, bamboo jammies, and of course, all the sleep tips you could ever want here on the blog. Contact us today to talk about the kind of mattresses and bedding you might need for your child's new bunk bed, and we'll be happy to answer all your questions!