What are your thoughts on bed rails?

[arivecchi]

SHould I get one for DS1 if we convert his crib to a toddler bed? He moves a lot at night, so I am pretty sure he will fall off the bed if we don't have one. Are they safe though?

[Jen841]

We have had various models at home and grandparents, they all serve the same purpose. E sleeps right up against it every night. For some reason he hugs the outside edge of his bed (we tried flipping him around.)

I highly recommend having them. They do have a limited life. #1 lost it when #2 needed it (almost 1 and 3.) I don't see us taking it off when E turns 3.

We did break one, but that was due to the boys roughhousing a bit. I think I bought that one at a garage sale.

[jren]

We've had a lot of falling out of bed incidences among our friends and neighbors recently. And these are 5 and 6 year olds who've been in their beds for years. The worst one is the little boy across the street who fell out - onto carpeted floor - and broke his arm in 2 places, bone through the skin. He didn't fall onto anything - just the floor - and wasn't awake so wasn't trying to catch his fall. Just hit it the wrong way. My DD cut her face and had dermabond and now a scar.

We used to have rails but had taken them down. The rails can help, but they can still fall out at the gaps (happened to us, very scary b/c she was stuck.) The biggest thing is no boxsprings. Makes the bed much lower to the ground and safer. And make sure there's no nightstand or other funiture/toys nearby for them to hit if they fall.

[Moneypenny]

We just took a big beach towel, rolled it up and stuck it under her fitted sheet at the edge of her bed. Worked like a charm!

[nov04]

We have the safety 1st model although I can't see it on their website.

http://tinyurl.com/m5747o

[Tanya]

I have rails on my older daughter's bed. I only have one left up now (she's 6), but used both when she was younger. She has a pillowtop mattress and my old bed frame and it is up really really high (higher than my bed). Anyway, she doesn't sleep up against the rail, but she likes knowing it is there. She did fall out of her bed (before the pillowtop mattress) once when she was about 3.

I also have a rail on my side of my bed because my younger daughter often moves to our bed in the middle of the night and she HATES covers and I LOVE covers. So, if she sleeps in the middle, we get no covers. I put her on the side against the rail and I can use the sheet and she doesn't have to have it touch her. She does sleep up against the rail sometimes, but I'm very aware of her (and she typically has her legs thrown across my side).

I'm pretty sure both of my rails said to NOT use on a toddler bed and that you need a box spring to use. I've also wondered about converting our crib into a toddler bed (my little one is almost 3), but I think she'd flop right out of it, so we'll just leave the side of the crib on for now. The older one doesn't want to try sharing her full size bed with the flopper either.

There are also dangers to using rails. Entrapment is a big one (also a problem in hospitals). SUffocation, strangulation, etc. I would NOT use rails for too young of a child/baby, especially if they sleep alone or for one that sleeps so soundly, etc.

[AngelaS]

We had one for the first but after I found her laying between the bedrail and mattress one morning, I took it off. Scary!

I used a rolled up beach towel under the sheet for the other two. It worked great! :) A pool noodle would work wonderfully too! Wish I'd heard of that when I had ones that needed one. :)

[arivecchi]

The rolled up beach towel is a great idea! Thank you ladies!

[arivecchi]

I'm pretty sure both of my rails said to NOT use on a toddler bed and that you need a box spring to use. I've also wondered about converting our crib into a toddler bed (my little one is almost 3), but I think she'd flop right out of it, so we'll just leave the side of the crib on for now.

There are also dangers to using rails. Entrapment is a big one (also a problem in hospitals). SUffocation, strangulation, etc. I would NOT use rails for too young of a child/baby, especially if they sleep alone or for one that sleeps so soundly, etc.
Thanks for all this information! I was worried about entrapment and see that my fear is not unfounded.

[o_mom]

DS2 uses one when we travel. He will fall out if we don't (and has multiple times). At home he's in a toddler bed with the little rail that goes about halfway down and that is enough. I always put it with plenty of room from the head and foot of the bed and tuck the sheets in on that side. I don't know that I would use one on a converted crib, though, as it would be about the same length as the crib mattress.

[arivecchi]

I just found this rail for convertible cribs. Any thoughts? I am now wondering how to fit a beach towel under the very snug crib sheets....

http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=534813&cmSource=Search&cm_ven=Performics_Affs&cm_cat=k97475&cm_ite=Convertible%20Crib%20Bed%20Rail#tabs

[Moneypenny]

As for fitting the towel under her crib sheet, I just didn't tuck the sheet all the way under the mattress the way I was able to do without the towel. For DD, she really only needed a "lip" of a few inches to keep her from rolling off so the crib sheet only came up the edge of the mattress by a small amount.

[american_mama]

I believe in bed rails, although I agree they are not without hazards. I used an old secondhand one for a few years and always felt uneasy about it because it easily separated from the bed, leaving a gap where a child could get entrapped. I heard about a strangulation/hanging death from an older child - 8 years or more - on a bed rail for a bunk bed and even though the situations were quite different (and I think you need rails on bunk beds), the image of it always haunted me.

Anyway, DD2 broke her collarbone in a fall from a bed. We think she tripped climbiing over the cheapie kind of bed rail I described above. It was very short compared to her thick mattress, whcih is why we think she tried to climb over it, plus she was extremely sick and trying to get to us. I went out that day and bought a good bed rail. It is taller and longer, and has braces that are adjust to the width of the bed and hook on the other side to hopefully eliminate any separation between it and the bed.

Some might read my story and think the bedrail caused the fall and that DD2 would have been better off without it. It's possible. But I felt much better once I bought a good, new bedrail. Both of my girls had fallen out of bed several times without a rail, never incurring more than a bruise until that broken bone, but I wish I'd bought a new one from the get-go.

[arivecchi]

We had one for the first but after I found her laying between the bedrail and mattress one morning, I took it off. Scary!

I used a rolled up beach towel under the sheet for the other two. It worked great! :) A pool noodle would work wonderfully too! Wish I'd heard of that when I had ones that needed one. :) What is a pool noodle? :bag

[AnnieW625]

We tried one on Elisa's twin bed and it didn't work right because Elisa's bed doesn't have box spring so I returned it and DD never really needed one.

[twindad]

We used a pool noodle, tucked under the fitted sheet. It worked very well.

[AngelaS]

A pool noodle is that long styrofoam thing that's about 6 feet long and 4 inches in diameter that kids play with in swimming pools.

Even under a tight sheet, you can still roll up a towel to create enough of a bump. :)

[arivecchi]

Thank you Angela! :duh:

[neeleymartin]

A pool noodle would work wonderfully too! Wish I'd heard of that when I had ones that needed one. :)

i read about this here about 6 mos ago. i plan to do this when the time comes. pool noodle on each side under the fitted sheet. such a clever idea. thanks for the reminder.

[arivecchi]

Where does one buy a pool noodle? Target?

[caheinz]

We just keep the mattress on the floor until a kid's ready to move up.

That said, the twins may always have a mattress on the floor. Something like a pool noodle or towel, at least at this (admittedly early) point wouldn't be anything more than a challenge to climb over... :rolleye0014:

[azazela]

We recently moved DD into a twin bed. We bought an ikea bed that is really low to the ground and works with slats instead of a box spring. I found this bed rail that works with all kinds of beds, slats included. Just in case anyone is looking for one.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F1OGCC/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=304485901&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0013VHH9C&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=06J6HJXSKCEZQ3M4JMMB

[sansdieu]

I use the 'cloud and stars' sheets that are basically like giant pillowcases for your mattress, rather than fitted sheets. They're very tight, and because they fit all around the mattress (not just the top part), there's no way I can fit anything UNDER the sheet (pool noodle, towel). And all those strangulation stories got me worried...

[pinkmomagain]

Where does one buy a pool noodle? Target?

I just bought the last one of the season at my Target (for the pool, not the bed). So I would run out now and try to find them since it's the end of the summer (I'm in NY). Unless you are in a warm climate with year round swimming...I would imagine places like FL and AZ have them in stock year round.

[Melaine]

We have rails on the girls' toddler beds. Now you guys are making me worried that it might not actually be safe....great.

[arivecchi]

Melaine, I got a pool noodle for our son's toddler bed at Target and bed bug rails for when he sleeps in our bed, when we go to grandma's (he sleeps in a full size bed there) and for his bed when we convert the toddler bed to a full size bed. We are using them in our bed right now and they are great! I bought a travel pack with the duflle bag.

http://www.gobedbug.com/

[hellbennt]

I reponded here and there were some great resources mentioned (like pool noodles, etc):D
http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=331253

[LexyLou]

Oh, I like that go bed bug! DD1 uses bed rails. There is no way she couldn't. I know she'd fall right out.

My DD2 is about ready to to convert the crib to a toddler bed. We bought the matching toddler bed rails when we had DD1 in it, but it's totally worthless (Sorelle Cottage). It doesn't even come up an inch over the mattress, so we put her in the twin bed ASAP. I love this idea though, now we can keep DD2 in the toddler bed/convertible for awhile and save some $$!

[Melaine]

Melaine, I got a pool noodle for our son's toddler bed at Target and bed bug rails for when he sleeps in our bed, when we go to grandma's (he sleeps in a full size bed there) and for his bed when we convert the toddler bed to a full size bed. We are using them in our bed right now and they are great! I bought a travel pack with the duflle bag.

http://www.gobedbug.com/


That is really cool!

[Nooknookmom]

SHould I get one for DS1 if we convert his crib to a toddler bed? He moves a lot at night, so I am pretty sure he will fall off the bed if we don't have one. Are they safe though?

Used one for DD1 from 2 till 9 or so, she's a restless sleeper. Wish I had saved it for DD2. I loved it!

[arivecchi]

I really like the bed bug bumpers and they are not expensive (compared to bed rails). We tried them this weekend on our bed and the whole fam liked them. The bed feels very secure because they are a lot higher than pool noodles (but easy for the adults to climb over) and our bed is very high. I like that we can travel with them. We will take these with us next time we go to grandma's. We recently had a scare with my nephew who fell off a low bed at our house and had to go to the children's hospital because he was vomiting a lot. That scare made me get these. Don't want to go through that again!

[HIU8]

We just took the bedrail off of DS's bed. It's a captains bed so that is why we had it on. He does sleep with the body pillow at the edge of the bed (always did). he asked to have it removed (he is just 3 months shy of 5). We converted DD's crib to a toddler bed using a universal toddler bedrail. It is a super super tight fit up against the mattress, but she does not sleep against it ever. We may not keep it on very long (may use a body pillow at the edge of her bed as well).

[DrSally]

I'm ready to order the bedbug bumper. The pool noodle seems too low for me for now at least. We just moved the guest room full size bed into DS's room and he has a body pillow under the sheet for now. My question is, what size bedbug bumper should I get for a full size bed? A full size bed is 74" long. They carry a 63" bumper, which the sales rep said would be the longest they'd recommend. She also suggested two 27" bumpers to make it 54".

[arivecchi]

I bought the travel set with four 27 inch bumpers and duffle bag - so 54 inches on each side of a king size bed. Offers plenty of coverage..... We do have a footboard, so we do not need to worry about our kiddos rolling off the foot of the bed. I would probably get more for the foot of the bed if I did not have the footboard - that is how our nephew fell off our sofa sleeper :(

[DrSally]

Thank you, so 54 inches per side should def be enough for a full size bed if it's enough for a king. Thanks for the tip on the foot of the bed. Maybe I should get some for the foot of the bed as well. How old was your nephew when he fell?

[arivecchi]

Yes - 54 inches should be more than enough for a full size bed.

He is 18 months old and was sleeping between his parents on a full size sofa sleeper. He is a super shifty sleeper and rolled off the bottom of the bed right onto a hardwood floor. Had to be rushed to the ER at the childrens' hospital near us at 2 am. It was very scary. This happened two weeks ago and still give me shivers when I think about it.