What Are the Dangers of Children Falling Out of Bed?

From the moment a child is no longer sleeping in a crib (and those four walls of barred protection are gone), he or she is at risk for falling out of the bed. Although most children sustain only minor injuries when rolling onto the floor, even that danger can be minimized if you take precautions.

  1. Misconceptions

    • First, remember that a child will rarely get a serious injury from falling out of the bed. A study produced by Thomas J. Lyons, MD, and R. Kim Oates, MD, "Falling out of Bed: A Relatively Benign Occurrence," concludes "There were no serious, multiple, visceral, or life-threatening injuries. Because falls from short distances are unlikely to produce serious injury, the reliability of the history should be questioned when a child has significant injuries said to have resulted from a short fall."

    Prevention/Solution

    • When switching a child from a crib to a toddler or regular bed, make sure the bed is equipped with rails on both sides to keep restless sleepers from ending up on the floor. If a bed does not come with built-in rails, separate ones can be bought at many stores.

    Considerations

    • Parents can also pad the floor with pillows, another mattress or a soft rug, blanket or sleeping bag to absorb a child's impact if he or she takes a fall.

    Warning

    • Bunk beds are a different matter. Head injuries, including fractures and slight concussions, have been reported in children and even adults falling from the top bunk. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommend that children under six not be allowed to sleep in the upper bunk, with other experts extending that age to eight or nine.

    Expert Insight

    • Although most children who fall out of their beds roll off the mattress, some will end up on the floor because of sleepwalking tendencies. Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect: The Toddler Years, says, "Sleepwalking and talking typically runs in families, so if you or your partner has done it, chances are your child might too. Though it's more prevalent in older children, 25 to 30 percent of little kids will experience at least one episode."

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