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I used to think that when I had a baby, s/he would sleep in a crib, just like every other baby. But when I began working at a Montessori school, I learned about floor beds and never looked back. I have found so many benefits and it has been so easy to use, that I just had to talk about what a floor bed is.

So, here is a quick progression on how we got Mac into her floor bed. When Mac was a baby, she slept in a bedside bassinet. Once she was a bit older, she moved into a floor bed in our room. Eventually Mac and her floor bed moved into her own room. Now we bed share part time with her as a toddler.

What is a Floor Bed?

So what makes a floor bed? Pretty simple; it is just a mattress or other padding on the floor. In many parts of the world, people of all ages sleep on floor beds. They are easily managed in small spaces and can be cheaper than other alternatives. Instead of needing separate rooms that are used simply for sleeping, beds can be pulled out at night in the common areas.

We lucked out and were given an organic crib mattress by someone with children who had outgrown their crib. After Mac started to roll over frequently at night, we transferred her from the bassinet to a floor bed. We set up a corner of our room to be her area and put her mattress in there. She started sleeping in there when she was around 6 months old, but I have heard of other children starting on a floor bed when they were even younger. As she got older, we transitioned her to a floor bed in her own room, but instead of a crib mattress, she now sleeps on a full mattress.

So What Are the Benefits?

The biggest benefit of a floor bed is that it helps the child be more independent. This is the reason why Montessori encourages a floor bed. If Mac wakes up early from her nap, she can crawl around and play quietly until I come up to get her. I encourage Mac’s independence because I feel that it is important for her to be able to make her own choices, within reason. I have heard of people going to great lengths to try to contain their child to a crib, even putting tents over them. Why not remove the barriers and simply give them a larger space?

Floor beds can be safer than cribs. Mac is a little climber. I have no doubt that she would have learned to crawl out of a crib at an extremely young age. In fact, the picture of her just above was taken when she was 6 1/2 months old. And yes, she crawled up there completely on her own. With a floor bed, there is no chance of injury from falls or getting stuck in the slats of a crib. After child-proofing her area, she was free to roam safely.

I love the fact that I can go in and lay comfortably with her when she needs me. Sometimes, I even fall asleep with her for a while. I’ve heard of parents crawling into their baby’s crib or contorting themselves to comfort baby through the crib slats. I think our way is a lot easier!

Are There Any Negatives?

I honestly can’t think of any major negatives. Any problems people thought we might have never really materialized or were quickly solved. I’ve been asked if she gets cold on the floor. In our house, the bedrooms are on the third floor. Even if it is very cold outside, she wears a Halo Sleep Sack which keeps her warm. Sleep sacks are a safe way to keep baby warm because blankets should not be used until they are older.

I will say that I’m not sure what is normal when it comes to kids sleeping because Mac is not a sleeper. But one negative (with a silver lining) is that a floor bed teaches children to listen to their body when it comes to natural cues about feeling tired. So the idea is that you would put the child in their room and they would play until they were ready to sleep. Now, I am hoping to work more on this during the summer when I am not working and can adjust my sleep schedule. But for now, I haven’t seen this with Mac. Most nights are a struggle because she honestly doesn’t require as much sleep as other children her age. But I don’t think this is a problem with floor beds, just with Mac’s natural ability to run on hardly any sleep. Every day.

People are worried about Mac falling out of bed. And guess what? She does, but only occasionally. It doesn’t really bother her at all. She wakes up enough to cry once or twice and falls back to sleep. But sleeping in a floor bed helps with her sense of edges, meaning that Mac has learned about how to safely dismount a ledge and how to keep herself from falling off an edge, even when she is sleeping. Of course, this isn’t a foolproof method, but I do feel it has enabled Mac to be the fearless, but successful climber that she is.

So what are your thoughts on a floor bed? Do you know anyone who uses one?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you buy through my link, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. For more information, see my disclosure page here.