When a small child appears in the family or when purchasing a bunk bed for older children, the issue of sleep safety suddenly arises. Often the only option to protect the sleeper is to install a protective barrier in the form of railings, sides or bolsters. If you need to choose a bed rail against falls to protect the sleep of a child or an adult, you should take time to choose the most suitable option that meets real needs, has sufficient functionality and fits into the allocated budget. The cost of protective systems and homemade installations differs significantly. When deciding to make a protective side yourself, you should pay attention to its reliability, because the safety and life of the child depends on it.
What is a baby bed limiter?
A child bed restraint is a holder for a bed to prevent a child from falling, mounted separately or installed at the manufacturer's factory. This element helps to protect the child's sleep and prevent accidental falls from the bed in the middle of the night and subsequent injuries. Bed restraints are relevant both for small children sleeping separately from their parents, and for babies sleeping with their mother, because the part can also be installed on an adult bed.
Bed restraints can significantly reduce the risk of falls.
Note! Built-in barriers are necessary for children sleeping on the second floor of a bunk bed to avoid falls, regardless of the child's age, because the resulting injuries can be extremely dangerous. They can be purchased in furniture stores, purchased to order, or you can make them yourself from scrap materials, and they will not be inferior in efficiency to purchased ones.
A bed restraint is a protective barrier that prevents the person on the bed from falling.
Types of limiters
Limiters are different; they can either completely or partially cover the side of the bed. Full coverage is important for young children; partial coverage will be sufficient for older children to limit falls.
Such devices can be built-in, that is, the design of the bed provides for the presence of such a barrier in advance.
Bed barriers can be either removable or built-in. Removable ones are especially convenient because you can take them with you on trips, so that you can protect your baby on the road.
There are also limiters:
- Factory;
- Made to order according to individual measurements;
- Homemade.
You can also buy a limiter separately if you need it.
By material type
Sides are divided into several types, depending on the material from which they are made.
Soft
It is the simplest model of a limiter; it includes: foam rubber, padding polyester, which is rolled into a tube and, if necessary, several rollers are connected one on top of the other to achieve the desired height. Covers can be placed on top; they are usually attached to the mattress using laces or Velcro.
You can choose the material from which the product is made based on your tastes and preferences.
Reticulate
An effective solution to prevent your baby from falling at night while sleeping. Most often, nets are installed in a frame made of wood, metal or durable plastic.
The color variations of such sides are also varied.
Important! Check the strength of the mesh before installing the barrier on the bed. The restraint must be able to withstand the weight of the baby without being damaged.
Plastic
A rather convenient and practical side, despite its lightness, is durable and reliable. It is easy to use, warms up quickly, is easy to clean from dirt, and will not damage the baby’s skin if accidentally broken. Easy to make, you can make it yourself from plastic tubes at home.
As a rule, children's beds designed for very young children are always equipped with a built-in barrier.
Wood
A classic version of a barrier for a children's bed. Strong, reliable, durable. Fits perfectly into the bedroom interior, looks aesthetically pleasing and expensive. There are many variations in appearance and shape, it all depends on the owner’s imagination.
The minimum height can be selected if the child is constantly in a lying position, that is, for infants.
By mounting method
There are several ways to attach the holders to the crib:
- To the base of the bed;
- To the side walls of the bedroom;
- To the side of the crib;
- Under the mattress using a metal frame;
In this case, the side is held down by the weight of the child, suitable for children over two years old;
- To the mattress using Velcro and laces;
- Universal, for mounting on both horizontal and vertical planes.
Making a barrier from plastic pipes
A barrier-limiter for a children's bed can also be made from plastic plumbing pipes. You will need a special tool to cut such products, pipes of small diameter and connecting corners of the same cross-section.
Using this scheme, take from 5 to 7 straight tubes of the same size, cut small connecting ones up to 20 cm, and assemble the structure using corners of different configurations. Straight sections of the barrier are secured with T-shaped corners, the edges with L-shaped corners. To attach the holder of the future barrier, choose them with 4 holes.
How to make a fall protection bed with your own hands
You can easily make a do-it-yourself limiter for a children's bed of any kind at home, both from scrap materials and from inexpensive building materials, despite the fact that this attribute will serve as long and reliably as the factory one.
If the built-in limiter is a series of vertical slats, then the arms and legs of babies can get stuck between them. In this case, a soft border is also necessary.
How to make a bed restrainer from wood with your own hands
First, you need to decide on the method of attaching the limiter; the easiest way is to attach it to the side of the bed, but this may not be a very aesthetic way and will damage the structure of the crib. You can choose any convenient one from the list of mounts listed above.
For older children, who are around the age of three, you can choose low restraints to prevent them from falling while sleeping.
Decide on the future design and shape of the holder. Prepare the necessary material and tools, namely:
- Reliable wooden bars;
- Hacksaw;
- Self-tapping screws and/or bolts;
- Screwdriver;
- Ruler or tape measure;
- Paper and pencil.
To make the simplest U-shaped barrier, which will be fastened with bolts, you will need slats 55 cm long; the height is selected individually, can be from 15 to 30 cm.
For a crib measuring 70x120 cm, a side with a height of 70 cm will be optimal.
Step-by-step description of the side manufacturing process:
- Draw a schematic diagram of the proposed barrier for the crib, taking into account future dimensions;
- Cut the wooden slats according to the dimensions indicated in the diagram;
- Carefully fasten the bars together to ultimately obtain a U-shaped frame.
- Drill holes for fastening bolts on the installed barrier and the side of the bed;
- Screw the limiter to the bed using bolts.
Additional Information! Instead of blocks of wood, you can take a single piece of board and attach the required size to the bed, this will prevent the child's body or body parts from getting stuck in the resulting gap.
Older children need curbs to prevent them from falling while sleeping.
How to make a bed restrainer with your own hands from other materials
Side made of material
To do this you need:
- Take measurements of the crib;
- Construct a rough plan of the building on paper;
- Purchase foam rubber or padding polyester, fabric for the cover and fasteners in the required quantity;
- Roll up rolls of material and stitch;
- Sew covers of a suitable size;
- Sew fasteners onto the covers and mattress;
- Attach the restraint to the bed.
The color scheme of the bed limiter, as well as the bed itself, depends entirely on the flight of your imagination.
Plastic side
Pipes purchased from the plumbing department of a hardware store work well here. They are easy to fasten together, the fastenings are strong, and the whole structure is quite simple.
The holder can be attached to the side of the bed, to the bottom of the bed, or under the mattress, if the age and weight of the child allows.
Removable restraints are installed, as a rule, only on part of the bed, and therefore are suitable for older children - approximately three years of age and older.
Mesh side
- Measure the bed;
- Plan the approximate size and design of the limiter;
- Purchase materials: strong mesh, slats made of wood, metal.
- Cut and fasten the frame from the slats;
- Attach the mesh in the middle;
- Cover the frame with a suitable fabric or thoroughly sand the surface of the wood and varnish it, let it dry.
- Attach to the bed in any convenient way.
Parents traditionally prefer pink for a girl and blue for a boy.
Important! Check the surface of the homemade border for the presence of piercing and cutting edges and immediately eliminate it so as not to damage the integrity of the child’s skin.
Side for newborns
How to make a side for a children's bed so that the child does not fall? Restraints on newborn cribs are necessary not only to prevent children from falling, but also to soften the hard parts of the bed.
This function can be performed by soft woven bolsters and pillows placed around the perimeter of the crib and covering sharp corners.
In cribs designed for newborns, restraints are installed along the entire length, safely limiting the space of the crib.
Natural hypoallergenic materials are suitable for making barriers. It is not advisable to use hard parts to decorate the sides, because they can scratch the delicate skin of babies, or get into the respiratory tract and cause suffocation.
For the little ones, soft models of bumpers are available. They can cover the crib on four sides, or they can only be attached to two long sides.
Add-on cot
In the photo: Estelle cot, RUB 7,694.
Nowadays it’s not a problem to find a cradle or crib that can be attached to the parent’s bed with straps or special brackets.
Pros: ideal for babies, because mom is available all night, while the baby has his own safe space, linen and blanket - it’s also hygienic!
Disadvantages: the cost of such cribs is higher than usual; by 1-1.5 years the child will outgrow them.
How to install a baby bumper on an adult bed
If a child sleeps with parents who are concerned about his safety while sleeping, bumpers on an adult bed for the child will be a way out of this situation.
It is advisable to choose restraints with removable fastenings, because the child will grow up and move to sleep on his own bed after some time.
Universal removable restraints are an ideal solution for arranging a sleeping area in any bed; they are easy to attach and just as easy to remove.
It is necessary to choose the appropriate size, either for the entire length of the bed, or a partially retaining side, depending on the age and sleeping behavior of the child.
Otherwise, the manufacturing recommendations are the same as for the previous options.
The presence of special racks in the design allows them to be adjusted in height.
Sides for a children's bed are a useful and necessary device that does not have to be purchased in a store, but can be made independently by involving an older child in the process, giving the opportunity to choose materials and decorative elements according to their preferences.
Most parents who purchased crib restraints for their children were satisfied with this purchase.
Decoration
Homemade limiter, with a removable fabric cover.
The limiter, made of wood, looks aesthetically pleasing; it is enough to polish or paint it with varnish so that there is no risk of getting a splinter. If plywood or chipboard was used, the side must be decorated. A soft cover or case is best. If you lay padding polyester on the inside, the child will be protected from accidental blows during sleep.
Protective edge against falls, decorated with fabric
The limiter can also be coated with a special paint for wooden surfaces.
Do-it-yourself wooden barrier-limiter for a bunk bed
