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When we purchase a bed the first thing we look at is the bed itself. How wonderful it looks, the headboard, the strength of the bed, the material and the quality of the bed itself. Then comes the height. Most people look at the bed once and decide that height is not just as important if all the other factors are good. But is it? The height of a bed determines how good it will look in your bedroom. It will be the main piece of furniture in your bedroom and if its going to devour all the other furniture in the room and the room itself, the furniture is out of place. The bed itself should not consume more than 1/3rd of the space. And when it comes to height, if your bedroom ceiling is high, you should get a bed which is taller. Its about aesthetics. 

The question always amounts to how tall should your bed be. For most people, the height of the bed is determined by comfort. How easy it is to get in and out of bed. This makes a lot of sense and is the right way to purchase a bed. After all, Comfort plays a major role. But then there are other factors too. 

  1. Aesthetics
    How your bed looks in your bedroom has a lot to do with the bed height itself. If you have a large room with a high ceiling, you would want a bed which is tall. Afterall, the bed is the key furniture in the bedroom and you don’t want to make it look like just another piece of furniture in the room. The Bed itself should be in focus but not imposing. With a large room, chances are you will even a queen sized bed just a bit too small. The best way to improve the aesthetics is to raise the bed a few inches higher.  Its easier to get the attention of the bed with it raised rather than it on a lower level. 
  2. Comfort
    If you are too focused on the aesthetics, don’t take your eye away from comfort. You will have to get into the bed and out of it at least once every day. You don’t want to use a ladder to get in and out of bed ! Comfort is key. Most beds should not be more than a few inches above your knee level with a mattress on to get in and out easily. Your feet can be firmly on the ground while you sit on the bed. This way, you can get in and out of bed easily without jumping on to the bed. Its also a safe height. Its safer to get off the bed in the middle of the night when you are half asleep to visit the bathroom. Its not a good feeling to wake up in the middle of the night and find the ground below your feet has disappeared. That’s panic.
  3. Mattress height
    When you purchase a bed, we forget about the mattress itself. Most people think that the height of the bed is the final height they get to see when they get it home and is fully set up. They forget that the height will increase by almost one feet with a mattress on! PErsonally i love a thick tall mattress. 15-16 inch height is perfect for me. It looks good and feels good. With a mattress already a bit over my knees, the height of the mattress added puts the total height just below my hips! Its ok to get in and out of bed still. I may have to slide in and out but the feet will not touch the floor while i am sitting. Consider the height of your mattress itself before you purchase your bed.

Whats the right height For a bed

The approximate figure for the right bed height would be between 16 inches and 24 inches. The right figure would be based on the person’s height. If you can sit on a bed, with a mattress on and touch the ground with your feet and your knee is in a 90 degree angle, this is the perfect height for your mattress. For most people this would be around 20 inches. If you are shorter it could be around 16. For people who are really tall, it could go to 24 inches. There is no one size fits all when it comes to finding the right height of the bed. Its entirely on the comfort level of the person using the bed itself. 

Some of the other factors which determine how tall your mattress needs to be depends on the activities involved in bed too. If you are active in sex, you may want to have a slightly taller mattress.

Advantages of having a bed which is a bit taller than usual.

Discomfort aside, there are a few benefits to having a bed which is a bit higher than the usual. While most beds are approximately 20 inches, consider a bed which is slightly taller in these scenarios.

  1. Aesthetics. : Of course as we discussed earlier, a bed which is taller looks good in a large room. It is particularly effective in a room which has a tall ceiling. The bed looks majestic in a room which is bigger if it’s tall. If your mattress is of normal height or slightly shorter, chances are your bedroom will end up looking like a studio apartment. 
  2. Storage Space : Most beds which are tall allow enough storage space below the mattress. IT does not matter what you want to store and not look at it for a few months, the bed with enough storage space could do the trick. Maybe its a large suitcase which is only used while travelling or the winter beddings which are not required during the summer. Some beds do come with a storage facility under the bed which is completely enclosed. If you are a person who has limited storage space at home, a taller mattress could help.
  3. Sex : Sex is not the only purpose you should buy a bed but if you are young and active, chances are you can manage in and out of bed if the bed is a bit tall. You wouldn’t mind using the bed for a few years or even a decade or two. A tall mattress is effective especially when it comes to sex. If you are quite adventurous in bed, you will not regret a bed which is a bit taller than usual.

What if My bed is too short?

There are times when we have purchased a bed because it looked good in the showroom or shop. Once you put it on the floor in your bedroom… it may have looked good. But not as good as you would have had in mind. Anyways, you ended up keeping the bed and found out that the bed was ok once you were sleeping. As a matter of fact, you found no difference in your sleep quality but it was not a good experience to get on and off your bed.

For me, its easier when I can just step out of bed and head to the shower without the strain in the morning. I am not old. But its not a good feeling when you feel like you are in the gym squatting every time you want to lay down or get up from bed. If your mattress height is too low, you will experience a lot of trouble getting on and off bed. This becomes increasingly tedious if you are older or suffering from Joint problems like arthritis.

You have 2 options and the easier one would be to get a new bed altogether. Unfortunately this is not an option for most people and that’s when a bed riser comes to your help. You can purchase a bed riser from a hardware store or a bed store or you can get one made. Check out the wiki page https://www.wikihow.com/Raise-Your-Bed on how to get your bed riser done.

FAQ

Can bed height affect sleep

Sleep quality is not affected by the bed height. It affects how you get in and out of bed though. Too tall or too short the bed,chances are you are not going to feel comfortable getting on or off the bed.  Once you fall asleep it really does not matter how tall or how short the bed is. You simply drift along if your mattress is good.

What is the right height of the bed for me?

The right height of a bed would be the knee height. When you purchase a bed, check if the height of the surface is just at knee height. If it is, you can add a mattress on top and still sit down on it with the feet firmly on the ground.