Jumping on beds is certainly a lot of fun and everyone did it when they were younger, it was like having your own personal bouncy castle. While jumping on a bed is nothing more than harmless fun when you’re a child, it’s certain that it’s resulted in plenty of broken beds, particularly when bearing the weight of siblings at the same time.
A broken bed was certainly not something you wanted to be presenting to parents. It more than likely got fixed or was left because it really wasn’t that bad a break, you were only little after all. However, there may have been bigger repercussions that you might have thought to that one little break.
Effects of Bed Jumping
Shortens the Mattresses’ Lifespan
A brand-new mattress typically lasts between 7 and 10 years. Allowing your children to use your bed like a trampoline means your mattress can unfortunately become damaged. You may eventually feel some uneven lumps on the mattress, which makes it hard to sleep on, due to the constant strong pressure after each leap damaging the mattress's stability and structure.
Creates Weaker Edges
Do you tend to find yourself rolling off the side of your bed? The size of the bed's sleeping surface shrinks as the mattress's edges become looser with time. The edge of the bed will eventually be difficult to sit on without falling off. If you allow your children to jump on the bed repeatedly, it may weaken the edges, necessitating the purchase of a new mattress.
Damages the Bed Frame
Contrary to popular belief, the bedframe's primary purpose is to support and preserve your mattress, not to give personality to the bedroom. There won't be enough support for the mattress underside without a working bedframe. As a result, some parts of the mattress may end up bearing most of the pressure. This unequal distribution might ruin the sleeping surface of your bed, which can contribute towards insomnia and pain to the key pressure points in the body.
The slats on a bed perform multiple vital functions. The first and most obvious, is to keep the bed in shape. Without the slats fastened within a bed frame, the bed would not only wobble, but it would also prevent a mattress from sitting on the bed at all. In fact, it would just fall through, and you may as well sleep on the floor.
The slats also perform the function of providing important support to a person’s back when they’re sleeping. When sleeping, you’re supposed to be at an acute angle, with your head slightly raised. This ties directly into why it’s important to have a mattress that provides the best possible support. Ideally, a mattress aligns your spine when you sleep so that it’s straight, ensuring that there’s no stress on both your back and your joints.
Dirty Mattress
Kids love to play outside and run around the house, therefore they are prone to becoming dirty. Because of this, their feet's soles are covered with mud and debris. Children can sweat, shed skin, or spill stuff on the mattress. They might leave sand and other material on the mattress, which over time might make it heavier.
All of this dirt can provide an ideal environment for tiny creatures like dust mites to take over your bed. They can spend years living in peace in your mattress, and at night they can feast on your skin, causing dermatitis or an allergic reaction. It's time to get a new mattress when this occurs.
How to Prevent Your Children From Jumping on the Bed
Explain the Bad Effects
Explain to your children the negative effects of jumping on beds without being too technical to ensure it’s easy for them to understand. The greatest way to stop children from continuing these unhealthy habits is to employ a little bit of imagination. It could be a good idea to come up with a fun story which will help get your message across. Explain that this is also for their own good as bed jumping can result in broken bones as well as broken springs.
Punishment
If that doesn’t work, then last resort could be a punishment. Nothing too bad, but just something that will make them think twice about jumping on the bed again. The best strategy is to choose a punishment that fits the child's ability and age and is, ultimately, a light form of punishment designed to deter the behaviour in future.
Start Fresh with Get Laid Beds
If your children have exhausted your bed with all their jumping, then it may be time for a new one. Take a look at our wide range of top quality wooden beds and mattresses today. Just make sure to take on our tips to prevent those pesky kids from using your bed as a trampoline again!
