A bunk bed is a type of

bed A bed is an item of furniture that is used as a place to sleep, rest, and relax. Most modern beds consist of a soft, cushioned mattress on a bed frame. The mattress rests either on a solid base, often wood slats, or a sprung base. Many beds ...

in which one

bed frame A bed frame or bedstead is the part of a bed used to position the bed base, the flat part which in turn directly supports the mattress(es). The frame may also stop the matresses from sliding sideways, and it may include means of supporting a can ...

is stacked on top of another, allowing two or more beds to occupy the floor space usually required by just one. They are commonly seen on ships, in the military, and in

hostel A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory, with shared use of a lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or share ...

dormitories A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...

, summer camps, children’s bedrooms, and prisons. Bunk beds are normally supported by four poles or pillars, one at each corner of the bed. A ladder or stairs is used to get to the upper bed, which is normally surrounded by a railing to prevent the sleeper from falling out. Some models also have a privacy curtain for the lower bunk. Because of the need for a ladder and the height of the bed, the top bunk of a bunk bed is not recommended for children under six years of age. A

loft A loft is a building's upper storey or elevated area in a room directly under the roof (American usage), or just an attic: a storage space under the roof usually accessed by a ladder (primarily British usage). A loft apartment refers to large ...

bed is an elevated bed similar to a bunk bed, but without the lower beds, freeing floor space for other furniture, such as a

desk A desk or bureau is a piece of furniture with a flat table-style work surface used in a school, office, home or the like for academic, professional or domestic activities such as reading, writing, or using equipment such as a computer. Desks of ...

, which might be built into the loft bed. Low loft beds are lower to the ground and designed for younger children.

Types

The most common type is the standard bunk bed which has two same size mattresses stacked one directly over the other. A twin over full bunk bed is arranged as a standard except that the bottom mattress is a full size and the upper is a twin size. A full over full bunk bed is otherwise called as the wider bed, which means both top and bottom has the same wider size. They both have a double bed and a total of four people can sleep in it at the same time. A ''futon bunk'' is also arranged like a standard bunk, except the lower bunk is a Western-style

futon A is a traditional Japanese style of bedding. A complete futon set consists of a and a . Both elements of a futon bedding set are pliable enough to be folded and stored away in a large during the day. This allows a room to serve as a bedr ...

couch, which converts into a bed rather than a standard mattress. Futon bunks can be used to save space in small apartments or rooms, because the lower bed converts to a couch for use during the daytime. In an L-shape bunk the bottom bed is oriented at a right angle to the top bed such that when viewed from above the beds form an L. This also creates a small alcove where a desk or bookshelf can be placed. A loft bed denotes a bunk bed that has only the top bunk, creating an open space underneath that can be occupied by a chest, drawers, or even a work area. This makes loft beds an efficient use of small spaces by utilizing the entire vertical area that would otherwise be left unused. Some loft beds even have stowable/trundle beds while retaining the capability to contain workstations and drawers. Loft beds can be more expensive than bunk beds due to built-in storage capacity and other features. Other names are ''mezzanine bed'', ''(bunk) high sleeper (bed)'', ''loft bunk''. Cottage

A triple loft bed is an arrangement involving a total of three bunks. These bunks are a combination of bed types, where a loft bed is perpendicularly attached to a bunk bed to form an L-shape. The bunk or bunks above the lowest one may have rails to keep the occupant from falling out.Jan 17, 2002. ''WIRED''
"Sleeping 101"
.

References

External links

* ttp://www.astm.org/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/DATABASE.CART/REDLINE_PAGES/F1427.htm?L+mystore+fwjv4738 ASTM Safety Standards for bunk bedsbr>UK - The Bunk Beds (Entrapment Hazards) (Safety) Regulations 1987
{{Authority control Beds Sibling Space-saving furniture