Bunk Beds Declared Dangerous!

Broken toes, bloody noses and ceiling fan entanglement are the stuff of nightmares for all ages, report concludes

By Laura Allen Posted 06.04.2008 at 9:55 am 6 Comments

Bed Bunks Fall from grace? MediaSource

Clamber down a bunk bed ladder in the black of night at your own risk, says a large new study of the double-decker berths: falls, head entrapment, strangulation, and even ceiling fan entanglement may await.

Most of the nearly 36,000 cases of bunk-bed injury reported per year were found to involve scrapes, bruises, and fractures, including the notorious “bunk-bed fracture”—an impaction of the bone behind the big toe commonly induced by cowabunga leaps. Small children get walloped most often in the head and neck, reports the study, as they “tend to fall head first because of a higher center of gravity.”

Yet no child is too old to be spared. The researchers learned that injuries actually spike among 18-to-21-year-olds, presumably because they are more frequently relegated to bunking in a college dorm or military barrack.

The authors, who conducted the study from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, recommend the use of guard rails and night lights and discourage kids from employing the bunk as a jungle gym.

The report appears in the June issue of the journal Pediatrics—yet another example of how obvious science can help us sleep at night.

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6 Comments

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Taio

06/05/08 at 4:39 am

Yes indeed play at your own risk on these buggers and as the good doctor once said "no more monkeys jumping on the bed".

~Taio~

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Taio

06/05/08 at 4:40 am

Yes indeed play at your own risk on these buggers and as the good doctor once said "no more monkeys jumping on the bed".

~Taio~

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zerinsakech

06/11/08 at 12:26 pm

Zerin Sakech says

Yeah! these beds are killer! I slept on a bunk and have been hurt many times. Mainly because I'm accident prone, but still, so is most of the human population. These beds were desinged from army cots and for budget costs. Those of us who can afford to buy real beds then lets skip the bunks, unless you like to pay hospital bills. Masocista!!!!

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fortgeorge

06/11/08 at 4:33 pm

Umm, my brother and I grew up sleeping in bunk beds for about 14 years and were never hurt once, same with my two sisters. Just don't act like a retard on the bed, simple as that.

Most people these days seem to let their kids act like jackasses, that's probably the whole reason behind the kids getting hurt. Hell it's probably 90% of the reason any kid gets hurt.

Just make them settle down and obey the rules of the house, simple.

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Trogdor the Bur...

06/17/08 at 12:36 pm

If you are reading this, you have been BURNINATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have fallen out of my bunk bed and landed on my head and I'm hear to tell ya it's not life threatening. It hurt alot so it's still not a good idea.

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Brian H

10/09/09 at 11:23 pm

Ah, yeessss, fond memories; my younger brother #1 slept in the top bunk. These were mesh and mattress bunks, not hard platform, so a fave surprise was to place my feet under the lump he made in his mattress and LAUNCH him toward the ceiling.
He hardly ever got injured!