You know I love a good floor bed! All of my children have slept in floor beds. We start using the floor bed almost from birth for daytime naps and for nighttime sleeping when we feel they are ready. Caspar and Otis used a single mattress on the floor and it worked perfectly. We didn't have any mold or mildew and I just vacuumed underneath it weekly. It takes a while for the child to find the edge and learn how to get down but it's fantastic for their spatial awareness and of course independence. 

Today I want to show you Otto's new bed (c/o Sprout). His room is tiny so we are using a crib size bed. A single mattress wouldn't allow space for anything else. He has been using a crib size since we were in Australia so he's used to it. Otis barely moves in his sleep and Otto just kind of flips and flops around. Both will sleep with their feet off the edge slightly, on occasion Otto has slept with his legs out, but neither Otis or Otto have fallen or rolled out of their floor beds. 

Otto's bed arrived packed flat which is fantastic for us and moving around. It's easy to put together as it clicks into place with no tools. I put Otto's bed together by myself with him in the room no problem. I have also changed the sides about five times this week so it's easy to pull down and put back up. 

Pictured above it has one high side and one low side. It is easy for Otto to get on and off. It's hard to tell in the photos but the bed is very low to the ground. The bed allows for ventilation underneath but it is still very low. I put cushions next to the bed but they are only there for me to sit on when reading or just talking to him while he falls asleep. Otto, at ten months has learned to get off the bed feet first.

On and off - easy peasy.

This combination is with one high side and one scoop side. The scoop side is available as an additional side. In my view, this is the best option for children who easily roll out of bed and for parents who want to keep them in bed without restricting their freedom. 

If you have a very active sleeper, this may be a good option. Because he can't turn around so easily Otto still gets off here head first but it's so low to the ground he can do it easily. 

I've written a lot about the benefits of using a floor bed they really work for our family and we wouldn't consider anything else. You may like to read a few of my previous articles:

• Transitioning to a floor bed - Montessori.
• Why we use a (Montessori) floor bed.

I always get a lot of questions about sleep. Otto is a wonderful sleeper in that from an early age was able to self-soothe, so different from my other two. Otto is so different that I really appreciate that all families and all children will need a different arrangement for sleep and a different arrangement for their floor bed. 

Sprout beds are made in the US from Baltic Birch, they are strong and have a long life. These are beds that will last many children, they can be passed on or resold. The beds are well designed, the whole bed can be flipped and used as an older child's bed, this is particularly useful in the single/twin size, the bed will last their entire childhood. I encourage you to look at the pictures at Sprout as they show you all the options and ways the bed can be used. Finally, there is a furniture company that is putting kids first!

Sprout offer free shipping (on orders over $75) in the US. They ship international although shipping costs may be prohibitive to some countries. Sprout's Montessori beds are available for pre-order from July 13th. They are selling the first 20 beds at a 25% discount starting at the pre-order period of July 13th at 3pm MDT. You can order a bed during the pre-order period of July 13th - July 20th at a 20% discount using the discount code HWMBED.

Let me know if you have any questions about using the floor bed or about sleep in general and I will do my best to answer!