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A Montessori floor bed gives your child the freedom to move independently, promotes gross motor skills and spatial awareness, encourages a sense of autonomy, and fosters a strong connection with their surroundings.
We’ve seen firsthand the benefits of Montessori floor beds. Our daughter began sleeping on a floor bed when she was about four months old.
It was amazing to see our daughter make her own decisions and choose her own activities without us telling her what to do.
And I am sure you will also be excited to see how your child thrives simply by adding a Montessori floor bed.
In this article, I will share more about the benefits of Montessori floor beds and how they will help with your child’s overall development.
A Montessori floor bed is simply a bed on the floor that is at your child’s reach and eye level.
It was inspired by the Montessori Philosophy where Dr. Maria Montessori believed that children can thrive when we allow them to move freely and independently.
In the book The Secret of Childhood, Dr. Maria Montessori states:
“One of the greatest helps that could be given to the psychological development of a child would be to give him a bed suited to his needs and cease making him sleep longer than necessary… The child instead should be given a low couch resting practically upon the floor, where he can lie down and get up as he wishes.”
Whether it is a fancy bed from Sprout Kids or IKEA or simply a mattress on the floor, the developmental benefits of Montessori floor beds are endless.
Contrary to a crib where children are restricted by rails around it, the best Montessori floor bed will give your child the freedom to get on and off by themselves, nap or sleep on their own, and play without any restrictions.
Some parents get surprised when I tell them that our daughter began sleeping on a Montessori floor bed when she was only four months old.
“Won’t she fall off her bed?”
Yes, she did many times but this was part of the journey. She improved her spatial awareness and learned where the edge of the bed was.
But falling off her bed was the least of our worries. We focused more on the long-term benefits of the floor bed.
First, let’s compare a Montessori floor bed vs crib.
Cribs restrict your child’s ability to move freely. They become very dependent on you to help them get out, go back to sleep, and play.
Just imagine how you would feel if you had a fence around your bed.
A Montessori floor bed does not have rails or obstacles to block your child’s natural ability to move, play, and experiment freely.
Physical movement is very critical during the early years of childhood, and if you follow the Montessori philosophy, you help your child gain critical life skills simply by adding a floor bed.
This is why I always suggest to parents that they set up a Montessori floor bed. It will give their children the independence to explore their room and become aware of their surroundings.
The bedroom is your child’s safe space and a Montessori floor bed allows your child to explore this environment without restrictions.
Without the walls of a bassinet or crib slats, your child can freely move around the room and make decisions on their own.
Here is a list of the biggest benefits of a Montessori floor bed for your baby:
Your child can freely and safely move in and out of their Montessori floor bed. Unlike a crib, there are no rails that will prevent them from exploring and having fun!
If your child is crawling or walking, they can get off their bed and reach for their play gym or toys on their own.
They will interact with everything you’ve set up in their Montessori bedroom. It is very fun to watch your child explore and experiment on their own.
A Montessori floor bed helps your child decide what they want to do instead of waiting for you to pick them up and choose an activity for them.
You should create an environment that allows your child to thrive. Having a low shelf with limited learning tools or a small bookshelf will help your child make their own choices.
From the moment they wake up, they can choose to read a book, play with their favorite toy, or toss the ball around.
Our daughter’s decision-making skills improved dramatically once she started crawling. We set up a low shelf, a small bookshelf, and a standup bar with a mirror at her eye level.
Whenever she woke up, she crawled over to her standup bar and practiced standing up on her own.
Sometimes she would crawl to her play gym and bat at toys. It was amazing to see her independence flourish.
As your child gets older and masters more skills, they will wake up and use the bathroom on their own, make their bed, or get dressed on their own without waiting for you to tell them what to do.
This is what we want to accomplish with the simple addition of a floor bed: INDEPENDENCE!
Children are very good at climbing and a crib with high bars is just another fun challenge. This poses a great risk that can lead to a trip to the hospital.
According to an article by WebMD, more than 80% of injuries in kids involve cribs, and about two-thirds of reported injuries happened when children jumped out or fell from the crib.
A Montessori floor bed prevents accidents that normally happen with cribs. You don’t have to worry about bars or your child falling off from a high crib or bassinet.
Montessori floor bed mattresses are about 4 to 6 thick, so even if your child rolls out of the floor bed, they will land safely on the floor.
When our daughter transitioned to her Montessori floor bed, we knew she was going to roll off. We added a blanket next to the floor bed so she wouldn’t land on the carpet.
Imagine trying to observe the world with bars blocking your view. You wouldn’t be able to see much.
The same applies to your baby. Having a Montessori floor bed without the restriction of crib bars allows them to observe their environment.
It also allows your child to freely move and explore the room which can help them improve their decision-making, independence, and critical thinking skills.
Freedom to explore is one of the fundamental topics in the Montessori philosophy. When you allow your child to explore on their own, you are helping them become more independent.
As I mentioned earlier, children can choose to read a book or toss the ball around when they wake up.
The more you allow your child to make their own decisions, the more independent they become.
As Maria Montessori said, “The essence of independence is to be able to do something for one’s self.”
There are plenty of Montessori floor bed options. Before you commit to getting a Montessori floor bed for your child, there are a few things you might consider that can make the transition to a floor bed easier.
Montessori floor beds come in different sizes. A crib mattress like the Newton Crib Mattress is great for newborns, infants, and toddlers. When your baby reaches childhood, you can upgrade to the Newton Kids’ Twin Mattress.
A Montessori floor bed can be as simple as a crib mattress on the floor or something more intricate and fancy.
We chose to have a crib mattress as our daughter’s floor bed. We felt that this was the best option to allow for exploration. Plus we focused on the benefits and not on the aesthetics of the bed.
Some floor beds come with bases or frames that are still close to the ground. If you want a fancier option, there are floor beds that come with a house-like frame.
This Harper and Bright Designs Twin Size House Bed can be a good option and will look good in your child’s bedroom.
Remember that the purpose of a Montessori floor bed is to allow your child to observe their surroundings without obstructions and to promote independence and freedom of movement.
Some Montessori floor bed options come with rails but should be very low to follow the Montessori philosophy.
Rails on a Montessori floor bed should not be any higher than the height of the crib mattress. Your child should still be able to get on and off the bed easily.
Keep in mind that floor beds with frames do cost a bit more. If you are on a very low budget, then consider using a crib mattress only. This is the option we opted for.
By now, you should already know the benefits of floor beds.
But just to summarize, the pros of floor beds include independence and freedom of movement, development of gross motor skills and spatial awareness, and it encourages self-regulation and autonomy.
The pros outweigh the cons but there is at least one thing you should be aware of.
Your baby will have the freedom to explore. That means that they will move around their room independently and will want to play with everything they can get their hands on. I suggest you minimize toys and materials and baby-proof their room.
A Montessori floor bed provides a safe, accessible, and developmentally appropriate sleep environment for your child.
A floor bed promotes independence and freedom of movement and allows your baby to explore and develop their motor skills.
It also creates a safe and comfortable sleep space and encourages a healthy sleep routine.
There is no recommended age for a Montessori floor bed. My daughter began sleeping on her floor bed when she was only four months old.
I would recommend you add a floor bed as soon as possible rather than waiting for the “perfect” age.
That does not mean that your baby will sleep on the floor bed immediately. You can introduce your baby to the floor bed by having them play on it and take naps.
Yes. I’ve seen the benefits of a floor bed. It will give your child autonomy over their own schedule and routine.
They will learn how to make their own decisions which can improve their independence.
There isn’t a golden rule for when to switch to a floor bed but from personal experience, your child should have good control over their movements, be able to roll over, and show an interest in exploring the environment.
Yes, your one-year-old can sleep on a mattress on the floor but make sure you do it in a safe and supervised manner.
The crib mattress should be firm as recommended by the AAP and your child’s sleep area needs to be childproofed to eliminate any hazards.
These are the benefits of Montessori floor beds. If you are ready to transition to a floor bed, check out our article on the best mattress for a Montessori floor bed.
You can also watch a tutorial I did on floor bed and its benefits on our YouTube channel.
Hello, I am Leslie. I am on a mission to help you support the growth and development of your child. With the right tools and proper guidance, you can navigate parenthood with confidence and assertion! My goal is to equip you with knowledge to help you construct a strong foundation for your child’s life.
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