The importance of a bed from the perspective of a child

Playground, resting place and castle

Beds have a special significance especially for children. They spend a great deal of time in them throughout childhood. And not only to sleep. Children love to play, eat, listen to music or stories, read or even do gymnastics in their bed.

However, the bed is also a "castle" to which the child can withdraw if it is feeling sad or when it is sulking. It is the favourite place for dreaming and cuddling. For adults and children alike one's own bed represents a very personal space.

Entirely different features are important for children where their bed is concerned. For them the appearance is very significant. The look of the bed must appeal to the child's eyes. They prefer beds with a coloured design which look interesting and whose form and colour are inviting. Not only the appearance but also the feel of the surface has to be right. Children explore their surroundings not only with their eyes but also very much with their hands. They prefer beds that appeal to the visual and haptic perception. It is just more fun and stimulates the child's imagination.

Experiencing a good feeling

Another important aspect for children is that they can feel comfortable in their beds. Being comfortable is not just a question of soft bed linen and cuddly toys, but also about the use of likable assembly materials. The use of smooth, well-formed wood is as important here as a comfortable, soft mattress. Such materials create not only a comfortable atmosphere but also serve the haptic awareness previously mentioned.

Sometimes a goodnight story is not enough . . .

This applies to a disabled child just like any other child. The main difference is that many disabled children have a problem going to sleep or sleeping through the night. It is not unusual for them to take an extremely long time to fall asleep. Often the parents have to take the time to lie down with the child until it falls asleep. Waking up regularly during the night is also not unusual for these children.

To the parent's distress they often do not go back to sleep on their own, so that the parents have to attend to their children once again. Some children need additional care during the night, either to have nappies changed or for the child to be repositioned. This means that every night the parents and their children spend a lot of time together in and around the bed. A sensible size is an important aspect to also allow room for therapy and generally spending time in bed. In individual cases oversize beds are necessary. The child's bed is of far greater importance here than for a child without a disability.

What functions such a bed has to fulfil . . .

It is clear that a carecot must fulfil entirely different requirements compared to that of a standard child’s bed. It not only serves the child as a place to sleep but as a support for the parents administering care. If a child suffers from sleeplessness and cannot go to sleep alone, the bed sometimes has to also provide room for a parent to sleep. The carecot is often used in other contexts – many therapists use it as a therapy table. The carecot must be designed to allow the child exactly as much freedom of movement as it is able to make use of.

How a carecot becomes really appropriate for a child

Learning through movement

The deep sensibility, proprioception, is stimulated when children can move around sufficiently in their bed. This is essential for the development of the brain and the facilitation of the nerve endings. However, this can also lead to problems in the case of a disabled child. A healthy child of toddler age onwards can usually judge its own physical capabilities quite well so that normally accidents do not happen when jumping aroundin bed - it does not fall out and it does not become entangled in the bars.

A carecot is always something exceptional. Children with disabilities not only have impaired physical mobility but also sometimes suffer from spasticity and attacks of cramp that can prevent target-orientated movement. This increases the danger of injuries. Therefore it is necessary that a carecot can meet these specific requirements. Side lattices need to be available in varying heights and types (rods or plexiglass panels) to meet the individual needs and capabilities of the child. The question of safety plays a significant role in the case of a carecot. The German Act on Medical Devices ensures that the design conforms to the necessary standards. When it is a question of the stability and operational reliability of a bed that is used daily for many years, one has to be able to rely on the manufacturer. Economising when calculating the timber dimensions is definitely the wrong approach. In order that our kids do not also have to cope with allergies, natural materials should always be given preference over synthetic materials in production. Solid beech wood treated with sweat and saliva resistant paints feels velvet-soft and corresponds to the physiological sensation of the children. Smooth rods can help the child's efforts to grip and to walk.

Small excursion into the world of children shows quite clearly that one cannot simply classify a bed as a place to sleep. It is much more a place for fantasies and a safe haven. A carecot is in contrast something quite personal. Its design must ensure that it functions reliably so that the child's disability is compensated for and the daily hard work of the carer is eased considerably. Motorised height-adjustable sleeping platforms with different functions and the corresponding mattress are therefore obligatory in every carecot.