Help make my bed more like a couch, please!

November 1, 2011 6:30 AM

I’m trying to think of a way to make one part of my side of the bed more like the back of a couch. But I’m not very creative, apparently. Can you help me please?

I like to sleep on our futon couch because I can bend my knees and lean them against the back. It’s a comfortable position because I have low back pain when sleeping with my legs straight, but sleeping on our couch every night is not practical for several reasons. Can you help me think of a way I could replicate this sleeping position in a regular bed? Moving the bed up against a wall and leaning my legs against the wall is not an option. One of those wedge pillows on the bed won’t work because I don’t usually sleep this way all night, rather I like to start out in this position and move to my side later. I envision something along these lines, but a little taller and shorter (and with padding if possible). All the bed rails I looked at don’t seem tall enough and are too long; I only need it to be about maybe 18" long, but it has to come up at least 22” above the level of the mattress (I'm 5'4"). If such a product doesn’t exist, how could I (a not-terribly-handy person) go about fashioning one from easily available materials? Thanks in advance, hivemind!

posted by miaou to health & fitness (13 answers total)

What about one of those husband pillows? They're generally pretty heavy, since they're intended to support your upper body, so if you turn it around set it on the side of the bed it should stay there OK with your knees up against it. And then you could also use it for other things (like sitting up and reading in bed) when you're not actively sleeping.
posted by phunniemee at 6:40 AM on November 1, 2011

Why not just put a body/long pillow against that wall?
posted by mareli at 6:41 AM on November 1, 2011

mereli, OP doesn't have a wall.
posted by phunniemee at 6:42 AM on November 1, 2011

Why not just put a body/long pillow against that wall?

The OP disqualified that, declaring that "Moving the bed up against a wall and leaning my legs against the wall is not an option."
posted by Tomorrowful at 6:42 AM on November 1, 2011

Sorry, didn't read carefully enough. How about something like this frame and a body pillow or a firmer couch-like cushion?
posted by mareli at 6:49 AM on November 1, 2011

One time when I had two mattresses, I put one mattress up against the wall and moved my bed up against the mattress. I could lean against the upright mattress in bed to read. I imagine I could have put my legs over / on it while lying down.
posted by 3FLryan at 6:50 AM on November 1, 2011

(oh - I had the mattress length-wise, not at the head or foot of the bed)
posted by 3FLryan at 6:51 AM on November 1, 2011

What about something like this wedge?
posted by seriousmoonlight at 7:14 AM on November 1, 2011

It will take some construction, but make a L shaped contraption. Pad the vertical side and slip the horizontal side under the mattress. It is thus easily removable for changing sheets or other bed-time activities.
posted by Gungho at 7:55 AM on November 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Sry. Basically you will be making a custom sized version of the one you linked to.
posted by Gungho at 7:56 AM on November 1, 2011

I don't know how much hacking you're willing to do to your bed, but I'd install a headboard on the side of the bed, and pad that. Basically, I'd build something like this.

      @|
      @|
      @|
*****  |
*****  |
  11  /|\
----------

Basic description: The *s are the mattress, the 1s are the legs of the frame. The | is a headboard, with padding (@), and a set of legs that go down to a base (---) which slides under the bed. This way, you don't alter the actual bed, and you can adjust where it is.

I'd guess that three supports, made out of 2x4s, would be more than enough. You might want to bolt the base to the bed to keep it from sliding.
posted by eriko at 8:04 AM on November 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Thanks everyone, Mareli's link led me to this, which is cheaper. I had no idea something like this exists. I think I could stuff a bed pillow vertically in that frame-y part and then put a pillowcase over the outside of it so my legs aren't in contact with the metal. Eriko, I totally love your "drawing" but that seems like it would take more sawing, nailing and bolting than I am currently capable of.
posted by miaou at 10:59 AM on November 1, 2011

A much, much more expensive (but extremely sturdy and also attractive to look at) solution would be to get a day bed--that's a bed frame which has a back and two sides like a couch, but fits a normal mattress. I personally think all bed should be this way because then your pillows don't move when you sit up and lean against them.
posted by anaelith at 4:22 PM on November 1, 2011