# Why Don't We Fall Out Of Bed At Night? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 22, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-fall-out-of-bed-at-night/170368 "2003-04-22T18:24:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-fall-out-of-bed-at-night/170368/1 "2003-04-22T18:24:11Z")
With all the tossing and turning going on in an average night’s sleep, how is it we don’t fall out of bed? Even in a deep sleep, I think (most) people somehow can roll around and move all over a twin or king size bed and never fall off. Is there a subconscious bed fairy making sure we don’t roll that extra inch and land on the floor? ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-fall-out-of-bed-at-night/170368/2 "2003-04-22T19:02:33Z")
In a January thread, someone asked [Why don’t adults fall out of bed like children do?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=153983). The answer: Adults **do** fall out of bed like children do. (And we have the lumps to prove it!) So there’s no Fall Outta Bed Fairy to protect us. Just sleep paralysis – which goes away when we rouse a bit briefly (eg when we turn over it’s because we’re just a littel bit awake) – is our only hope! ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-fall-out-of-bed-at-night/170368/3 "2003-04-22T19:10:24Z")
I fall out of bed probably 4 to 5 times a year. It’s not fun. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-fall-out-of-bed-at-night/170368/4 "2003-04-22T19:14:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eats\_Crayons \* > \*\*In a January thread, someone asked [Why don’t adults fall out of bed like children do?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=153983). > \*\* Damn…and I did a search before posting this thread and came up with nothin’. ---
**Author:** ![Kevin\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kevin\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevin_H)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-fall-out-of-bed-at-night/170368/5 "2003-04-22T19:14:51Z")
I think I’ve fell out of my bed once in my whole life, and I was around 6 or so when it happened. I’d also like to know why we don’t fall out more often. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-fall-out-of-bed-at-night/170368/6 "2003-04-22T19:17:43Z")
**Eats** hit the answer on the nose. And personally, I used to fall out of bed quite often as a child. But at 33, I rarely do anymore. The worse thing to happen to me at night, is an elbow from my wife, or waking up with my head where my feet are supposed to be. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-fall-out-of-bed-at-night/170368/7 "2003-04-22T19:21:32Z")
🙂 **DMark** I vaguely remembered the title so I searched for “Adults Fall.” But to be a little more specific: When we roll over, we’re actually awake. Not remendoulsy awake, but we’re awake. We are usually to sleepified to remember all the rolling around stuff – kinda like the MPSIMS thread on “funny stuff said while half asleep” – we’re awake enough to do stuff, but not really awake enough to remember it. (We _do_ however, remember hitting the floor with a thud! Ow, dammit!) ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-fall-out-of-bed-at-night/170368/8 "2003-04-22T19:43:53Z")
My bed is a bit softer in the middle and more firm around the edges. Because of this, if I were to wander too close to the edge there would be a hint of a lip (a sort of speed bump) to serve as a gentle reminder to whatever circuits are still on duty that I am in the wrong place on the bed. I usually end up in the exact center of my bed by morning. ---
**Author:** ![Degrassi\_High\_Dropout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Degrassi\_High\_Dropout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Degrassi_High_Dropout)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-fall-out-of-bed-at-night/170368/9 "2003-04-23T04:29:08Z")
i have fallen out of bed once and it was from a bunk bed, top bunk. the strange thing is i woke up on the ground in the morning and wasn’t in any sort of pain. i was probably in to 9 - 11 yr. old range. incidentally it was also the last time i didnt use the guard rail. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-fall-out-of-bed-at-night/170368/10 "2003-04-23T06:33:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Degrassi High Dropout \* > **i have fallen out of bed once and it was from a bunk bed, top bunk…** Hehe - I did that - Celyn, sheets, blankets, the lot! I think I only did it once though. Thank goodness adults don’t normally sleep in bunk beds or I’d probably manage to do it again. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-fall-out-of-bed-at-night/170368/11 "2003-04-23T10:21:27Z")
Once or twice a year is the norm for me… once, I fell onto my dog 😃 poor guy! ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-fall-out-of-bed-at-night/170368/12 "2003-04-23T11:34:27Z")
I don’t think I’ve ever fallen out of my bed. And I’ve always had a twin-sized bed, to boot.