Top Tips On How to Buy a Bed for Your Teenager

Why your teen needs a new bed

What with schoolwork, sports, hanging out with friends, keeping up with social media and getting enough food to fuel a growing body, there’s simply not enough hours in the day for most New Zealand teenagers.

Experts also say that a teenager’s body clock resets during puberty turning many of them into night owls and preventing them from getting the 8.5 to 9 hours sleep they need.

A lack of sleep can lead to problems at school as well as issues with moodiness, weight and health - that’s why it’s vital that when they do put their heads down at night, they get the best possible night’s sleep.

According to sleep researchers Judith Owens and Mary Carskdon, the risks are very real:

A large number of studies have shown associations between insufficient sleep and adverse health outcomes in teens and younger children. These include increased obesity risk, higher rates of motor vehicle accidents and accidental injuries, reduced cardiovascular health, and increased risk of depression and suicidal ideation. Many other studies have demonstrated the negative outcomes of sleep restriction and the positive impact of sleep extension on cognitive function of children and teens.

At the point when they’re also likely to experience growth spurts, it’s also a good time to buy teenagers a bed which is going to fit them for the long term – possibly even until they move out of home.

You can check out Bedpost’s bed sizes here but remember that singles and doubles may not stand the test of time for a growing teenager – that’s where single XLs and King Singles come in.

Get them involved in buying their bed

Yes, it’s highly likely you’re going to struggle if you have to drag your teen around the shops to look for their new bed – that’s why Bedpost’s website is the perfect place to start.

Have them look at the different styles on offer and also let them use our Live Chat option where they can “chat with a real live person” about what they want. Our experts will soon have them interested in our range. When you and your teen have seen what’s on offer, then they can come down to one of our showrooms to “test-drive” what’s on offer:

1. Wear loose, comfortable clothing and remove your outdoor gear.
2. Don’t shop for mattresses when your teenager is tired – it’s a bit like doing the weekly food shop when you’re hungry, you’re more likely to make a wrong decision because everything seems to be so comfortable!
3. First, sit on the side of the bed: it shouldn’t sag and should seem firm. Then spend at least 10 minutes lying on the bed in a number of positions in which you sleep – remember, it’s only comfortable if you say it is, don’t let sales staff tell you that you’ll grow into it!
4. If you’re testing out a memory foam mattress, lie in one position for a while and then pay attention to how easy it is to move into another position.
5. Most of the time if you’re replacing an older bed or buying brand new, you’ll be buying a mattress and base together, but if you are shopping for just a mattress it pays to double check your measurements – dimensions do change slightly from brand to brand so be sure that you get a perfect fit.

Now it’s time to decorate…

By far the easiest way to get buy-in from your teen is to give them some control over what their bedroom is going to look like.

Of course you can give them a few pointers, and you might have to work out a clever way to prevent them daubing the walls with black paint – but you’re letting them create their own space and their own hideaway, so you might just have to grin and bear some of their decisions.

Here’s the Bedpost six-point guide to get your teen’s creative juices flowing and to help you keep calm while they’re in re-decorating mode.

1. The big clear-up.
   You can use this as a watershed moment for your teenager – a time for them to ditch all the childish clutter in their bedroom and start afresh. You can hand any unwanted clothes and toys to younger siblings or give them to charity shops and make the bedroom easier to keep clean.

2. Use colour as a theme.
   Nothing spells out change quite like a fresh coat of paint – and, quite frankly, if you want to tie a room together, it’s a lot easier to work with a colour scheme than a specific theme such as animals, sports or pop groups. If your teen is artistic, get them to sketch out how they want their room to look and then come to an agreement (or compromise) over how that can be achieved.

3. Furniture.
   The bed is always going to be the central element to a bedroom but don’t forget that this room is also going to become a teenage hideaway. Charity shops can be a good source of inexpensive furniture such as seats so they can have their friends around, or a desk so they can work on projects and schoolwork. Your teen can also have fun repainting any second-hand furniture to match their bedroom’s scheme.

4. Accessorize.
   Beanbags, scatter cushions and rugs can all help finish off a room’s colour theme and are an inexpensive way for a teenager to stamp their own style on their bedroom. Mirrors are a must and chalk boards or cork boards on the walls provide spaces which can be personalised with photos, sketches, paintings, posters etc. 

5. Lighting.
   As well as usual methods of lighting such as bedside lamps or standing lights, why not think laterally and use fairy lights or push the boat out and install a projection screen.

6. Storage.
   It might be last on the list but the most important aspect of any teenager’s room is how to keep it tidy and organised. Make sure you’ve got enough space for bookshelves and cupboard space for clothes while also setting shelf space aside to show off prized possessions and using clever storage ideas (such as bins under the bed) for long-term items.