Sleeping In A Tiny Home: A How To Guide

Tiny homes are becoming more and more popular in the last ten years. There are many different places you can have a tiny home built for you. However, it can take a bit of adjusting to different bedroom styles in a tiny home. Which is why we are going to share with you a few different styles of tiny home bedrooms, along with some tips on how to sleep well in a tiny home. Keep reading to learn more about some things to consider in order to get your best sleep possible in a tiny home.

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Tiny Home Bedroom Styles:

Loft Style Beds

A loft style bed is one of the most commonly used bedroom styles in a tiny home. This is because you have so much extra vertical space that can often go unused in a traditional style home. However, in a tiny home you want to maximize the use of every last inch in your home in order to make it as useful as possible.

While the loft style bedroom has many space saving benefits, you are going to want to ensure you are very mobile if you go with this style bed as it often requires going up a steep ladder in order to get in and out of bed. Which can be tedious, especially if you get out of bed often throughout the night.

Downstairs Bedroom

This is more of a traditional style bedroom on the “ground floor” of a tiny home. It does not require any climbing to get in or out of bed. The only real downside is a potential lack of space for other things you normally want in your tiny home like a bathroom, kitchen, or living area.

Many tiny homes attempt to rectify this by having some spaces be a combination or transforming spaces that can be used for one and then quickly changed over in order to be used in a different way. For example, perhaps your “living space” could also be your bedroom space.

Murphy Style Beds

A murphy style bed, if you are unfamiliar, is a bed that can be raised to stand up against a wall, leaving open floor space. Then it can be pulled out in order to lay flat when you are ready to sleep.

This is a popular option for tiny homes as it allows optimal use of space to suite your needs at different times of the day. Allowing you to have a bed on the ground floor without designating that space to only be used for sleeping.

Goose Neck Trailer Beds

This is a very specific style of bed for a tiny home made out of a gooseneck trailer. This style of trailer has a section that is slightly elevated and offset from the rest of the tiny home. This space is easier to get to with a small staircase and has plenty of headspace sitting and even standing for some adults.

This has a lot of benefits and not too many drawbacks. Some taller individuals will not be able to stand up straight in this style of bed, but it does have more headspace than most loft style bedrooms.

Slide Out Beds

This is sort of a new take on a murphy style bed. It has the same concept of being able to tuck your bed away when it is not needed, and pulling it out when you are ready to sleep. However, this style bed slides under an elevated floor space. Which you can then pull out when you are ready to use it. Maximizing your space to be used for living space when you are not sleeping.

One of the drawbacks to this style of bed is that it can be tedious having to shift furniture around whenever you are ready to go to sleep. It also cuts off the ability to go to bed at a different time as your partner. If one person wants to stay up, then you both need to. Because you cannot utilize your living and sleeping space simultaneously.

Looking for an RV suitable mattress? Check out our post: Custom & RV Mattresses

Sleeping In A Tiny Home:

Consider Your Headspace

Many tiny homes like to utilize vertical space, in order to maximize the amount of usable space in a tiny home. Which is why many tiny homes have loft style beds that we mentioned earlier. One thing to consider with this style of bed is that it often limits the amount of headspace there is in the bedroom area.

Often you have to climb a later and crawl into you bed. For young adults this often isn’t much of an issue, however if you are unable to sit fully erect in bed, you are going to hit your head on the ceiling from time to time. The best option is to build a tiny home in such a way that you can sit up fully in bed without hitting your head.

Block Out The Light

One thing you may not consider at first is the amount of light that can seep through into your sleep space in your tiny home. Not just from the many windows, but also from any potential running lights.

Even the smallest of windows can allow light to flood into your space. Especially if you are parking your tiny home somewhere with bright street lights or ambient light. You may have to get creative with how you block out the light for these small windows. You may also need to find a way to cover up any running lights if you are in an RV or a renovated bus.

An eye mask is also another easy way to block out light when trying to sleep in a tiny home. This is much less expensive options and allows you to nap during the day easily without having to block out every window.

Ever wonder Why We Sleep In The Dark? Click the link to learn why.

Consider Your Privacy

Another reason to find a way to temporarily block out your windows is for privacy reasons. If your tiny home is mobile, then you are going to want to ensure you will have privacy no matter where you park. Often times you will need to block out your windows to do so.

You don’t want to find yourself trying to sleep when people can see you as they go about their business. As you can imagine, it is not easy to sleep comfortably when someone can see into your home.

So be sure that you can create as much privacy as possible in your tiny home in order to get your best sleep possible. Also, for general comfort throughout the day as well.

Are You Willing To Climb a Ladder?

If you want a loft style bed in your tiny home, then you need to consider how comfortable you are with climbing up stairs or ladders.

If you are young and physically able to comfortably climb up a ladder first thing in the morning or after a few drinks in the evening, then you should be fine. However, it is a potential complication that you may run into from time to time.

You will want to consider how comfortable you are with climbing up a ladder every single day. If you are going to have your tiny home for many years, then you are going to want to consider whether or not you will be comfortable doing that after some time.

If you are an empty nester, then you may want to consider whether or not you will be as physically able to do so in a few years’ time.

Visit our page Small Bedroom Hacks  to check out our tiny bedroom design tips on how to get the most out of your small space.

Alternative Bedside Tables

Many tiny homes do not have the space for a full-size bedside table. Which means if you want to have things easily accessible while you lay in bed, then you may need to get creative.

There are many different ways you can create something to hold your things without taking up the floor space of a traditional style bedside table. Wall hung storage allows for you to have the storage without taking up any floor space.

Final Check In

In order to avoid having to take multiple trips up into bed, check in with yourself before you head up to bed. Go over your nightly needs, did you go to the bathroom? Do you have water? Did you take your medicine? Do you have everything you need?

A final check in with yourself will help to avoid climbing into bed only to realize you need to use the restroom one last time, or that you have forgotten something you need.

Bring a Water Bottle

If it is particularly difficult to get in and out of the bed in your tiny home, then you may want to consider bringing a water bottle with you to bed each night. This will allow you to comfortably get a sip of water if you find yourself thirsty during the night.

Without needing a full-size bedside table. You can easily tuck your water bottle into bed with you. This prevents you from having to get up and climb down a set of stairs or a ladder in the middle of the night because you are thirsty.

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Overnight Guests

Most tiny home owners simply resolve themselves to living a life where they are unable to host guests in their home. However, if you have watched any tiny home build, then you know that there are many ways to get creative and have sleeping options for yourself and for guests.

Like many things with tiny homes, the lack of space simply forces creativity. We have seen tiny homes with hideaway beds and cots for their visiting college students to use. This likely won’t work for elderly parents or small children, but it did work for this family. It is a great example of building a tiny home that will work for you.

Murphy style or slide out style beds are also a great option for guest beds. These are much more friendly for older adults, young children, or anyone who is less mobile. Allowing just about anyone to sleep in your home overnight comfortably.

Learn more about how to Create Your Best Guest Bedroom

Sleeping In A Tiny Home: Final Thoughts

With a few minor adjustments, for the most part sleeping in a tiny home is very similar to sleeping in any other bed. Most tiny homes can accommodate a full-size mattress that you would use in any other style of home. We hope these different tips allow you to consider a few things in order to sleep as comfortably as possible in a tiny home.

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