I think that if your kids don't fall of a normal twin bed, they're not likely to roll off the top bunk. If they do fall off when sleeping on a normal twin however...

If your girls are well-behaved then I don't think there's much danger in having a bunk bed. When I was a kid my sister and I had a bunk bed, and I was on the top (she sleep-walked). I did fall off once, but I was awake. But the novelty of playing on the top bunk wore off after a few weeks of having to climb up the ladder.

You may want to rotate who gets the top bunk for a while though, to be fair.

We had bunk beds when I was a kid (3 boys). We were rambunctious and jumped off the top bunk all the time. Worst thing that ever happened was my brother once put his rear end through a wall on a particularly ambitious leap. My dad was furious but nobody ever got hurt (badly). I wouldn't worry but I also tend to think parents these days are a little *too* protective. I'm waiting for someone to start marketing stroller helmets (you know, just in case your kid falls out of the stroller)...

Do you think the bunk bed scare is just hype?
Yes.

Just be sure to talk about how the bunk beds are for sleeping, not playing. And that the minute someone jumps off of it, it's going back to the store. And my other advice is to buy normal bunk beds. No slides, no magic castle, etc. If it looks like a toy it will become a toy.

Yes, I think it is hype. There were five of us kids and bunk beds figured into our home layout and that of friends at various times during childhood/vacations. No one was ever injured. Make sure it has proper safety rails, make it clear what the guidelines are for playing/safety, and let them go.

Girls especially are inclined to be reasonably careful when something is dangerous. Your odds of injury are not as high as on the play structure at the park, I don't think.

I fell of a bunk bed at age 4... emergency room, stitches....permanent scares...the whole works... up to you.. is it worth the risk? Bunk beds are typically recommended for children 5+.

I have two well-behaved girls, ages 4 and 8, and we bought them bunk beds about a year ago. We have not had any problems, but I do not let the 4 year old sleep on the top bunk, ever, because she still moves around in her sleep a lot, or gets up during the night. I was worried at first, but they listened when I warned them, and I threatened to take the beds apart if they didn't behave on them! (One good thing about buying the type that can also stand alone!)

My boys (5 & 3) share a bunk bed and I feel like they are completely safe. We did a lot of research on bunks before we decided what kind to get - DH did not want something flimsy that our boys would destroy in six months. It had to be heavy, sturdy WOOD. We discovered This End Up bunks and fell in love. Originally we were going to shell out for a new set but a couple months before we had to bunk the boys (their baby brother was born this spring we found a set on Craigslist for a total steal. They are in great shape and look new after a cleaning and polish and they were used hard for 15 years (!!) but another set of two brothers. I love them.

@ Scott Trudeau - Bwahaha! No lie (about the stroller helmets) I laugh thinking about some of stunts that my brother & I pulled off on our bikes on various homemade ramps or on our go-cart (which my Dad swapped out the engine from a lawn mower so we could go 40 mph!) ALL without helmets. How DID we survive?!
I can only imagine your brother's face after that particularly "ambitious leap"!

Oh, back on topic. Do your girls tend to jump on their beds & "rough house" now? If not, I wouldn't be terribly concerned. Just let them know the rules of the bed. I think most of the injuries involving bunk beds come from goofing off on them. Be diligent about teaching their friends when they come over to play. If you have little ones visit, I'd just keep them out of that room. My 2 yr old is daredevil, she'd be just the kind of kid who'd climb up after the big kids and end up at the hospital. No bunk beds for us 'til she is older & able to reason. If you're planning on having more kids, you might reconsider too. When they're too tiny to understand & mind you, it might be a pain to stay on your toes keeping a toddler off of the beds.

We gave our four year old very specific rules regarding his new bunk bed: no jumping, no standing and no somersaults. It has good safety rails all around and he's very careful on the ladder. He loves it and I was happy to hear the rules repeated in his sweet little voice when his cousins came to visit. I think it all depends on the child. We had contemplated a mini loft bed at three but I'm glad we waited until he was four. The mechanics to get up and down were there at three but not the capacity to fully understand the potential injuries. Also, we had found one we liked on collegebedlofts and lucked out when a college student posted the exact bed on Craigslist for a third of the cost.

If you are worried about bunk beds but tight on space, have you considered a trundle bed? It would open up a lot of space in the room during the day without the potential for falls off of a high bunk bed.

Another thing to consider, especially at a very young age is what will you do if your child becomes ill? Its hard to clean up a bunk bed when a child wakes in the middle of the night with vomit all over from the stomach flu. Doesn't seem like much, but it can be a real pain at 2:00. Age 3 seems really young, but I think only a parent can make this decision, you know your child best. My daughter did not have enough impulse control for me to completely trust her at that age. At age 6 I still find her standing on the bed every so often when she is taping up a picture or some such thing.

Wow! Thanks for the trundle bed idea! I hadn't even thought of it! Love you readers!

I fell off a bunk bed when I was 7 or 8, randomly one night, I wasn't usually a roller. Then came the safety rail. So I don't know that age is the *best* factor to judge, and if you make sure to have the safety rail... Also, advice (though you'd probably already have one with a 3 y/o), waterproof mattress cover would make sick clean-up much easier.

I'm not sure what your style is the but the IKEA Kura bed might be good for age your kids are. It is much lower than other bunk beds (the bottom mattress actually goes on the floor). Do a search on Ohdeedoh for "Kura" and you will see lots of great examples.

When I was little we started off with bunk beds (older than your girls are) and eventually went to a daybed with a trundle. I loved it! It was nice because in the day we could use the daybed as a couch and at night it was a bed, the trundle underneath rolled out with ease and then popped up to regular height, literally taking about ten seconds to do. No fuss at all. Making the beds was much easier as well. Making a bunk bed is not easy! We loved our trundle bed and that's definitely the route I would go if we ever have the need for shared rooms. Good luck with your decision! Oh, not sure where you can find a pop-up trundle anymore but many years ago my parents purchased ours at Gabbert's in Edina, MN. Not sure where you are from? Google might be your best route.

I don't think it would be a problem if the kids are just well behaved. I would be more concerned with the kids having accidents while playing in the bunk bed rather than sleeping. I know twins that got a bunk bed at age 3 and it has been no problem. I'm planning on gettinga bunk bed for my 3 year old. He has no problem with ladders he has climbed our loft ladder (with guidance) since before he started to walk. An idea would be to create a child proof lock that you could use during the day to prevent accidents while playing. Have you seen how they prevent kids from climbing bunk beds at IKEA? I will try something like that since at the moment buying a bigger house is no option :-)

I was also going to recommend the IKEA Kura bed because it is much lower than traditional bunk beds.
I had a trundle bed when I was growing up and I loved it. It was especially great for making forts out of!
Also, this new bunk bed from IKEA looks awesome. You could try it as a bunk bed and if it doesn't work set the beds side by side (if you've got the room) or start 'em off that way until they're ready to bunk! http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10161064

I had a daybed with a trundle growing up and thought it was the most magical thing in the world! My parents bought it so that we had a place for guests in our tiny house. They could offer a pseudo-king bed to aunts and uncles (I slept on the couch), but only needed space for a twin most of the time. Plus, it was a huge hit at sleepovers because they were so rare. Daybeds with trundles are slightly higher than a regular bed, but not enough to cause injury.

Definitely buy a high-quality trundle. Popping it up and down every day would wear out a cheaper item, I think. Plus, you want it to be good and sturdy when up - especially because I’ll admit there was lots of jumping back and forth between the beds in my childhood ;) Also be sure that there is enough clearance between the trundle and bed so that the trundle bed can be made up and still fit under. I think this is standard, but it would be crucial for your situation.

My 3yo daughter likes to sleep as close to the floor as possible. She has her own bed, but every night she would get out and sleep on the floor. So we bought a Kura from IKEA and she sleeps on a mattress on the floor underneath it, and her sister sleeps up top (my husband made some stairs up to it though, which has made access a lot easier). Our girls are very well behaved with the bunk, and it took a week for the novelty to wear off. Even when new, all they wanted was to make the top a cubby, and sit up there playing games! (We actually bought the bed tent because of this).

A trundle is a great idea too, but just be wary of pulling it out each night, and having to take off the quilt/duvet and pillow and storing them each morning. Also, of the stress on your back from the bending to say goodnight/change the bed/pull it in and out etc. If it were me, one week in and the trundle would permanently be pulled out!!

If you get a bunk, just set clear boundaries, and make sure it's as safe as it can be. Do what makes YOU feel safe! Girls, in my experience, are pretty good about understanding risks and consequences.

When my brother was born, I was 5 and my sister was 2. I moved into the top bunk, she moved into the bottom. We slept like that for 6 years until I became a teen and demanded my own space (a corner in an unfinished basement). Never any mishaps other than my sensitive tummy and puking issues... there were permanent stains under the top bunk. But, I agree, this is a non-issue. Accidents happen sure, but so does fun. I'd rather have my kids have fun and chance a broken arm.

Just wanted to make a note on the fact that a trundle is very easy to deal with. With the trundle I had growing up, there was no need to store the quilt and pillow etc. anywhere but on the bed. It stayed made up just like a regular bed accept that it was pulled out and popped up every night...which was super easy and only took a second to do. Maybe this is because it was of good quality. I just got the new Pottery Barn Bed and Bath catalogue and on one of the first pages they have a daybed and it says it can also come with a trundle, so maybe they are more accessible still today than I thought. Anywho, I just wanted to clarify that a daybed with trundle is a great solution if you don't want to deal with a bunk bed. Best of luck!

I have three boys age 11, 8, and 3, and a tiny apartment. We utilize bunk beds. My oldest started sleeping on top when he was 4, now it's my middle child on top. We've never had any injuries or even anything close, and I have some rambunctious young men!