Your student’s dorm room bed will become their primary living space, much like their bedroom, during their early teenage years. They will stream movies, text, play video games, listen to music, and hang out with friends…. all on their beds. Here are some suggestions to make this multi-functional space as comfortable as possible.
Starting at the top, do not pass go without a mattress topper. Unless you are a felon, you shouldn’t have to sleep on that sad, thin slab of a mattress. You can make yourself crazy reading about all the options out there: the three-inch vs. four-inch, cooling, or egg crate. I like this one.
The mattress topper goes over the mattress, and then the mattress pad goes over the both. The bedding goes over that. These are the two mattress pads that I like best:
Be sure to get waterproof because they eat and drink on the beds, and be sure to get Twin XL.
This is a twin bed, so do I need two pillows? I say yes. It’s more comfortable for reading, writing, streaming movies on their laptops, etc.
For the bedding, I do two sets of twin XL in the hopes that they will wash one and use the other, then rotate. Add a comforter and maybe a throw blanket, depending on where your kid goes to school. My son has a cozy one from the bookstore with his school colors, and my daughter has one that compliments her bedding. I have some options for you here, but if your kids hate the top sheet, Target sells them separately. Don’t wait because those go fast.
Last year, we got my daughter this beautiful headboard because I finally had a kid who wanted to “decorate.” It turned out to be surprisingly functional, keeping a barrier between her and the cold cinder-block wall once Fall arrived. It made her bed more cozy and inviting and even inspired her to make her bed each day. We wrapped it in a garbage bag for the transport home, and it survived beautifully. The only issue we had was that the strips that came with it to attach it to the wall didn’t hold very well, so I replaced them with velcro strips linked below.
Once you have a cute headboard, you need the cute bedding to go with it. Here is what we love:
Since all these kids work and live in their beds, I always add a clip-on light. I think of it as task lighting for whatever they need. They tell me they don’t need it, then use it, bring it home, and use it at home, so I think they are wrong, and I am right. I have several of this particular light.
Since their roommates may not have thoughtful task lighting, or may come home late and flip on the overhead light, or keep different hours from my kids, they use these. This was not something we did back when I was a college student, but these kids don’t care. I have seen more sleep masks in dorm rooms than on a transatlantic flight.
Also, get earplugs. No explanation necessary.
Sweet Dreams.
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