Glossary
Short, precise definitions of the terms we use for family beds and co-sleeping. These definitions are our standard wording and are used consistently throughout the site.
Family bed
FamBed's definition: A family bed is an extra-wide bed for co-sleeping that gives adults and children room on one continuous sleep surface. The FAMBED® family bed is a modular Scandinavian continental bed in widths from 200 to 360 cm and lengths of 200 or 210 cm. It can be split into independent modules if your family's needs change.
See also: Co-sleeping · Modular bed · Co-sleeping bed
Co-sleeping
Co-sleeping is when parents and children sleep close to each other, either in the same bed or in the same room. The term therefore covers both bed-sharing and arrangements where the child has a separate sleep space next to the parents.
See also: Bed-sharing · Co-sleeping bed · Family bed
Bed-sharing
Bed-sharing is the form of co-sleeping where parents and children share the same bed and sleep surface. It is narrower than co-sleeping, which can also take place on separate sleep surfaces in the same room.
See also: Co-sleeping · Co-sleeping bed
Scandinavian continental bed
A Scandinavian continental bed is a complete bed with bases and legs, spring mattresses and a mattress topper on top. The FAMBED® family bed is a Scandinavian continental bed with a solid timber frame, reversible spring mattresses, a full-width mattress topper and a washable cover.
See also: Family bed · Modular bed · Mattress topper
Modular bed
A modular bed is built from independent standard modules that can be combined, extended or taken apart. The FAMBED® family bed is assembled from standard modules of 80/90/105/120/140 cm, so the bed can grow with the family or be split into separate beds later.
See also: Family bed · Co-sleeping bed · DIY co-sleeping bed
Co-sleeping bed
A co-sleeping bed is a bed designed so that adults and children can sleep safely and comfortably on the same surface. At FamBed the term covers the family bed as well as DIY setups where an existing bed is extended into one continuous sleep surface.
See also: Family bed · Co-sleeping · DIY co-sleeping bed
Mattress topper
A mattress topper is a separate comfort layer that lies on top of the mattresses. The FAMBED® mattress topper is a seamless topper for the entire sleep surface, available in 51 sizes from 200 to 360 cm in width, and it evens out the joins between the underlying mattresses.
See also: Natural latex · Scandinavian continental bed · Fitted sheet
Fitted sheet
A fitted sheet is a single sheet sewn to wrap around the mattress - one piece of fabric with elastic all the way round and a deep tuck-in, so it stays in place on the whole surface. The FAMBED® fitted sheet is made of 300-thread OEKO-TEX sateen cotton and covers the entire bed in one piece, in the same 51 sizes as the topper.
See also: Sateen · Mattress topper
Sateen
Sateen is a weaving technique that gives cotton a strong, soft, comfortable surface. FamBed's sheets are woven as sateen in 300-thread OEKO-TEX cotton. Sateen refers to the weave itself, not the fibre.
See also: Fitted sheet · Bed skirt
Pocket springs
Pocket springs are individual springs sewn into their own fabric pockets, so each spring moves independently. This isolates movement between sleepers and supports the body evenly - and it is the spring type used in the FAMBED® family bed's mattresses.
See also: Scandinavian continental bed · Modular bed
Natural latex
Natural latex is a resilient, breathable material tapped from rubber trees. FamBed uses 100% natural latex (D65) in the mattress topper because of its combination of comfort, support and breathability.
See also: Mattress topper · OEKO-TEX®
OEKO-TEX®
OEKO-TEX® is an independent certification showing that textiles and foams are tested free from harmful substances. FamBed's textiles and foams are certified to OEKO-TEX® Standard 100.
See also: Sateen · Natural latex
Headboard
A headboard is the panel at the head of the bed. The FAMBED® headboard comes in full family-bed widths and sits between the bed and the wall, held in place by the weight of the bed.
See also: Family bed · Bed skirt
Bed skirt
A bed skirt is a fabric panel that covers everything below the mattress topper - mattresses, frame, legs and the space underneath - all the way to the floor, giving the bed one calm, finished look. The FAMBED® bed skirt is sewn to measure in the family bed's own sizes, in two heights and several styles and colours.
See also: Headboard · Fitted sheet · Sateen
DIY co-sleeping bed
A DIY co-sleeping bed is a do-it-yourself kit that extends an existing bed with one or more extra sleeping spaces, which together with the kit's other components form one continuous sleep surface. The system is not a single product with one fixed price - it is put together from existing catalogue products whose prices are added together.
See also: Co-sleeping bed · Modular bed · Family bed
Emperor bed
An emperor bed is a British size, typically 200 x 200 cm. Some retailers also offer variants of around 210-215 cm. It is one of the established large-bed formats the family bed is often compared with.
See also: Alaskan king · King-size bed · Family bed
Alaskan king
An alaskan king is a North American size of about 274 x 274 cm - nearly square, with substantial demands on room size and special bedding. A family bed distributes its extra centimetres in the width, where co-sleeping families actually use them.
See also: Emperor bed · King-size bed · Family bed
King-size bed
King size is a loosely defined term for a large double bed. In Europe 180 x 200 cm is often used as the reference, but the measurement varies between markets and manufacturers - so always check the actual dimensions rather than the name.
See also: Emperor bed · Alaskan king · Family bed