A Safer Bedroom for Night-Time Bathroom Trips: Six Changes

Getting up at night means standing while tired, in a dark room, with the bathroom possibly down a hall. The CDC says more than 1 in 4 older adults falls each year, and fewer than half tell their doctor. The CDC's "Check for Safety" checklist and two other public sources give a short list of changes for the route from the bed to the toilet.

Six Changes to Make

1. A lamp you can reach from bed. The CDC asks whether the light near the bed is hard to reach and suggests placing a lamp close to the bed, so you can switch it on before you stand.
2. A nightlight on the path. The CDC asks whether the path from the bed to the bathroom is dark and suggests a nightlight so you can see where you are walking. It notes that some nightlights switch on by themselves after dark.
3. No loose rugs. The CDC suggests removing throw rugs, or fixing them with double-sided tape or a non-slip backing so they do not slip.
4. A clear floor. Pick up papers, shoes and other objects, and coil or tape cords next to the wall so you cannot trip over them, as the CDC checklist advises.
5. A shorter walk, if the walk is the problem. A bedside commode puts a toilet at the side of the bed. MedlinePlus names a commode chair as one way to raise the toilet seat height, which it says can help prevent falls. See our bedside commode guide and the commode height finder.
6. A handle for getting up. A bed assist rail gives you something to push on. Choose one with care: see below.

If You Use a Bed Rail

Adult portable bed rails have a hazard that most aids do not: a gap between the rail and the mattress, or an opening in the rail, can capture a body part. CPSC calls these entrapment zones and tests four of them under a mandatory standard, 16 CFR part 1270, for rails made after August 21, 2023. The definition covers grab bars, assistive bars, transfer aids and canes used at a bed.

When you choose a rail, look for a maker's compliance statement and a manufacture date after that day on the label, and ask the seller for its General Certificate of Compliance. After installing it, check that it does not shift and that the gap to the mattress has not grown. Our bed assist rail guide compares five rails and notes which listings name the standard.

What We Could Not Find

We found no agency guidance on how high a commode should be or which side of the bed it belongs on. Our commode guide and height finder give the makers' ranges and suggest a seat level with the bed edge, which is our fitting advice. A doctor or occupational therapist can watch how you get out of bed and tell you what suits you.

Start with the Cheapest Changes

A lamp, a nightlight and a clear floor cost almost nothing and need no assembly. Do those first, then decide whether a commode or a rail would help. If you fall or almost fall at night, tell a doctor, since the CDC notes that most people who fall do not.

Shopping for One?

Sources

• CDC: Check for Safety, A Home Fall Prevention Checklist for Older Adults (2017)
• MedlinePlus: Bathroom safety for adults (reviewed 2026-04-09)
• U.S. CPSC: Adult Portable Bed Rails (business guidance, 16 CFR part 1270)
• CDC: Facts About Older Adult Falls