Get a side guard rail for the bed, and then you won't hve to worry about your child rolling off the bed--then you can put it on a frame, have a nice headboard, etc.-- you can get them at Wal-Mart for cheap!

Also, we have a long bookshelf hanging over our daughter's bed, with a nightlight right by her bed-- I can send you a picture if you tell me how! I haven't figured that out yet!

bungalow, Have you considered a headboard with shelves? We had one for my son when he was little and it worked out beautifully. Everything a kid could want is within arms reach-lamp, books, clock, and that glass of water. Hope this helps.

I just remembered what they're called--bookcase headboards--

I had two rambunctious brothers growing up, so I knew better than to hang anything over one of my kids beds.
I like the idea of a headboard with a shelf.Or the side rails so you can put the bed where there is room for a bedside table.

I was also going to recommend bookcase headboards. All of my kids' rooms are so small, that their beds are still pushed up against the wall (even the 16-year-old). My 7-year-old DD's is like you describe, but it has a window to the side and so we tend to use the window sil to put her cup of water (with a lid on it). The overhead light works OK for reading, though my older two have the wall mounted reading lamps.

What I like about it against the wall is that you can use it like a daybed and since we often sit in bed with her in the evening to read books it feels less like someone is going to fall out of bed. It also leaves a larger open space in the middle for her to play with all her toys.

No room for a bookcase headboard really, since I only have a couple of inches to spare at the foot of the bed before it reaches the doorway. A bookcase headboard, I'm guessing, would be 6-, 8-, 10-inches deep or so.

We do have a double guardrail that we had on the bed but he insisted that he didn't need it. (I guess testosterone production begins early.) He preferred the bed against the wall without rails. Frankly I don't care for the rails either. They make it harder for me to get on and off for storytime, and hard to change the sheet.

How about a wall mounted swing lamp? How about a shelf hung on the wall that would be hinged so you can lay it flat against the wall or open it up with support brackets when in use? You can make it out of plywood in any size you want. You would need to get some brackets or make them. Can you envision what I am thinking?

We got a lamp with a clamp instead of a stand and just clamped it onto the top of the headboard. Our dd2 has a room that sounds as small as your son's. We had an antique floor lamp for her for awhile, but it was always in the way and kept getting knocked over. We got the clamp lamp for under $10 at Kmart a couple of months ago.

Just reread your post and realize you probably don't have a headboard for him and you need space for books, etc. So how about one of those over the door shoe hangy thingys? You could hang it from a couple of screws in the wall and then clamp a light onto it. Hmmm, not sure if this would really work, but maybe something like it and it would avoid those middle of the night head bonks.

Thanks for the ideas everyone!

eliza, unfortunately I donÂt know how to tell you to post a picture. Can you describe the bookshelf (dimensions, is it at the head of the bed or along the side, etc.)? Does your daughter bump her head into it?

valinsv, I agree about liking the "daybed" kind of feel of the bed against the wall. We too sit back against the wall while weÂre reading.

3dgrad, I do have a swing arm wall lamp, but it's pretty big and seems like it would stick out too far from the wall into the bed space. I think I still have some smaller wall sconces that I might try. I hope I still have themÂthey were in the "going to Goodwill" box at one point. Now that you mention it, I have seen a little folding shelf thing like you described, but forgot all about it. Thanks for the idea.

budge, there is a headboard, so a clamp lamp might be what we end up with. Does yours get knocked around? ThatÂs kind of my dilemma, a clamp lamp will be down near pillows and such, but a wall-mounted lamp will be up where the light might glare down too much. I did see a canvas "nursery organizer" which is like a hanging shoe bag but with wider pockets at Babies R Us. I was thinking about that because itÂs soft and would hold a few books and maybe even a water bottle. I might have to do some surgery on it though to make it more horizontally-oriented than vertically.

they have these rails that have legs that you can shove under the bed mattress and the weight of the mattress and child holds the rail in place..you can also make them out of some wood if you cant afford to or find them to buy

Could you show us a picture of the room?

I was wondering if you could squeeze in something on wheels like you can get at an office supply store for files. You could use the drawers for books and stuff and just wheel it out of the way when you need to access the closet.

Something like this, only not in pink:

Here is a link that might be useful: Storage cart

My guest bedroom has a similar setup: wall-bed-closet with only a few inches to spare and no room for a nightstand. I put a very slim floor lamp (with a pretty narrow base) in the corner on the wall-side of the bed, and it works well.

Bungalow, we put our clamp lamp on the farthest corner of the head board so that it is kind of out of the way. I was worried she might sit up and burn her head on the bulb, but it hasn't been a problem.

I love the idea of the nursery organizer. You could center it above the headboard so it looks almost like a piece of art.

Also wanted to add that my 4 yr old has a small side rail that ends up kind of acting like a side table. Her water bottle sits against it as well as whatever books we are reading that night. It is made of mesh around a plastic frame, so it almost acts like a sack holding her water and books and keeps the water close enough that she can reach it in the night herself.