If you've purchased a new bed recently, then you might have noticed that your old nightstand might not be tall enough anymore.

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You might not be aware of it right off the bat, but after using it for awhile, you probably noticed how it doesn't feel right. You might realize that things aren't exactly where they used to be when you reach over, half asleep, in the middle of the night.

This is my nightstand now. I've had it for 30 years! It is definitely too short for my bed now and I'm on the hunt for something new.

That's likely because your nightstand is too short and if you now have a taller mattress, which is highly likely, then you might want to invest in a nightstand that will work better with the new height.

If you are older, have arthritis or some kind of pain or disability, this can particularly be a problem. It can make that small reach in the middle of the night, a painful move, which can then keep you from quickly falling back asleep.

Check your nightstand height with the height of the mattress

On our full service projects, we like to draw elevations of the bed wall in master bedrooms, just to see how everything scales out.

Basically, we want the top of the mattress to be approximately the same height as the nightstand, but we are checking for many things here.

We check headboard height and how it scales with the wall, lamp height and how it works with the headboard and wall, possible wall decor best sizes and locations, and yes......the nightstands and how they relate to the headboard, bed, and overall wall elevation.

I have some drawings below of how we lay out the bed wall, in elevation, to check dimensions and scale.

How tall should your nightstand be? Master bedroom designed by Carla Aston Scaled drawing of bed wall in master bedroom | carlaaston.com

How tall should your nightstand be? Master bedroom designed by Carla Aston Scaled drawing of bed wall in guest bedroom | carlaaston.com

Generally, nightstands come in two sizes these days, 24"-26" tall and 28-30" tall.

The smaller size works well with our thinner mattresses from yesteryear, or maybe a mattress-only situation for a bed with some kind of platform base or slats for support underneath.

The taller height, 28"-30", is most often what we specify now and is more typical these days for heftier mattresses with box springs.

How tall should your nightstand be? Master bedroom designed by Carla Aston, Photographer: Tori Aston

How Tall Should Your Nightstand Be? These dark wood finish nightstands pair nicely with the light wood framed headboard. Designer, Carla Aston | Photographer, Colleen Scott

How Tall Should Your Nightstand Be? This beauty is the perfect height for this upholstered bed. Carla Aston, Designer | Colleen Scott, Photographer

How tall should your nightstand be? Master bedroom designed by Carla Aston Photographer: Tori Aston #nightstand #headboard #bedroomdecor

How tall should your nightstand be? Master bedroom designed by Carla Aston

That 30" height really kind of opens up the opportunity to use not only taller nightstands, but other kinds of furniture too.

Desks and tables are typically 29" - 30" high, and therefore can lend themselves to the perfect height for a bedside perch.

Consoles and chests can also work nicely. The "bachelor chest" can be a great option for a wider look and more storage space.

I have to say, after having my short nightstand for so long, I would even go taller than the bed! I think that would be even more convenient!

How tall should your nightstand be? Guest bedroom designed by Carla Aston, Photographer: Tori Aston

Shop These Nightstands

I've got some cool 30" (plus or minus an inch) tall nightstands, consoles and desks to peruse below that might work well beside your bed…… for your shopping convenience. :-)

Save this pin below, to Pinterest, for future reference when you’re ready for some new nightstands!