Minecraft wiki entry for Beginner%27s_guide, associated text: With a bed, the night is easy to survive. All you need to do to do is place the bed somewhere suitable (see below, but almost any open ground works) and use it (sleep in it) whenever night falls. If you try using it as sundown approaches but are told "you can only sleep at night or during a thunderstorm...", just wait a few seconds and try again, it works once sundown has properly begun. You also cannot use a bed when hostile monsters are within 10 blocks, or you get the message "you can't sleep now, there are monsters nearby". On successfully using a bed, you change to lying position on the bed without the ability to move – not even looking around. It takes a few seconds after getting into bed before the game skips the night, giving you a chance to change your mind.