Nightstand

A bedside table or nightstand is a chest of drawers or a small table that is usually positioned at the head of a bed. It is mainly used to accommodate things that you want to have available during the night without having to get up specially. This may be, for example:

• A reading lamp (also called bedside lamp );
• An alarm clock;
• Drugs;
• Bedtime reading;
• A beverage;
• Paper handkerchiefs.

Until the 1940s, as in many homes the toilet were still either outside the dwelling house, or at least in the stairwell, and thus were difficult to reach at night, the night table was also used to store therein a chamber pot. As a result, night tables were then rather small closets, ie, they possessed behind a lockable door enough space for a chamber pot. Nowadays, bedside tables, however, are usually dressers and have multiple drawers.