It's well known that the humble bed can't be beaten when it comes to getting some shut-eye. However, what's less well known is that, like a penknife, they're one of the most useful things in the universe. Don't believe us? Well, how about these examples of insane bed usefulness...

Beds as a Revenge Mechanism

Another winner trotting out of our German friends' stable of fun (and we thought Jeremy Beadle was bad):

Beds as a Bank-Beating Option

If you were asked to think of an alternative to an unreliable banking system, you might not immediately conclude that beds were the answer. However, it's possible you'd be wrong. Back in 2002, a hotel manager foresaw the future we're now living in, and decided to take action. Kara Kennedy slowly stole money from where she worked and hid it under her bed.

You might have thought people would have cottoned on pretty quickly and caught her, but it in fact took three years before she was found out, and was believed to have stolen almost £150,000, including over £4,000 in loose change. So there you go. Got problems with the banks? Use your bed instead. Apparently it's the perfect place to hide your dosh.

Beds as Earthquake Protection

So you wake up in the middle of the night, and there's an earthquake going on. What's the first thing you do? Find something really sturdy to hide under, right? Well, apparently there might be a better idea. A 97-year old woman from Iran survived for 9 days buried under rubble from an earthquake, because she'd been wrapped up in bed after tucking into her breakfast.

So if you live in LA, take note. Next time an earthquake hits, don't head for the cellar; go to bed instead!

Beds as an All-Terrain Vehicle

What do you need to traverse the harshest of terrain? A big 4x4? No, as Top Gear proved, what you need is a broken down wreck of a car. However, even that might have been overkill. Ladies and gentlemen, enter the Great Knaresborough Bed Race. This insane little race could only have been the brainchild of an Englishman.

The idea is that you take a bed, modify it any way you want, find some mates with nothing better to do and then race it against other people over land and water. We like.

Beds as an Escape Method

Finally, if you ever find yourself in jail, and need a way to break out, your bed may once again come to your rescue. Although probably of not much use by itself, as Mythbusters proved in season 6, you could in fact climb down a rope made of bedsheets.

So, if you ever find yourself in a situation where you're in possession of a bed, but what you really need is a rope, now you know what to do. Knot that bedsheet.