The mat is thick and built well and easily folds up.  I got this for my mom because she often has nightmares and sometimes falls out of the bed.  Just before the last time I visited home, she'd fallen out of bed.  She had a back surgery coming up quickly and the last thing I wanted was her falling out of bed directly onto the floor after surgery or falling out of the bed and breaking a hip.  The length of the mat is long enough to extend the full length of a body and it is just wide enough to fully cushion a person if they fall out of bed.  The mat easily folds up and can slide under her bed for storage.  And it can also be used for exercises too.  Mom had mentioned that she had a yoga type mat that she could put beside the bed, but those aren't thick enough to properly cushion a fall.