A kreister is a simple sleeping place in an Alpine building. This word type is not found in any of the language atlases of the German-speaking Alpine region (BSA, SAO, SDS, TSA). Only Schmeller (cf. kreisten) mentions it and expresses a thought in which this meaning comes to light: "Whether here or where the Kreister belongs, which in the Alps between the Inn and the Isar is understood to mean the dairymaid's bed of hay in an Alpine hut, I cannot decide." Otherwise, one only finds the meaning 'groaning from exertion' under the keyword kreisten in the dictionaries (cf. TId kreisten; DWB kreisten). It is thus also unclear whether this word is related to deu. kreischen and kreißen.
A derivation from Latin crista, which primarily means 'comb of the cock', would be conceivable. The etymology, which seems obscure at first glance, gains substance when one considers that words meaning 'cream' or 'mountain crest' are also derived from it (cf. ita. cresta, fra. crète), which could all have the semantic feature 'above' in common. In simple Alpine dwellings, chests in which utensils were stored often served as sleeping places.