Bed doesn't set new spawn point

I started playing in my survival world in single player and the first thing I always go for is a bed and I slept in it multiple times but my compass never pointed to it and after I finally died I found that it didn't register my bed as my spawn point and said it didn't exist or was obstructed. However, I slept another night in the bed and killed myself but that time it worked.

So, it appears as though the game isn't registering the new spawn point until after you've died at least once?