Is it possible to imagine a good rest and a sweet dream without a light, airy pillow in which the head is drowning? In fact, far from always, people prefer such “royal” attributes for sleeping, someone respects hard rollers, someone likes orthopedic latex head restraints. Feathery feather-beds and a dozen pillows are one another smaller - these are, rather, elements of a fairy tale about the Princess on a pea or Madame Metelitsa.
Each person has their own ideas about comfort and convenience, justified by the state of health, personal preferences and age. It is about age restrictions that will be discussed in this article, and to be more precise, about whether a pillow is needed for a child, from what age and what kind of pillow it should be.
When a pillow is not needed
First of all, it must be said that pediatricians and orthopedists do not recommend laying babies on any hill, their sleeping place should be moderately hard, even and absolutely safe. This state of affairs is a rule that is not subject to reservations and nuances until the moment the child is one year old.
This taboo is explained very simply - the body proportions in children compared with an adult are completely wrong: their large and heavy head does not need support, its unnatural position can lead to a curvature of the cervical spine. A pillow for a child who still cannot control his movements, does not have sufficient coordination, can be dangerous. Toddlers at this age are not able to roll over and change their body position in a dream on their own - this duty falls on mother's shoulders. All the more important is the absence of soft pillows, regardless of their filling, and especially since the child may well, having buried his nose in the bed, die from a lack of oxygen.
Sweet sleep baby
If there is a real need to change the position of the baby's body in a dream (runny nose, poor sleep, discomfort, frequent spitting up), the following measures can be applied.
- In children's stores special mattresses are sold, lying on which, the child will not be in a horizontal, but slightly inclined position. In fact, the baby’s head is located on a hill, then the pillow for the child is not needed at all. It is possible to equip such a berth without resorting to specialized products, putting a low roller under the mattress.
- Thin (no more than 3 cm) mattresses are often found in newborn’s sleeping sets, which are the most optimal pillow option, because it is quite low, hypoallergenic and has the right size (fits the entire width of the crib).
- A pillow for a child who was barely born can be made using a soft diaper folded several times - this will help to slightly raise the head, avoiding excessive curvature of the vertebrae.
Baby grows up
Of course, a child cannot sleep on a bed without a backing for his head. Parents always try to create the most comfortable and safe conditions for the rest of their children, and when they grow up, a reasonable question arises as to how old the child needs a pillow and how to choose it.
At about three years old, you can try to lay the crumb on a hill, at this age the children are so physically developed that they are able to spin independently, lie in the way that is convenient for them, they can be safely left alone with a pillow.
Those less me this accessory for sleep should not be high. Trading networks offer a good assortment of products for baby sleep, including head restraints, which have the necessary size and shape. It can be either a rectangular or a square pillow. For a 3-year-old child, you can still use the one that was purchased in the finished kit at birth, but most often parents and children prefer to get a new one.
Nothing is eternal
Adults are often very conservative by nature, and having picked up the perfect thing for themselves, they do not regret to part with it, especially when there is no need for it. Children are constantly growing, especially babies who change every day literally before our eyes. For them to sleep comfortably and comfortably, they need to change their bedding in time: a bed, on the sides of which the baby rests on the top and heels sticking out from under a short blanket, a pillow down, or one that is not selected in shape - not the most sweet sleep factors.
An adult child can be offered an orthopedic pillow for sleep , which has a shallow hollow in the center. Such a product can be made of latex or sewn according to special patterns of traditional cotton fabric and filled with various fillers, which parents and children choose based on their preferences.
As for adults, the pillow for the child should not be in operation for more than 4-5 years, it must be periodically cleaned to get rid of dust and harmful microorganisms.
The first pancake is lumpy
A child who is completely unaccustomed to sleeping on featherbeds, surrounded by a huge number of downy rollers, needs a particularly careful choice of his first sleep accessory. It may happen that the first pillow that comes to hand will not suit him. For a child of 3 years old, which is better? Special, matched by age, or just any of those that are at home, does filler, material of the upper fabric, size and shape play a fundamental role?
Of course, all these aspects must be taken into account. When going to the store, it is best to take the child with you and give him the opportunity to participate in the choice. He should lie down on the pillow and decide whether he is comfortable, soft or not, whether she has a suitable width, length and height. Do not be angry with the baby if, after the first night, he realizes that he has made the wrong choice. It is better to go to the store one more time than subject the child to daily torment from headaches or body aches after waking up.
Baby pillows
Manufacturers offer a lot of baby pillows, each of which has its own disadvantages and advantages. What could be the differences? First of all, this is a filler, but the common feature is that the top must be sewn from natural material (cotton, linen, silk, bamboo fiber fabric), this will help to avoid sweating the head and neck during sleep. Natural fabrics perfectly pass air, they absorb moisture and are easy to care for.
As an internal filler, you can choose fluff or its derivatives (a mixture with synthetic additives), sheep's wool, buckwheat, herbs - this is what is made of natural. Of course, the environmental friendliness of these materials is a plus, but some of them are allergens, and it is also quite problematic to clean them yourself. Woolen pillows, which have not undergone good processing and cleaning, can have a rather specific smell, which will intensify in the hot season and in high humidity. Buckwheat and herbs are recommended as good fillers for pillows, but they can be harsh, over time, large pieces of plant fibers are crushed into a smaller fraction, which spills out through the pillowcase.
Pillow for a child (3 years) which is better if the baby has an allergy? In this case, you should pay attention to latex, holofiber, silicone and synth. These materials are soft, safe, products from them (with the exception of latex) can be machine washed, they dry quickly and even with very intensive use they will last about 2-3 years.
How to choose a pillow for a child?
You should not choose a huge and very magnificent, it is best to pay attention to the models where hidden zipper is sewn into the side seam, this makes it possible to easily remove the excess softener and make the “thought” of the right height.
Avoid too cheap products, as they can be from a technical, not intended for domestic purposes, synthetic winterizer. Parents of children prone to allergies should study the composition of the materials that make up bedding, as well as the presence of impurities in them.
Arguments
Any question concerning a child always has two sides. The same applies to whether a pillow is needed for a child. At what age can he be allowed to sleep on a hill? As usual, a lot depends on the baby: if he desperately asks his parents to give him a personal pillow at 2.5 years old, it is more convenient for him to lie down, and his sleep is stronger and sweeter, then there is absolutely no reason to deprive the child of pleasure.
Scientists at the Sleep Institute claim that a person for a healthy vacation, in principle, does not need a pillow, rather, it is a tool for satisfying one’s own comfort, which nevertheless does not carry any harmful principle if it is chosen wisely and allows you to take the right one, ergonomic position of the body in a dream.