When the time comes for your toddler to graduate from a cot to a bed, the range of options can be bewildering. Should you buy a toddler bed or a single bed? An innerspring mattress or a latex one? Should you place it on an ensemble or a slatted base? And what kind of pillow is right if your child sleeps on his back, side or stomach? Here we consult the experts on how to choose a bed that will best support your child's growing body and spine. Follow these golden rules to ensure a great night's sleep for them (and you). So says Dr Havard Bergby, a paediatric chiropractor at Sydney's Inner West Spinal and Sports Injury Centre. 'As with most things in life, you get what you pay for,' Dr Bergby says. 'When buying a bed for a toddler, parents have to consider the weight and age of the child. The transition from cot to a normal bed should happen between 18 and 36 months, after which a toddler should be in a proper bed with a proper mattress.' Sealy Posturepedic, the world's number-one bedding brand, recommends mattresses with an innerspring system.
'Innerspring mattresses, as opposed to pure foam mattresses, will provide the best skeletal support and conformance to the body while sleeping, and will not degrade with moisture,' says Sealy Australia spokeswoman Kim Bennett. Dr Bergby agrees that innerspring mattresses are better for kids than ones made of foam or latex. 'Foam simply does not have the same supportive properties as a sprung bed and latex has a tendency of shaping to your body over time,' he says. 'This is not recommended for children due to the fact that their body is constantly changing. So, memory foam beds are definitely not good for children.' Dr Bergby says children do not necessarily need an ensemble - a slatted base can be fine, as long as the slats are no further than five centimetres apart. Dr Bergby generally does not recommend bunk beds, 'mainly because of the many injuries I see as a result of kids either falling from or jumping from the top of a bunk bed. Boys, in particular, tend to love this.' Although they're all the rage, a toddler bed - which is essentially a frame that makes sure a child does not roll out of it at night as well as giving them a similar snug feeling to their cot - is something they will quickly grow too big for.
'A toddler bed can be a good alternative for children who are finding the transition to a ''big'' bed difficult,' says Dr Bergby. 'What mattress you use on the toddler bed is what matters. Between 18 and 36 months a child's spine is rapidly developing and growing, particularly at night. It's imperative that the mattress provides sufficient support to ensure this growth happens naturally. I frequently encounter families where the mum and dad have a $4000 bed, whereas their toddler sleeps on a thin foam mattress.' 'When it comes to sleeping, what matters for a child's spine is support,' says Dr Bergby. 'Both their spine and neck have to be in a neutral position, which minimises stress and allows the spine to grow without any restrictions. A toddler's spine can grow as much as 1.5cm during the night, which mainly comes from the intervertebral discs in between their vertebrae filling up with water. So the mattress has to be soft enough for them to be comfortable, yet firm enough to prevent them from completely sinking into it.'
Dr Bergby says the potential consequence of children sleeping on an unsupportive foam mattress is that their growing spine is placed under stress for prolonged periods of time. 'A growing spine is very flexible and can adapt to stressors in daily life such as falls,' he says. 'However, this flexibility makes the growing spine more susceptible to more permanent deformative issues when placed under a certain load over long periods of time, such as 10-12 hours of sleep per night.' Dr Bergby says it is hard to predict what type of short-term problems might arise from sleeping on a foam mattress in the early years, 'However, there is no question that sleeping on a spring mattress allows for better and more natural development of a growing spine.' For parents who can't afford a good-quality innerspring mattress, Dr Bergby advises buying a second-hand one no more than two years old. 'I suggest to parents planning on having more than one child to buy a good-quality spring mattress and pass it down.
If you buy good quality there is no reason why three kids can't spend two to three years each on it.' By law, all new beds must be treated for dust mites before being sold. However, this does not mean that over time dust mites will not develop - especially given that every night a human body loses up to one litre of body fluid through the skin and mouth, as well as millions of skin flakes. Sealy Australia spokeswoman Kim Bennett says special mattress protectors are a good way to add additional anti-allergenic and moisture-barrier properties to mattresses. 'Most sprays, such as Glen 20, are not recommended as the risk (inhalation of a cocktail of chemicals) versus the benefit (possible removal of bacteria, dust mites etc) is just not feasible,' says Dr Bergby. As such, the best way to avoid worsening a child's asthma and prevent the build-up of dust mites is to: In general, a clean and tidy home (and bedroom) is a good way of controlling the spread of dust mites. How frequently should mattresses be replaced?
'It comes down to the quality of the bed and the size of your child,' Dr Bergby says. 'As long as they haven't grown out of it, a good-quality sprung bed can easily last as long as five years. As a general rule of thumb, change the bed every three years between the ages of 0 tand 10 years, and every five years between the ages of 10 and 20. Latex beds, however, have a tendency of shaping to the body of a child after about one year, so I do not recommend these for anyone under 18 years old. Latex pillows, on the other hand (they must be natural latex), I do recommend, however they need to be replaced every one to two years.' This article was written by Karen Fontaine for Kidspot, Australia's best parenting resource. blog comments powered by There are plenty of tough decisions to make when planning for your new arrival; finding the right mattress shouldn’t be one of them. Between birth and 2 years old, babies can spend as much as 50% of their life on their cot mattress;
and with lots of different options out there, it’s easy to lose sight of what you need. This handy guide cuts through the waffle to help you find the right mattress, because a good night’s sleep has to start somewhere. Getting to the core of the matter All our mattresses are designed so they’re just the right size and firmness for your baby. Cotbed mattresses all come with an adjustable built-in waterproof panel for those night-time accidents; and because we understand the importance of long-lasting value, our sprung, pocket sprung and natural mattresses can be flipped and rotated to prolong their life. The first choice you need to make, though, is selecting the right supportive core for your mattress. There are several different types on offer. AirStream™ is a material made from 50% recycled foam-free fibres; scientifically proven to stay cool. The individual mini pocket springs contour to your growing child’s shape, providing the very best support.
Individually pocketed springs work independently, meaning they contour and respond to changing weights and shapes - ideal for providing ultimate, long-term support for your growing child. Providing ultimate support, this mattress is made from 100% natural materials - latex, wool and coconut coir, with a 100% organic cotton cover. Ideal for allergy sufferers or if you have asthma or eczema in the family. The springs encourage airflow and provide excellent postural support for children throughout their development; longer-lasting than foam alone.scientifically proven to stay cool, whilst providing excellent support. Foam mattresses offer a good level of support for baby in the early years. Our mattresses offer a selection of beneficial properties, so that you can choose the one that best suits your baby’s needs. Features to keep in mind: Our anti-allergy mattresses are treated with Purotex™, a friendly probiotic, which competes with any bad bacteria to keep baby safe from allergens and germs.
This is especially important if you have asthma or eczema in the family. Our temperature regulating mattresses feature state-of-the-art fabrics to provide constant heat regulation throughout the night. MACHINE WASHABLE AT 40° OR 60°C The covers of all our mattresses are machine washable. Those treated with Purotex™ may be machine washed at 40°; the Essential mattress cover can be machine washed at 60°, to kill dust mites. The lullaby trust tips for safe sleeping Always place your baby on their back to sleep. Keep your baby smoke free during pregnancy and after birth. Try to breastfeed your baby, if you can. For the first 6 months, place your baby to sleep in a separate cot or Moses basket in the same room as you. Avoid sleeping in the same bed as your baby. Do not sleep in the same bed as your baby if you have been drinking alcohol, smoking, taking medication/ drugs which make you drowsy or if you feel unwell or tired. Never fall asleep with your baby whilst sat in an arm chair or laid on the sofa.