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 byWith race cars, tents and princess-style four-poster beds, there’s a temptation for fantasy when it comes to choosing for kids. We all knew someone with an enviable bed when growing up. To get the most for your money, aim for something fun but practical, with added storage or flexibility to change as your family grows.
Usually mattresses aren’t included so you’ll have to factor that cost in, as well as choosing the right size: there are different standards for the UK than Europe. 1. Georgia 4-poster Bed: £399, The Children’s Furniture Company A four-poster bed is what every little princess dreams of. This one is classic in style, and allows you to add your choice of hanging fabric – much easier than changing the whole bed when your girl has grown out of loving Frozen. The posts are detachable, there’s the option to add a trundle bed underneath, and the beechwood construction is very durable. 2. Busunge Extendable Bed: £130, Ikea This simple but useful bed can be extended between 138cm and 208cm in length as your child grows. The slats are solid pine which is good for support, and a high headboard with safe rounded edges gives a feeling of protection for those cosy bedtime story moments. The bed comes in dark blue or baby pink and it suits kids four years and up. 3. Kids Teepee cabin bed: £395, Cuckooland
This tent-style bed from Cuckooland is ideal for little ones who love adventure. The pine frame is contrasted with white MDF “awnings” that have look-out holes at either end and a large opening to climb into. Under the bed, there’s space for an extra mattress. This cabin bed takes a continental size mattress (90x200cm). Two people are required for assembly. 4. Oeuf Be Good Toddler Bed: £479, Houseology If you care about materials, this luxurious kid’s bed by Oeuf is an expensive but well considered design. The birch and plywood base has been sustainably sourced, and all the finishes are non-toxic. The guard rail around the bed makes it suitable for toddlers and kids up to the age of six. It’s easy for one person to assemble, unlike many on the list. 5. Earlswood Bed: £179, Dreams One for kids aged 12 years and up, this single bed in solid ash and ash veneer from Dreams is a simple but sturdy design that can be easily assembled by one person. Rounded edges to the footend minimise the chance of scrapes, and the natural finish suits a more grown-up bedroom scheme.
There’s a sprung slat option (£49 extra) for more comfort. 6. Pongo Detachable Bunk Bed: £495, Habitat Habitat’s bunk bed transforms into two single ones – a flexible solution that can grow with your family. The design of the bed is kept simple, with smooth edges finished in white lacquer. A ladder can be fitted on either side of the bed, and there’s space underneath the bottom bunk for storage. The bunk bed requires two continental size mattresses (90x200cm). 7. Kidspace Milo Mid Sleeper bed: from £197.10, Very Great for small bedrooms, the Kidspace Milo bed comes with options to pack a lot into its design. Instead of a stepladder, the steps up to the bed have integrated drawers; a pull-out desk and extra drawers can be added on. There’s a choice of blue or pink finish and standard or premium mattress. Assembly isn’t the easiest, but Very offers a service for this. The bed isn’t suitable for kids under six. 8. HelloHome StarBright Toddler Bed: £149.99, Mothercare
Inspired by the night sky, this toddler bed from Mothercare is designed for transitioning your child from cot to bed. There’s an inbuilt night light that projects stars onto the wall, and a cloud-shaped headboard with guard rails and side table. It takes a toddler size mattress (140 x 69cm) and is suitable for children between 18 months and three years. 9. Oliver Furniture Seaside bed: £547, MOOD The Seaside bed from Oliver Furniture is a full size bed, designed for an older child. It’s made in Denmark from birchwood with a white lacquered finish. There’s options to add a trundle bed or storage drawer underneath and the guard rail is detachable for use as a guest bed. This bed is made to order and delivery takes three weeks. 10. Ella bed: £199, Next You can’t beat an old-fashioned metal bed for a touch of Bedknobs and Broomsticks magic. This one from Next has an antique style with diamond-style bedknobs and an ivory-coloured metal frame. The Ella bed is suited to older kids and takes a standard single mattress.