Many people who have made the crossover from traditional innerspring mattresses to memory foam are enthusiastic about the benefits they have received. Naturally, they want to share their improved sleep experience with their children. But is memory foam appropriate for children? In general, a memory foam mattress is not a good idea for infants and toddlers. However, older children and teens can usually enjoy the benefits of memory foam without any issues or concerns. The biggest things to consider when addressing this question are the child’s age and size, the memory foam properties, and the mattress properties. Age, Needs & Safety The same body-contouring properties that have made memory foam products famous worldwide are the same characteristics that can pose a danger to infants. This is of particular concern with temperature sensitive memory foams which soften under body heat and weight, allowing the sleeper to sink slightly while the surrounding material remains firmer (making turning more difficult).
Nearly every professional source recommends infants and very young children sleep on a very firm surface, primarily because kids of this age may not be able to turn themselves over at night which can become dangerous on a soft or contouring material. Amerisleep’s memory foam is not temperature reactive so it maintains consistent firmness and offers a quick response time, proving safe for most kids outside of their preschool years. Older children should not have a problem repositioning themselves and would generally be of sufficient size to be able to enjoy the benefits of memory foam without concerns. For kids up to their pre-teen years, a firm mattress would still be ideal according to expert sources (by teen years, we often develop more specific comfort preferences and needs however). One other potential concern parents may have involves chemicals in traditional memory foam mattresses that can result in off-gassing and unnecessary exposure. While largely considered innocuous, some types could use chemicals of concern that could contribute to or exacerbate existing respiratory or neurological conditions.
Eco-friendly plant-based memory foam offers an alternative that combines healthiness and comfort, and may often present a safer option than standard spring beds. Our Bio-Pur™ foam is certified to be free of toxic components like formaldehyde, CFCs, and other concerning additives. Waterproof mattress covers can also help reduce concerns about chemicals as well as allergens, regardless of mattress type. This will help extend the life of their bed, make accident cleanup much easier, and prevent dust mites and mold from accumulating. Memory Foam Can Benefit Kids Whether or not memory foam for kids is a good idea depends greatly on the kid, their age and size, and the mattress itself. As a parent, you will be the best judge of your child’s needs and abilities. Be sure to exercise caution and due diligence when considering a memory foam mattress for a young child, but know that memory foam can be perfectly safe for most kids and teens. View our mattress selection to find the best bed for your child.
Amerisleep vs. Memory Foam ComparisonWhen 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