The lowdown on crib mattresses Types of mattresses What to look for when buying Important safety notes What it's going to cost you The lowdown on crib mattressesA good mattress not only makes bedtime cozier – it supports your growing baby and keeps her safe. Consider cost, comfort, and durability, as your baby will probably sleep in a crib for up to 3 years.Browse dozens of cribs.Types of mattresses“Breathable” mattresses, made of materials that are supposed to allow a baby to breathe freely even if his or her face is pressed up against it, are getting more popular. Experts haven’t yet weighed in on their efficacy.What to look for when buyingDensity: You want high density so it’s firm enough to keep your baby safe while sleeping. Most foam mattresses don't list density on the packaging, but weight can be a good indicator. As for innerspring mattresses, manufacturers often equate the number of coils with firmness, but the gauge of the wire is just as important. Lower gauge means thicker wire, which is stronger and therefore firmer.
Look for a mattress with 135 or more coils and a gauge of 15.5 or lower.Weight: A typical foam mattress weighs about 7 to 8 pounds, although mattresses made of memory foam (an especially dense form of polyurethane) can weigh close to 20 pounds. Innerspring crib mattresses are heavier in general, weighing in at about 15 to 25 pounds. Keep in mind that you'll be hoisting up a side of the mattress, or lifting the whole thing, when changing your baby's sheet.Cleaning: Most traditional mattresses suggest spot-cleaning only. Some have removable covers that can be machine-washed. The innards of at least one crib mattress on the market can be hosed down in the tub once its washable cover is removed.Certification seals: Crib mattresses for sale in the United States must meet safety standards defined by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Society for Testing and Materials. (The Juvenile Products Manufacturer Association does not test or certify crib mattresses.) A manufacturer's claim that a product is organic can mean a variety of things, but look for an Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification (a worldwide uniform certification), which assures you that certain flame retardants and heavy metals were not used to make the mattress.
Important safety notesNo matter what mattress parents choose, they should continue to follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ safe-sleep guidelines and put babies to sleep on their backs on a firm, bare surface.What it's going to cost youCrib mattresses start at about $40 and can range to more than $350. Organic mattresses start at about $80 and can reach $400. Download our illustrated guide to crib mattressesAmerican Academy of Pediatrics. /English/ages-stages/prenatal/decisions-to-make/Pages/Choosing-a-Crib.aspx [Accessed May 2016]Consumer Reports. Crib mattress buying guide. /cro/crib-mattresses/buying-guide.htm [Accessed May 2016]Consumer Reports. /cro/cribs/buying-guide.htm [Accessed May 2016]CPSC. Learn how to put your baby to sleep safely. http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/cribs/ [Accessed May 2016] When it’s time to make the move from toddler bed to big kid bed, do you buy a firm mattress or soft? Here are our tips to remove the stress from mattress shopping and help make your child’s transition comfy and cozy.
As adults, we lie on every mattress, test which is most comfortable for us and make informed decisions based on what we feel, but buying a mattress for another person can be tricky, especially when that other person bounces from bed to bed in the mattress store, proclaiming them all jump-worthy. So how do you choose the best mattress for your child? Here are some questions to consider as you make your selection: What material is inside the mattress? Many materials contain harmful chemicals, like polyvinyl chloride, which let off emissions that are known carcinogens. Organic mattresses, which are typically made from organic cotton, are growing in popularity and are increasingly easy to find. Will the mattress allow for your child to grow and still be comfortable? Though your child is small now, he or she will likely be sleeping on the mattress that you choose for 15-plus years, so you’ll want to choose one that’s large enough to comfortably sleep an adult.
Should you buy new or gently used? It's always best to buy a new mattress. Used mattresses usually bring with them bacteria, mold, mites and bodily fluid residue. Does your child like the way it feels? Although it can be tricky to get your child to lie still long enough to get a sense of whether the mattress is truly comfortable, it’s helpful if they can tell you what they think about it. Ask them non-leading questions like “How does this mattress feel to you?” and “Is this mattress hard or soft?” If your child wavers between a couple of mattresses, opt for the firmer of the two, since it will offer good support while your child’s bones are forming and growing. Should you splurge on a high-priced mattress? While it can be tempting to buy a more expensive mattress, it’s unlikely that your child needs it. But you shouldn’t skimp either, as inexpensive mattresses tend to need replacing sooner than those of higher quality. Aim for something in the middle.
You won’t go wrong with a mid-priced mattress. Although it can seem daunting to buy a new mattress for your child, by asking yourself these questions, you can ensure that you’ve made a great choice to help your child transition into that big kid bed. More about your home 5 Home accessories to bring summer into your home Change the look of a room for free! Updating your kitchen for springThe Best Mattress for a Better Night's Sleep Buying a new mattress? Here are tips for finding the right mattress for you. You spend about a third of every day in bed. Whether that time is spent blissfully slumbering -- or tossing and turning -- depends a lot on your mattress. "A mattress can impact a person's sleep," says Michael Decker, PhD, RN, associate professor at Georgia State University and spokesman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. One way that your mattress affects your sleep has to do with the network of fine blood vessels, called capillaries, that runs underneath your skin.
"When you lie on any part of your body for an extended period of time, the weight of it reduces the flow of blood through those blood vessels, which deprives the skin of oxygen and nutrients," Decker says. This causes nerve cells and pain sensors in your skin to send a message to your brain for you to roll over. Rolling over restores blood flow to the area, but it also briefly interrupts your sleep. Ideally, a mattress that reduces the pressure points on your body should give you a better night's sleep, Decker says. Yet the ideal mattress is different for each person. Which Mattress Is Right for You? Finding the right mattress isn't about searching out the highest-tech brand or spending the most money. "A much more expensive mattress doesn't necessarily mean it's better," Decker says. A high price tag is a product of both the materials that go into the mattress, and the marketing that helps sell it. Instead of focusing on price and brand name, think about what you want in a mattress.
"Selecting a mattress is very personal," Decker says. Some people prefer a firmer mattress; others favor a softer style. Although there isn't a lot of scientific evidence to prove that one type of mattress will help you sleep better than another, people with certain medical conditions do seem to rest easier on a particular mattress style. Anyone with back or neck pain should take a Goldilocks approach to mattress buying: not too hard, and not too soft. "If you're on too soft [of] a mattress, you'll start to sink down to the bottom. But on too hard of a mattress you have too much pressure on the sacrum, and on the shoulders, and on the back of the head," says Howard Levy, MD, an Emory University assistant professor of orthopaedics, physical medicine, and rehabilitation. A medium-firm mattress, or a firm mattress with a softer pillow top, will give your spine that "just-right" balance of support and cushioning. An adjustable bed can be a good buy if you need to sleep with your head raised.
Doctors sometimes recommend elevating the head to help people with COPD breathe easier, or to prevent nighttime heartburn from GERD. These beds can also allow you to adjust your knees and hips to a 90-degree angle, relieving some of the pressure on sore joints, Levy says. If you have allergies or asthma, you might have considered buying a bed labeled "hypoallergenic." "There are a lot of claims made by mattress manufacturers that their mattresses are hypoallergenic or don't support the growth of dust mites, but I don't know of scientific evidence to support these claims," says Paul V. Williams, MD, a pediatrics professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine and an allergist at Northwest Allergy and Asthma Center in Washington state. Williams says dust mites will live anywhere there's food -- and that food is your dead skin cells. Instead of investing in an allergy-free mattress, slip on a washable mattress encasing. It will form a barrier that prevents dust mites from getting to you.
A mattress encasing cuts allergen growth by robbing dust mites of their food supply, Williams says. And what about those space-age memory foam mattresses, which can cost thousands of dollars? There is some evidence they can help with back problems and improve sleep, but their advantage over a regular coil mattress is only slight. Where memory foam mattresses can really help you sleep is if you have an active bed partner who is keeping you awake, Decker says. Foam mattresses reduce motion transfer, letting you lie still while your partner tosses and turns. Test Drive a Mattress Before You Buy "You wouldn't buy a car without test driving it," Decker says. So why would you invest hundreds -- or even thousands of dollars in a mattress without trying it out first? Take any new mattress you're considering for a test nap. "People should not be embarrassed to go into a store and lay on a mattress for 20 minutes," Decker says. For a more realistic test, sleep in the beds at different hotel chains when you travel.