How to choose a mattress for newborns, for children from 3 years old and from 10 years old

Sleep is a time that cannot be taken lightly, especially when it comes to young children. They form the musculoskeletal system, internal organs, psychological characteristics. Not only his mood depends on how the child gets enough sleep. His health depends on it.

Attention! An improperly organized place to sleep is the first step towards the origin and development of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, primarily scoliosis.

If you choose a mattress thoughtfully, paying attention not to fashion trends, but to the needs of the child, you can avoid many unpleasant consequences. The baby gets enough sleep, his spine and skeleton are developing correctly, the digestive system does not face additional problems. Selecting a mattress will not create much trouble.

Trading companies offer the widest range of quality bedding. It is only necessary to listen to the qualified advice of specialists and take into account several important points. It's about the age of the child, his complexion, state of health. The cost of a mattress is often a secondary issue, high-quality products for a low price come across not so rarely.

Choose a baby mattress for a newborn

The main function of the mattress - make the berth comfortable. When it comes to a newborn, the mattress should be moderately soft. The main thing is that the spine remains flat and comfortable for the baby. It should be remembered that a newborn can sleep for fifteen hours a day.

Do not succumb to the temptation to leave the mattress of his older brother or sister for the baby. Like other bedding, a mattress is a purely individual thing. The used litter, no matter how high-quality it is, is saturated with smells over time and loses its shape and properties.

Standard sizes

Typically, mattresses for newborns are considered standard with the following indicators of length and width:

120 x 60 centimeters;
125 x 65 centimeters;
140 x 70 centimeters.

When going for a purchase, you should remember about the size of the bed. If it does not fit into the standards, you can order individual sizes of the mattress.

The thickness of the mattresses for the smallest is usually 5-8 centimeters. It happens more, it all depends on the filler.

The standard size of the mattress is quite enough even for a large baby by height and weight. There will be enough space for toys and for overturning. Too large cots and mattresses are uncomfortable primarily for the mother.

Type of mattress

Spring mattresses come in two types - with a dependent and independent spring unit. The second type has many advantages over the first, but its main disadvantage is the high cost of the option for the newborn. Naturally, in such mattresses there are other fillers other than metal.

Springless differ from each other primarily by the filler. This can be foam rubber (polyurethane foam), coconut flakes (coir), artificial or natural latex, and much more. Often, the mattress may contain multi-layer fillers, for example, alternating latex and coconut coir.

Experienced doctors advise immediately to abandon spring mattresses, since they lose in almost all respects springless. But you can choose a mattress with an independent spring unit, but it will cost unreasonably expensive.

When comparing spring and springless mattresses:

Dust. In springless mattresses, its accumulation is practically excluded, while in spring places there is more than enough, and static electricity acts. Dust not only interferes with normal breathing, dust mites also accumulate in it.
Moisture resistant. Even stainless steel is susceptible to corrosion, not to mention ordinary carbon steel. Fillers of springless mattresses of such a lack are completely deprived.
Accumulation of static electricity. Where there is iron, there is a static charge. Metalless fillers have nowhere to get metal from.
Reliability. Although this issue is secondary in the case of the baby, but if the spring mattress lasts up to ten years, then the springless mattress lasts one and a half times longer.

Springless mattresses, regardless of what they are filled with, are absolutely harmless to children. Fear of polyurethane foam or artificial latex is completely unjustified, they do not emit any harmful substances in a noticeable amount, while natural substances are very dangerous. Mattresses without a spring, depending on the stiffness, have good orthopedic characteristics, and even retain them for a long time.

The conclusion is clear - A springless mattress with correctly selected filler is more suitable for the baby.

Mattress Fillers

Polyurethane foam. Everyone knows this filler called foam rubber, imagining a soft sheet, which in no way can be orthopedic. This is not true. The chemical industry has long been producing polyurethane foam with various characteristics, and it is quite possible to choose the stiffness option that is ideal for the baby. Foam of a modern look will withstand active games of the baby, without losing shape for a long time. The material does not pose a health hazard; it does not cause allergic reactions.

Coconut Coir. Material characterized by environmental cleanliness, hypoallergenic, massaging effect. It is absolutely harmless to health, does not accumulate moisture and has many other benefits. But a baby in a few months has no need for a massaging effect, it will come in handy later. Naturally, the coir can be not only the top layer of the mattress, but this is a separate case. Nevertheless, many pediatricians recommend coir because of the orthopedic effect.

Latex. Natural is an almost unvulcanized rubber. A wonderful material, the hallmark of which are antibacterial and antifungal capabilities, the complete absence of rotting. This material also does not accumulate water and dust, and its mechanical characteristics are ideal for filling orthopedic mattresses. By itself, it may turn out to be too soft for newborns, but if there are layers of harder material, the best solution is not easy to find. About the same, we can say about artificial latex, which is also produced with the desired properties.

Hollofiber. Excellent filler made of synthetic fibers twisted in a special way. At a certain density creates an orthopedic effect, which is suitable for the baby. Particularly harmful emissions and other dangerous properties of holofiber have not been recorded.

Memory Foam. The material, which is attributed to almost miraculous properties due to the fact that for some time it remembers the shape squeezed out by the body of a person lying on it. There are suspicions that Memory Foam is perfect for solving marketing problems, but the kid does not have a special need to remember dents.

Mattress fabric

A mattress cover is a fabric, the selection of which is important for the baby. The fabric should “breathe”, dry quickly, be pleasant to the touch, not cause allergic reactions, be soft and at the same time quite durable, not accumulate a static charge.

Calico The easiest and cheapest option. But it’s better not to save, otherwise the child will almost always sleep on a wet mattress.

Teak. Cotton fabric with improved characteristics, dense and resistant to wear.

StressFree. A modern two-layer material, the upper part of which is made of natural cotton, the lower - of synthetic fibers. It passes liquid, dries quickly, does not accumulate a static charge, does not wear out during washing. Ideal for a baby mattress. In general, it is best to choose fabrics that consist of natural and artificial fibers. They, for example, jacquard, are devoid of many shortcomings and have proven themselves as bedding.

Bamboo cloth. Exotic, but great material for a mattress cover. Absorbs moisture quickly, quickly and dries out. "Breathes", pleasant to the touch, has antistatic properties.

Mattress stiffness

Well-known pediatrician Dr. Komarovsky recommends choosing a mattress, which, with gentle pressure with your fingers, bends two or three centimeters. This is approximately what the average level of stiffness looks like, arranging a baby without visible health problems. The mattress should not be too hard and too soft - this is the main rule for determining the required stiffness.

Conclusion

The best choice for a newborn - This is an orthopedic mattress of medium hardness, with a harmless filler and with a cover made of mixed natural and synthetic fibers. What exactly is it made of is not so important.

Choose a children's mattress for a child from 3 years old

A child who is already three years old already has a practically formed bone system, or at least formed bends. For children at this age, you can already pick up milder options, but not fundamentally. The requirements remain basically the same as for the newborn.

Dimensions

A mattress measuring 70 x 160 centimeters is quite suitable for a child from three years old, and even will be to his height, up to ten years. As for the thickness, it is determined by the type of filler. For example, 10-14 centimeters for a springless mattress will be just right.

Read more about the sizes of children's mattresses here.