Your pillow guide Kids: Which pillow is ideal for my child ?

The right pillow is an important basis for restful sleep and healthy development, especially for children. Here you can find out what really matters when choosing a children's pillow and which pillow is best for your child.

Table of contents

1. Sleep in Children
2. The perfect children's pillow
   1. Height, Shape & Size
   2. material & hardness
3. Your child decides
4. Conclusion

1. Sleep in children

Good sleep is crucial for the healthy development of a child. Especially during the ongoing development phases or during acute growth spurts, it is important to protect the body from an unhealthy sleeping position at night in order to prevent misalignment or pain in the spine in childhood. In the first few years of life, children should ideally lie flat on their backs in bed without a pillow or duvet so that the pressure is relieved and the sensitive spine can develop healthily. From the age of 2 to 10, parents should then choose a suitable pillow for their child and definitely involve the child in the selection process.

Special children's pillows are usually tailored in height, firmness and size to the child's body size, the lower pressure on the bed and the comparatively narrow shoulder width and can significantly support sleep even at a young age. We will now clarify what exactly needs to be considered when choosing the perfect children's pillow in addition to the child's personal feelings in order to optimally promote physical development.

2. The perfect children's pillow

The pillow determines the position of the head during sleep and is responsible for ensuring that the cervical spine is properly positioned at night. For a healthy and ergonomic sleeping position, the head and spine should form a straight line towards the pelvis, while the shoulders should ideally be at a right angle to the cervical spine. Physical development can vary greatly and change quickly, especially in children during growth. Therefore, it should always be observed whether the child is sitting comfortably on his or her pillow. sleeping position and the pillow feels really comfortable.

#1 The Height

A false pillow height quickly leads to an unnatural head position, which tension, pain or even breathing problems. How high your child's pillow should be depends on the width of their shoulders, but also on the shape of their head and the curvature of the spine in the neck area. Children tend to move more during sleep than adults and change their sleeping position frequently. It can therefore help to choose a pillow that keeps the spine straight, depending on the width of the shoulders, both when lying on their back and when lying on their side.

When looking for the perfect pillow height, you can these recommendations orientate yourself.

#2 The form

Neutral ergonomic pillow shapes can support different sleeping positions and are therefore well suited for younger children who still frequently change their lying position or who use the pillow not only for sleeping but also for cuddling or playing. For older children who already sleep more calmly and in a stable sleeping position, special ergonomic shapes, such as neck support pillow, contribute to a particularly back-friendly sleeping position.Basically, the preference and personal feelings of your child are the deciding factors, regardless of their age.

#3 The size

A pillow suitable for children should, on the one hand, offer enough support for the head according to the child's size to prevent the head from slipping or the neck from bending when changing position frequently during the night. On the other hand, it is advisable not to choose a pillow that is too big so that there is enough space to move freely in bed and, for example, to simply push the pillow away when changing to a stomach position. Then the child can easily decide at night which sleeping position feels best based on their own feelings.

#4 The material

Children lose a lot of sweat or saliva at night, pay less attention to hygiene and usually use their pillows not only in bed, but also during the day when taking a nap on the couch, as a cuddly toy or as a seat pad on the floor. Parents should therefore also pay attention to materials with good cleaning properties, high air permeability and the highest possible resistance to bacteria and mites. Pillows made of breathable, anti-allergic foams and pillowcases made of robust, absorbent fibers that can be washed at up to 60 degrees. This means that children can be optimally protected from dust, dirt, mites and bacteria at night and a hygienically clean sleep can be ensured.

#5 The degree of hardness

Your child's pillow should be firm enough to support the head in a healthy position at night, but should also give a little so that there is no excessive pressure on the child's face, head or neck. Pillows made of a more dimensionally stable material, such as foam, are also recommended. If the head or face sinks too far while sleeping, as is often the case with soft down or feather pillows, this can lead to breathing problems and increase the risk of suffocation and should therefore of course be avoided.

3. Your child decides

Ultimately, it is important that the child can lie comfortably and softly at night and adopt a healthy, ergonomic sleeping position. Children should always be included in the decision-making process and asked about their wishes and opinions. A new pillow should always be tested and tried out for several nights. As for us adults, an unfamiliar sleeping position on a new pillow can feel uncomfortable for children in the first few nights or, conversely, it can seem comfortable at first but lead to pain or tension after a few days. Due to the rapid growth in childhood, it should also be checked regularly whether the pillow still suits the child's body type and current sleeping habits. A suitable pillow can thus ensure a comfortable and, above all, healthy sleeping position and support the natural development of the little ones in the best possible way.

You can find further information and simple tips on how to support your child’s sleep in this article.

4. Conclusion

Specially adapted children's pillows ensure a natural sleeping position and thus directly support good sleep and healthy development.

For a healthy and ergonomic sleeping position, the head and spine should form a straight line towards the pelvis, while the shoulders should ideally be at a right angle to the cervical spine.

Children's pillows should be constantly adapted to the child's body shape, especially in terms of height, shape and size, in order to enable a natural sleeping position.

Sufficiently supportive but not too hard pillows made of elastic, anti-allergic foam and absorbent, easy-to-clean pillowcases are best for use with children.

Best regards and see you soon!