If you feel like you’re continually burning a hole in your wallet to keep up with your kid’s evolving needs, purchasing a quality mattress could help. Investing in a capable product to grow with your little one throughout childhood could save you in the long run by anticipating their needs instead of reacting as necessary.
Finding a comfortable mattress suitable for your child’s growing size that won’t sag and break after a few years is critical for optimal investment.
According to the sleep guidelines endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends anywhere from 8-16 hours of sleep per day for children, depending on their age. This recommendation includes 12-16 hours for babies and 8-10 hours for teens.
Adequate and quality sleep, according to the AAP, impacts the following:
- Attention
- Behavior
- Learning
- Memory
- Emotional regulation
- Quality of life
- Mental health
- Physical health
Considering these recommendations and guidelines, it’s clear that the right mattress does have an impact on your child’s overall well-being. A quality, well-made, and comfortable mattress can help your child get the right amount of sleep. It will also ensure that during the hours they spend sleeping they are supported physically, sleeping soundly, and kept safe from harmful substances.
So… WHAT should you look for when shopping for a new mattress set for your kiddos…
- Comfort and support: Children, like adults, need proper support and spinal alignment during sleep. A mattress that sags or has body impressions is problematic because it won’t evenly support your child’s growing body. In this situation, extra pressure is placed on the lower body and the lumbar area is shifted out of alignment.
- Room to grow: It can be tempting to save money by going with the smallest mattress for a small child but consider the big picture. Children grow quickly, and the ideal mattress will be one with a long lifespan that can adjust to a child’s needs as he or she gets bigger. To avoid having to go through the process again in just a year or two, it’s best to buy the highest quality you can afford with the long-term in mind.
- Durability: Kids are hard on their stuff! A mattress can take a beating. From rough housing to slumber parties to beloved pets and bouts of the flu, any kid’s mattress will go through the ringer. Again, the highest quality mattress you can afford is often the best way to go. Factors that impact a mattress’s durability include the type and gauge of the coils in an innerspring mattress, the thickness and density of the foam in a memory foam mattress, and the materials used in covers.
- Quality of materials: A mattress basically consists of several layers of either foam, latex, wool or other fabrics, and coils or springs. It truly is the sum of its parts. At each layer, the quality of the individual components adds up to the quality of the overall product. For an innerspring mattress, you’ll want to look at the quality of the coils used, rather than the coil count. Know that pocketed coils allow for more airflow than the simpler coil constructions. For foam and latex mattresses, the manufacturing process can be important as well as the density and origin of the foam material used.
- Standards of safety and non-toxicity met: Our top picks for the best mattresses for children meet safety guidelines and a few of them go above and beyond to provide eco-friendly and all-natural materials. Consider the amount of time your child will spend near the mattress and be sure to check for features such as CertiPUR-US certified foam. All-natural wool offers a non-toxic alternative for traditional fire-retardants.
Obviously, selecting the best mattress for kids is a challenge that you must deal with. We hope that you can better navigate according to the individual needs of your kid and the purpose you’ve intended for the mattress. Your kid deserves the best, right?
Two of the most important things to account for is the sleeping habits and preferences of your kids. As they grow older, make sure to involve them in the buying process so that they can give their own first-hand input, hence making your choice a lot easier.