What to look for when choosing a mattress? Is it enough just to lie on the product in the store? What materials and fillers are right for you? How to choose the perfect mattress in terms of price-quality ratio? Together with Askona specialists, we are opening a series of guide articles that will help you answer these questions and choose the perfect anatomical bed.
Children sleep a lot – this is an important part of the formation of the body and psyche. Up until late adolescence, a child needs significantly more sleep than an adult. The sleeping place needs to be appropriate: not just comfortable, but helping to grow and develop. Does this happen? Yes, the details are in our material.
Why Does A Child Need A Special Mattress?
A growing body needs support during sleep. This is how the spine and posture are formed. If the load is distributed incorrectly, it is fraught not only with the development of problems with bones and joints, but also with vascular constriction, chronic lack of sleep and, as a result, health problems.
You should choose a foldable mattress model based on the age and physiological characteristics of the child. Since both the growth rate of the body and the structure of sleep change as they grow older, the sleeping place should meet the needs of the baby.
Important: Preparation For The Purchase
First of all, familiarize yourself with the mattress firmness requirements for each age group. We will list them below. The formation of children’s posture and the quality of the child’s sleep depend on this parameter.
Measure The Sleeping Place
The mattress must exactly match the parameters of the bed. If he is too small, he will constantly drive during sleep, and the baby will not get enough sleep. If the mattress is too large, creases and folds form along the edges, the filler is deformed and will not be able to provide the necessary support for the child’s back.
Choose Natural Materials
This advice is not universal: if a child is prone to allergies, it is better to give preference to hypoallergenic materials, they can also be artificial.
Verify That Products Meet Government Quality Standards
Mattresses, like furniture, should be bought only from trusted sellers. Analogues that do not have quality certificates are cheaper, but can be dangerous to health. For example, the filler of such mattresses often includes formaldehyde and other harmful substances.
What Is The Difference Between Children’s Mattresses?
- The presence of springs and the type of spring block. Springs can be independent and fastened to each other
- Filling: anatomical foam, polyurethane foam, coconut coir, natural latex and others.
- The number of internal layers.
- Materials of the outer layer.
- Stiffness – from ultra-soft to hard.
- The presence of antibacterial impregnation.
Mattresses For Babies: Which One To Choose?
The sleeping place for a newborn must be hard. Spring mattresses are not suitable for this age group – experts recommend sleeping on them for children only from three years old.
For the little ones, it is best to choose a coconut coir mattress. The material does not cause allergies and irritation on the delicate skin of the child. In addition, coconut coir is very dense and is able to provide the necessary support to the immature child’s spine, protect it from curvatures.
Sleeping Place For Children From Three To Seven Years Old
Children in this age group grow very quickly, but they no longer need such a firm mattress as before. It is also not recommended to buy a soft bed. It is not able to provide the necessary level of support and elasticity.
The recommended standard for preschoolers is a medium-firm mattress. The exception is special cases when a doctor prescribes a certain level of comfort.
Coconut coir, polyurethane foam and natural latex are suitable as a mattress filler for children from three to seven years old.
What Should Schoolchildren Sleep On?
During the period of study, the load on the child increases significantly: sports, communication with peers, constant consumption of information, tutors, clubs, stress during tests – after all this, a high-quality recovery is needed. Point support of the spine, maintaining the anatomically correct position of the body during sleep comes to the fore.
During sleep, it is important to maintain the spine in its natural state, and the muscle corset should be evenly relaxed. This will allow you to wake up without back and neck pain. The position of the spine during sleep plays a very important role for the whole body,” Irina Ignatova, a neurologist at the First Clinical Medical Center.
Spine Care Mattress With Micro-Massage Effect For Teenagers Leading A Sedentary Lifestyle
For schoolchildren, a foldable mattress with anatomical foam, which has a shape memory, is suitable. This filler follows the contours of the body and provides maximum comfort during sleep. In addition, you can choose a mattress with an independent spring system. The smaller their diameter, the more targeted support they provide.