Toddlers and Pillows

HI Karin,

My son started sleeping with a pillow before he was 16 months old. He has never had any problems!! :). My daughter slept with us for about 3yrs, we had pillows on the bed, she was fine.

I say if he wants a pillow give him one and then everyone can sleep :)

By the time the child is old enough to want a pillow, they are old enough to sleep with a pillow. My experience is that even though they want one, it usually gets pushed to the side and goes unused for most of the night anyway.

since he's asking for one, I'd go for it.

When my son turned two, his pediatrician gave me the green light to give him a pillow. She said that the suffocation worries with pillows early on are no longer a problem by two years old. By then children are strong enough to move a pillow that may have gotten misadjusted. She also said that around that age is when they need the extra support for the growing bones in their back and the same as you and me, pillows eliviate some of that stress on their backs and shoulders. I do know that a friend of mine used to put her kid's pillows under the fitted sheet so that it wouldn't move around in the night. I never did that, but she swore by it. Just an idea.

Once they are 2 years old its acceptable to have a pillow and comforter. They are aware of themselves and shouldnt suffocate. Obviously if your child keeps putting it on top of his head I wouldnt

By two years they are OK with a pillow, unless they have developmental issues and then I'd double check it with a doctor or Early Intervention therapist. If he's typically developing, he's fine.

I have 5 kids and have always given them a pillow when we move them out of the crib right around their first birthday (and they have all survivied). Before this request I had never heard of the recommendation to not give children under 3 a pillow. I figure it's like letting them sleep on their back- once they are old enough and strong enough to rollover and move all over their bed at night, my personal opinion is that they will be able to move off a pillow or blanket if it is making breathing/sleeping difficult. Just follow your gut. Good luck.

I did it for both of my kids when they turned two and haven't had a problem. My three year old son usually ends up laying his whole body sidways across the length of the pillow like it's some ultra-plush mattress.

My daughter, I might actually have started earlier to relieve her reflux.

I'd say trust your common sense/instincts, but if you have concerns, ask your pediatrician.

Hi, onestepahead.com has a great starter pillow and cases that I used with my sons. the right size ,lasts well and washable.A.

Both my kids had full size pillows at about 9mos old. They also have had blankets, stuffed animals and babies since around that time too.

It's fine. But, then again, I put pillows in my with my babies as soon as they don't sleep with me anymore, so maybe I'm more lenient than you wish to be. The official recommendation is to wait until they're 3, but that includes blankets. Most 2 year olds I know aren't going to suffocate from a blanket or pillow, but it's up to you.

My daughter just turned 2 and she got a big girl bed. So she wanted a pillow. That made me nervous, but decided to give her a flatter pillow. She loves it and it has actually helped her stay straight in bed. She would roll all over her crib which was one of my concerns about a big girl bed (didn't want her to roll off). So far it's been great and after the first night, my worries had eased a lot!

My 21 MO son uses a pillow and has been for a few months... a pretty flat pillow! LOL My two older girls started using pillows around 18 MO as well... again, pretty flat pillows. My son sleeps in his "big boy bed" with the rail, so he has a sheet and blanket in addition to his pillow... and his snuggle blanket.

My daughter turned 2 in June and she's been sleeping with a full sized pillow in her crib since at least last October. She actually has an assortment of stuffed animals and blankets. I think it just depends on your child's maturity and your comfort level with it. The only thing that I do not like about it is sometimes she'll put her head under her pillow when she falls asleep. So I just go in and either take it out or move it. She loves to hid under blankets etc. and I think she probably just fell asleep while she was playing. Thankfully she hasn't done it in a long time.

AT 2 I think they are more than ready....I have yet to give my 16mos odl a pillow yet but closer to 2 I will....

I cannot figure out for the life of me why you wouldn't let a 2-year old sleep with a pillow. He's fine.

I asked my pediatrician that exact question at my son's 2 year well baby check up. She said it was fine to give him a pillow at two. He is now three and absolutly loves pillows and blankets and things to snuggle, we have never had any problems with it. The only problem we've had is he tries to snitch pillows of mom and dad's bed and put them in his bed! :)

I'm sure there is a "study" on this, because there is for anything else. Our 2 year old sleeps with a pillow in his bed, and has since he was 22 months old when we moved him into a twin bed. The reason that it's not safe with younger children is if they were to get their faces in the pillow and not be able to lift their head up, they could suffocate. But at the age of 2, I don't see a problem with it. Good Luck!

I have 2 kids, 6 1/2 yr old boy & 19 month old girl. Both of them were sleeping w/pillows before they turned a yr old. They always seemed to sleep more comfortable when they had their pillows. They both love their pillows. My daughter still sleeps in her crib. My son has 4 pillows he sleeps w/in his bed! lol I know sounds crazy but he loves sleeping w/pillows like his mamma. =) My husband just thinks we are crazy but it's comfy to me.

No one has every told me nor have I read about a recommended age so this was all new to me especially since I like to read about kids & stuff.

I am sure your son will be perfectly fine w/his pillow. Good luck! =)