Pillows - um, when? and what's the point anyway?
This feels like a silly question but I've been wondering so here goes...
The APA recommends keeping pillows (and everything else) out of cribs because of SIDS. So we kept pillows out of the crib. Now our son is almost 3, has a toddler bed and stuffed animals but still no pillow.
So, my question is - does your 2, 3, 4, 5... year old use a pillow? when and why did they start? Are pillows good / bad in general - posture-wise or sleep-wise?
My guess is that they're helpful for side-sleeping if one's shoulders are big enough to cause the head to tilt uncomfortably. And, if that's true, do we only start thinking about pillows when our kid sleeps on his side? ;)
2 Answers
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So I guess I have a silly follow-up question. What is really the difference between having stuffed animals and small pillows in the crib? I guess you're referring to the adult-sized pillows?
I've just recently started putting a few stuffed animals into my son's crib (about 14 mo). Mostly, these help keep him entertained in the mornings. Is this too early?
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We introduced the pillow once we moved our son from his crib to a big bed at 2 1/2 years old. I did buy the flattest pillow I could possibly find so as to reduce any discomfort from head tilting. But honestly, I'm not sure if the pillow is doing anything for him. The times I've gone in to check on him, sometimes he's on his stomach, his side or his back. He does like the pillows (he actually has 4 pillows, but the rest are more decorative). Now that he's almost 4 years old, he likes to stack his pillows and make little forts on his bed and so forth.
As for stuffed animals, I put those in with my kids since day 1.
