How to choose a pillow to help your baby sleep better? Choose from these 4 points

Babies in their infancy need more sleep to maintain their growth and development. So, how do you choose a pillow to help your baby sleep better?

How to choose a pillow to sleep well

1. Baby pillows should ensure sleep quality

Nowadays, there are a wide variety of maternal and child products on the market. How should we choose a small pillow for our baby? In fact, the editor recommends that parents only need to pay attention to the appearance. There is no need to buy some special pillows for the baby's head shape. Most of these shaped pillows will fix the baby's head, which is not conducive to the baby's sleep and affects the quality of sleep.

2. Choice of filling material for baby pillow

The most important thing when choosing a baby pillow is whether the baby is comfortable. The filling material should also be natural and healthy, especially without irritating odors. Parents can choose some pillow fillings with natural silk cotton texture. Buckwheat husk or tea leaves used by adults are not suitable for babies.

3. Choose the height of your baby's pillow

The height of the baby's pillow should not be too high. A pillow that is too high is not good for the baby's spinal development. Generally, 2cm is appropriate.

4. Fabric selection for baby pillows

As we mentioned above, it is best for babies to use natural and healthy pillows. The fabric can be made of pure cotton, which is soft and comfortable, and has good sweat absorption and breathability. Some beautiful artificial fiber pillows on the market are not suitable for babies.

Some mothers may not think that the baby's pillow is very important, while some mothers realize the importance of the baby's pillow, but do not know how to choose the baby's pillow. In fact, it is very simple. The above four points briefly explain to mothers how to choose the baby's pillow. Now you should be able to buy a suitable pillow for your baby.

No need for pillows in the first 3 months

Because the spine of a newborn is straight, when lying flat, the back and the back of the head are on the same plane, which will not cause muscle tension and cause a stiff neck; plus the newborn's head is large, almost as wide as the shoulders, it is natural for the newborn to lie on the side, and the newborn does not need a pillow. If the head is raised, it is easy to cause the head and neck to bend, which will affect the newborn's breathing and swallowing, and may even cause accidents. To prevent spitting up, the upper body of the baby can be slightly raised by 1 cm.

When the baby is 3-4 months old, the cervical spine begins to bend forward, and at this time the baby can use a one centimeter high pillow when sleeping.

When the baby is 7-8 months old, he starts to learn to sit. The baby's chest spine begins to bend backwards and the shoulders also grow and widen. At this time, the child should use a pillow about 3 cm high when sleeping. Too high or too low is not conducive to sleep and normal physical development. Often using a high pillow can easily cause hunchback.

Infant and toddler sleep time

How long do you sleep?

The sleep time of babies is proportional to their age in months. As the baby grows, the sleep time will gradually shorten and the awakening time will become longer. Generally speaking, newborn babies sleep about 20 hours a day; about 2 months need 18 hours; 4 months need about 16 hours; 9 months need 15 hours; 1 year old, about 13 to 14 hours; after 2 years old, 10 to 12 hours is enough. In order for children to grow and develop better, sleep time should not be too long or too short.

What time do you go to bed?

According to the unique law of infant growth secretion, it is best to start sleeping at 20:00 and fall into deep sleep at 21:00, because growth hormone can only be produced during sleep, and the peak period of secretion is generally from 22:00 to 1:00 in the morning. Only when the baby sleeps well can he grow taller.

What to do if your baby won’t sleep

1. Preparation: Feed the baby. A full baby will fall asleep contentedly. Do not tease the baby or make violent movements to make him too excited. Let him stay quietly in his parents' arms for a while.

2. Rocking: Rocking your baby back and forth can help him fall asleep as soon as possible. Singing a lullaby while rocking will have a better effect. You can also put your baby in a cradle. Note: Do not shake your baby violently to avoid rupturing blood vessels when the brain hits the skull, causing brain injury.

3. Music: Use a soft and soothing piece of music as bedtime music to help your baby fall asleep. You can choose music that your baby listened to during "fetal college".

4. Wrap your baby: Wrapping your baby in a blanket or sheet can make him feel safe and prevent him from waking himself up by moving his limbs or twisting, allowing him to sleep better.

5. Use a pacifier: Babies can get comfort from sucking. If you are worried that your baby will become dependent on the pacifier in the future, you can let him use it until 3 months old, as it is easy to stop using it at this age.

6. Massage: Massaging your baby's body in a certain rhythm can help him fall asleep. Note: Do not change the rhythm and do not stop massaging before the baby falls asleep.