Cant Decide Between A Foam Or Sprung Mattress
Our CoolKids Pocket Sprung Memory Foam Mattress combines temperature-sensitive memory foam with a breathable pocket sprung base – giving them the best of both worlds. This supportive mattress features a removable, machine washable cover made from Coolmax fibres which wick excess heat and moisture away from the body. Ideal if youre looking for a breathable, hypoallergenic sleep surface for your child. To help protect against spills or night-time accidents – why not add a mattress protector or cover? This extra barrier can help to prolong the life of the mattress and minimise cleaning.
Cons Of A Thick Mattress
- More expensive than thinner mattresses due to the number of materials used.
- Thick mattresses are heavy and large, making them difficult to transport.
- Thick mattresses can get quite tall depending on the base you have, so those with mobility issues may have difficulty accessing their bed.
- Some thick mattresses can trap heat due to the amount of cushioning.
Crib Mattress Size: Shaped
Dimensions
There are no standard specifications or government regulations for shaped crib mattresses. Shaped cribs vary in size and most will likely come with a mattress.
Tips For Selecting The Right Shaped Mattress
If you have a specially shaped crib, the same rule applies for the mattress: not too big and not too small. If your shaped crib does not come with a mattress, youll want to use a tape measure to determine the appropriate size and then choose a mattress that fits snugly inside your crib without too much room around the edges.
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Also Check: What Is The Difference Between Firm And Medium Firm Mattress
Sleeping Style On Different Firmness Level
Sleeping style is mostly influenced by your sleeping position and the firmness level of your mattress. The term sleeping style refers to your position when you sleep. It is not only the sleeping position but also the comfort and quality of sleep. Whenever you wake up in the morning, you should be feeling well-rested. Sleeping style on different firmness levels helps improve your sleep quality and supports the back and neck.
The firmness level of the mattress is an important factor that affects the quality of sleep. If you are using a mattress that is too soft or too firm, it can cause pain in the back and neck.
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Our Tips Help You Find A Safe Mattress For Your Baby
A cot mattress with a sleeping surface that’s too soft increases the risk of fatal sleeping accidents. If a baby rolls over face-first, their nose could push against any cushioning or undulating surfaces in the mattress and their breathing could become obstructed.
But did you know in Australia there is no mandatory safety standard for cot mattresses? This means you can legally buy a cot mattress that’s unsafe.
So if cot mattresses don’t need to meet any product safety standards, how do you know which mattresses are safe?
Follow our guide for choosing the safest mattress for your bub.
On this page:
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Accessories For A Kids Mattress
Mattress Protectors
One essential accessory to add to your kids new mattress is a mattress protector. These thin pieces of fabric go on just like a fitted sheet and protect against dust mites, spills, and any other accidents that may take place. When you are dropping a few hundred dollars on a new mattress, theyre worth every extra penny.
Pillows
A pillow can have a significant impact on the quality of your childs sleep. As such, youll want to find one that caters to their sleeping preferences. As with mattresses, theres no one-size-fits-all when it comes to pillows. Factors such as your childs sleep position, age, and whether they overheat at night should all play into which pillow you decide to buy for them.
For example, the best pillows for stomach sleepers tend to be on the thin side, because too much height can put the neck at an angle that causes stress and pain. If your child gets uncomfortably warm at night, then youll want to look at latex pillows, or ones made with special cooling technology.
Though pillow shopping may not call for as much research as mattress shopping, finding the perfect one for your child still requires a good bit of thought. For some help, check out ourbest pillow guide.
How To Assess The Safe Firmness Of An Infant Mattress To Prevent Asphyxiation
This article was co-authored by Laura Marusinec, MD. Dr. Marusinec is a board certified Pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, where she is on the Clinical Practice Council. She received her M.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin School of Medicine in 1995 and completed her residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Pediatrics in 1998. She is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and the Society for Pediatric Urgent Care. This article has been viewed 69,849 times.
An infant mattress that is too soft can be dangerous to infants. A firm mattress might help prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome . You can test a mattress’s safety in two ways: with two milk cartons of a particular shape and a stack of old fashioned computer disks, or with two milk cartons of any shape, a paperback book of a particular size, and a ruler. In addition to making sure a mattress is safe, you should take other means to assure your infant’s safety when sleeping. A safe sleep environment is vital to a baby’s well being.
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Why Mattress Height Matters
Mattress height plays a significant role in how the bed appears in the room. Will a new, different size mattress fit with the headboard and surrounding furnishings? If you are replacing the bed base and headboard at the same time as the mattress, what will the height difference be between the old and new beds? How would the new bed look in the room once it has been topped with a bedspread or duvet, pillows? How about with extra layers of winter bedding and any additional cushions and finishing touches? These are all things to consider when buying or choosing a new mattress and when thinking about height, which is more controllable than the dimensions of the required mattress itself.
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No Bumpers Or Accessories Necessary
The AAP suggests that you do not use crib bumpers, blankets, or any loose materials or toys that may be of suffocation or strangulation hazard. Side note: this does not include a pacifier, which is actually suggested to be used and may prevent SIDS.
If you think that was a lot of information, this second part is simpler.
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How Do I Know If My Mattress Is Too Firm
If you are a side sleeper, look for the following signs to determine if your mattress is too firm.
- You experience pain and stiffness near pressure points, such as your hips and shoulders.
- Your arms quickly fall asleep with little pressure.
- You frequently wake with back pain due to a misaligned spine.
Back sleepers tend to benefit from a firmer mattress. However, if you can place a hand between the lumbar and the mattress, you may want a bed with a bit more softness, such as a medium-firm bed.
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Choosing The Right Crib Mattress Size
Once you have picked out the best crib for your baby, all thats left to do is to choose the right mattress. While this may seem easy, there are a few things to consider as you shop. The first thing to know is the difference between mattress sizes. When it comes to crib mattress sizes and the safety of your baby, you want to be sure that the mattress fits inside the crib snugly with as little space as possible between the two. A large gap can pose a safety risk for your baby.As a rule, when the mattress is inside the crib, you should not be able to fit more than two fingers between it and the crib frame. But lets talk more specifically about each crib mattress size.
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How To Choose The Right Size Of Crib Mattress
The size of baby crib mattress that you need depends on the dimensions of your babys crib. Most baby crib mattresses measure 27×52 inches, but there are also sizes available in 27×54 inches, 28×52 inches, and 28×54 inches.
Before making a purchase, it is important to measure the space your baby crib will be using so you can ensure that the mattress will fit correctly. If youre unsure about which size to choose, consult with a sales associate at your local baby store.
The standard size of a babys mattress is 28 x 52, but there are a variety of baby crib mattresses on the market today, so do some research online or at your local baby store before making a purchase. You can also ask other parents for their recommendations!
What Type Of Sleeper Are You
We already mentioned the type of sleepers, but lets sum it up. Here are the basic recommendations for people who prefer to sleep on the back, side, stomach, or combine it all.
For those who sleep on their stomach
These people usually choose a firmness 5-7, i.e., medium, or firmer mattresses. This can be easily explained by the fact that they still need to sink into a mattress a bit, but they still need more support. So, the medium is perfect.
For those who sleep on their side
Well, these sleepers need softer options, 3 to 6, to be exact. Such soft and medium mattresses will provide a bit more sink, which is essential for a side sleeping position: people who prefer it, need proper spinal alignment plus just the right amount of sink for cushioning shoulders and hips.
For those who sleep on their back
Sleepers who fall under this category are quite versatile they can sleep really well on mattresses of any type, from 4 to 8. This range will give you enough support and will align your spine appropriately.
Combination sleepers
Combination sleepers are pretty much like those who sleep on their back they can choose between a wide range of options. Average sleepers who prefer not to choose an only position can enjoy sleeping on mattresses of 3-8 firmness level.
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Why Does A Crib Mattress Need To Be Firm
Reasons why a crib mattress needs to be firm include:
- Safety Standards from the CPSC indicate that crib mattresses need to be firm
- There is minor SIDS risk if a mattress is not firm enough
- Firm crib mattresses provide proper Skeletal Support
You may also like to read our article: Do you need a crib mattress?
How Firm Or Hard Should A Crib Mattress Be
I see this question over and over and over again on big parenting forums and mom discussion boards.
A baby is having trouble sleeping, and after trying every trick in the book to no avail, mom or dad tests out the crib mattress and finds that its hard as a rock.
Then theyre left wondering: Is the mattress too hard? Is that why my baby wont sleep?
Chances are if you bought your crib mattress from a reputable company with all of the right safety certifications and inspections, the mattress is exactly as firm as it should be.
You would be surprised how firm a babys bed should really be! They need the support for a couple of important reasons:
- Their bones are soft and just beginning to develop. Their spines, in particular, need far more support than adults do.
- A firm mattress gives them a better base to push off of when they begin to wiggle and move around.
- A mattress with too much give is a huge SIDS or suffocation risk for a baby thats not able to move on its own very well yet.
So the bedding is SUPPOSED to be firm, or even hard.
Still, here are a couple of general rules of thumb you can use to gauge whether your childs mattress is firm enough:
- Press your hand into the sides and center of the mattress. It should have very little give.
- When you release, it should quickly snap back into shape.
- It definitely should NOT contour to the shape of your hand or body when laying down.
Lets talk about where to go from here.
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Ensuring The Mattress Is Firm Enough
You Want The Crib Mattress To Be Firm
Dont be turned away from how firm a mattress is. A babys mattress needs to be extra firm to prevent SIDS and allow their bones to develop while sleeping. You wouldnt want your baby rolling onto their face in a soft cushion. In fact, making sure a mattress is firm and flat should be the first thing to look for, regardless of whether your baby is a back or tummy sleeper.
How do you make sure its firm enough? Check that you are, in fact, buying a mattress for an infant and not a toddler. Although, if you find a double-sided mattress with one firm side intended for infants and one slightly softer side intended for toddlers, youve saved yourself some money in the long run!
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Firm Baby Mattress And Your Babys Delicate Bones
What you need to know about a firm baby mattress when it comes to your babys delicate bones and skeletal structure.
Want more information on crib mattresses? Visit, Baby Mattress for Crib Information from the Professionals
FIRM BUT NOT TOO HARD
Many adults describe their mattresses as firm but not too hard as their desired sleep surface.. But what does this mean when it comes to baby? How can you know for certain if your babys crib mattress is too firm or not firm enough?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends infants sleep on a firm surface but they do not further define or provide a measure for this relative term. Its clear that infants should not be placed on soft surfaces such as pillows but what about when it comes to hard surfaces is there a surface that is too hard for babies?
Learn the truth about firm crib mattresses and why the AAP recommends them.
FIRMNESS TESTING
The AAP does not offer or endorse any measure of firmness, making it difficult for parents to know if their crib mattress is too firm or not firm enough. Fortunately, a relatively simple test was developed in Australia that is now the standard for determining the minimum level of firmness for infant crib mattresses in both Australia and New Zealand.
A firm product would have asmall but almost imperceptible amount of give whereas a solid product would have no yield.
ARE THERE CRIB MATTRESSES THAT ARE TOO FIRM?
Standard Crib Mattress Size
Typically used as the mattress size for baby cribs, the dimensions of a standard size crib mattressare 28 inches by 52 inches. As stated by Consumer Products Safety Commission, the mattress cannot and shouldn’t be more than 6 inches thick and at least 51 1/4 inches long and 27 1/4 inches wide.
If you have selected a standard crib for your baby’s good night’s sleep, then it will be a standard crib mattress to go with it. The sizes of crib mattressesare often regulated, but of course, they have some wiggle room.
The standard crib can be inches smaller or larger than a 28 by 52 regulated rectangle. While the standard size mattress can fit inside the standard crib, you can face trouble due to this slight variation. So, be sure to measure everything!
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How Firm Should Your Mattress Be
Soft, medium or firm: we help you decipher mattress firmness ratings and find the right level for you
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Looking for the best mattress for comfort and support? Then one thing you need to take into account is how firm it is. For example, youll often hear that foam mattresses are on the softer side, while sprung mattresses are on the firmer side. But what does that actually mean?
Firmness is usually described by mattress manufacturers as somewhere on a spectrum between 1 and 10, where one is the softest and 10 is the firmest. On a soft mattress, you expect to sink into it, while on a firm mattress youll feel more like youre lying on top.
In truth, youre never likely to encounter either a 1 or 10 mattress because both would be super-uncomfortable. The softest mattresses that are actually available fall between 3 and 5, and a person of average weight would expect to sink around 1.5-3 inches into them.
A medium mattress is between 6 and 7, and an average person would expect to sink around 1-2 inches into one. And a firm mattress is between 7.5 and 9, where youre basically lying on top and not sinking in very much at all.
