When Can Your Baby Sleep With A Pillow?

Are you worried that your baby is still sleeping on a flat surface without a pillow? Well, you may not know that if your baby is below 2 years, it is not safe for him/her to use a pillow. Sometimes, a baby can even suffocate if he/she uses a pillow.

Actually, you should not worry or feel bad that your baby is sleeping without a pillow, in fact it is better to sleep without it.

As per studies, it has been found out that when babies are made to sleep on pillows, they are likely to either suffocate themselves or they might be at the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant death syndrome).

Moreover, if your baby's age is less than 4 months, then he/she is at a much higher risk and hence during that danger period, pillow is not at all recommended.

Sometimes, even after the risky period has gone by, pillows are not recommended for your baby so early.

The Right Age For Your Baby To Sleep With A Pillow
Your baby is growing with each passing day and now he/she might be observing you sleeping with a pillow. In some cases, your infant may also ask you to give him/her a pillow.

Although according to some pediatricians there is no particular age which can be safe for a baby to sleep on a pillow, a few experts believe that one year is the safest age to introduce a pillow to your toddler.

At one year of age, your baby's risk of getting suffocated decreases to a large extent. It is recommended that if your one-year-old baby still sleeps in a crib, then you must take out all the stuff that might trigger suffocation.

You should choose a firm, small and flat pillow for your baby. The better option would be to wait until your bay leaves the crib and starts sleeping on the bed.

Always avoid giving feather pillows to your baby, which are extra soft, as they can cause allergies and can choke your baby if his/her head goes under the pillow while sleeping.

Things To Ponder On While Buying A Baby-Pillow
Once your baby is completely ready for a pillow and you are also quite confident about it, the next step is to consider a few important things:

1) The baby pillows should be small, stiff and flat.
2) Avoid soft pillows to prevent suffocation.
3) Avoid down pillows/feather pillows.
4) Feathery pillows have pointed ends, which can poke your baby's face.
5) If you do not know whether the pillow is firm or not, just press it and observe how quickly it gets back to its shape. In case the pillow takes a longer time to regain its shape, then it may be too stiff for your baby. If the pillow doesn't get back to shape, then it might be too soft. You need to choose a pillow somewhere between too soft and too firm.
6) Always buy polyester pillows that are non-allergic and more durable than natural fiber pillows.

How To Start Using The Pillows
Once you have taken the decision to give a pillow to your baby, just place it below his/her head while he dozes off completely. Now, you can easily watch your baby and can be rest assured that your baby's head remains fixed on the pillow and does not shift too much.

In case you observe that your baby's head is moving too much, just take out the pillow slowly and keep it away for a couple of weeks. After sometime, you can try again and once you are confident enough that your baby is sleeping correctly on the pillow, you can begin to use it during his/her bedtime.