Pillow

Our 4 yo still doesn't always sleep on his pillow even though he's had it for two years. We just gave the 20 month old one. He uses it from the waist up. We also do that with our 4 yo as he snores when he's level. The baby does it naturally due to reflux. We use a flatter, firmer pillow so they don't sink in as much and it's not too high for they're neck.

When my daughter transitioned from out bed to her crib, at around 1 year, we gave her, her boppy from nursing. She mostly sleeps with her head inside the curve, but is very comforted by the closeness that it creates for her. But when she had ear infections it worked great at helping her prop up a bit to ease the pain in her ears. I would try a few things and go w/ what your daughter seems to like.

Hi M.,

If you check out onestepahead.com, they have a selection of toddler sized pillows. I got one for my daughter and she seems to like it. They also sell pillow cases sized for the smaller pillows as well, in flannel and lightweight fabric. But she has also used a very flat (sorry, I don't remember what kind it is...one for a "back" sleeper maybe?) hypoallergenic adult sized one too, which seems to work just fine (especially since that is the size of the pillowcase that comes with her toddler sheet sets!). She goes back & forth between the two, so I am guessing she is pretty comfortable with both. Hope that helps some. :)

I got the $4 Walmart pillow, regular size, for both my kids when they were a year. It's worked for us. I started with the little "crib pillow" too, but it didn't work for me either. So I would just get them a regular pillow. The soft kind, because they flatten quickly so it's not a strain on their little necks.

With my first son, he got sick and needed his head elevated. I tried putting folded blankets under one end of his mattress, but he just slid to the bottom and slept sideways (no elevation at all). So I put a regular pillow in the crib. It fits perfectly from side to side. He slept on it all night and was hooked from then on. I don't remember how old he was, but I think it was before his first birthday.
My second son turns two tomorrow and doesn't have a pillow. I don't think he cares about it in his crib, although he happily uses one when he sleeps with me (which thankfully isn't happening too much anymore!)

My son really liked the memory foam pillow I got him from WalMart ($16 - http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5934.... It's contoured and the memory foam is extremely soft. I think it was just right because it wasn't too thick for him. Sounds kind of pricey, I know, but he's still sleeping on it, and he's going on 3! They also sell covers for them that are water- and allergy-proof, so it will stay clean.

hello M.. I have a 11 month old and when we moved just recently into our new home it was a big change for her and it took a while for her to adjust, she used to sleep all through the night until then but with in those few weeks of her being uncomfortable in the new home I tried everything... then my friend suggested a pillow, so I took my fav feather pillow with my silk pillow case on it and put it in her crib with her. (it doesn't have the big pokey feathers in it and it is very squishy, it practically lies flat). so now a days she can't sleep without it. I tried a regular thin pillow and it was to thick for her little head and body.

I just gave my son a pillow like a month ago and he's 16 months old too! One night when I told him it was "night night time" he went into my room and patted my husbands pillow like he wanted it, so I put it in his crib and he loves it! (maybe that's bad because it's like a regular adult pillow, kinda poofy, but he loves it because it's "daddy's bronco's pillow") He does fine on it. just let her try it on nap times to see how she does, go for it if she does okay!

My daughter was always lying on our pillows when she would come cuddle with us. I decided to give her a very thin pillow - it happened to be one that came from my grandmother's bed - but was still new. She loved that she had her own pillow in her bed when she went to bed at night.
Hope this helps.

You can make her a pillow that is just the right size if you use some nice soft material and fill it with buckwheat hulls. You can buy them in bulk from Vitamin Cottage and they cost about a dollar a bag. Buckwheat hulls are clean and dust mites don't like them. Plus, they can form to your child's neck and posture, and they leave room for air.

God Bless-

it is really so PERSONAL for every human :)
but all my three kids had little goosedown pillows: not very loose, not very tight, but just right. GooDreams to you both!

I made my girls their first pillows. I let them pick out some flannel at the fabric store and purchased some foam pads(1 inch). The pillows were easy to make and the girls had fun picking out the material.

They make toddler pillows. I got ours from the One Step Ahead catalog. I think it was about 12$ with a pillowcase. The whole thing is washable, which is nice! My daughter is 4, and still uses hers.

I gave my daughter a toddler pillow when she went into a big girl bed at 2 years old. If your daughter is in a crib and a big mover in her crib I wouldn't bother, just something for her to throw on the floor, hee hee. You can just wait until she is in a big girl bed. They make toddler pillows I got mine at One Step Ahead, it is a perfect size for them but my daughter moved around so much that it was pointless, even in a big girl bed. She ended up with it on the floor or way up somewhere else on the bed.

When my kids were ready for a pillow I stole my husbands. He always prefers the flattest pillow he can find. So then I would buy one of those cheep Wal Mart pillows and have him lay on it until it was flat and then give it to the next kid. I have one that's almost ready right now and you reminded me it might be time to steal my husbands pillow again. Anyway, my point is, I think the regular pillows work best but only when they are really flat. You don't want you're child's head propped up to much and the tiny "decorative" pillows serve no purpose for comfort or to offer a little support.

Hi M. - my little guy just turned 2 and we started him on a pillow around 20 months because he was having some sinus problems. I noticed that he liked to lie on his stuffed animals as well as the pillows in my bed and his brother's bed so we decided to give it a try. I had a standard size pillow that had flattened out a bit with use and was somewhat firm so we chose that one. It's about the same width as the crib mattress so he leaves it alone for the most part.

I would recommend a pillow that is not very deep and somewhat firm. Too deep is uncomfortable to sleep with and too soft can be a suffocation hazard. Perhaps as a start you could try putting a small folded comforter or soft blanket into a standard size pillow case in lieu of a pillow?

Hope that helps you!

M.,
I have a 2 year old daughter who wanted her own bed and pillow at 1 years old! I gave up her crib and she's been on a twin mattress on the floor (so it's more her size) since. She's had a great night's sleep on a normal, twin size pillow. It's very flat, and has a soft, flannel pillow case. She loves sleeping on it! Those "toddler" pillows, or any other small size are awful, and they will most likely wind up with a stiff neck. This way, she can roll around on it, and it's just the right amount of support. I think it's a GREAT idea to start her into the pillow habit, and being that it's flat, it's less likely she'll suffocate and all that. Besides it's the pillow no adults like anyway!
Good luck!
J.

When it comes to pillows and sleeping not having one is better. Even I sleep better on nights I don't use my pillow. With my son who is 21/2 when he transitioned to a big bed we did get him a pillow, it is regular size but very thin. The thinner the better then they don't strain their necks.

Hope this helps...
Working mother of a 21/2yo and a 13m.

My daughter started taking her daddy's pillow that he bought for the airplane. You know, the ones with the little ball thingies in them. It is small and she sinks right in. She loves it.

What I did for my little man was shrink a normal pillow case so it is really tight over a really flat pillow and then put a blanket over he pillow when I laid him in his crib.

My 2 year old has always used and loved her twin size pillow. It is flat but soft.

A regular pillow like what you use will work. Or they have a lot of kids pillows in the different stores. My son uses a his stuffed pokemon character. He's been using it for three years. Good luck!!!!