Introducing the Pillow

I think it depends upon how he sleeps. If he's a stomach sleeper, then I don't think there is much point in having a pillow. But if he is a side or back sleeper, it just seems like having a pillow would be more comfortable than not having one. I think I started using pillows with my kids when they began sleeping in the toddler bed (18 months for one, and 24 months for the other). I bought mine from Pottery Barn Kids - it is just the right size for a small child to sleep on and carry around, and fits in the toddler bed (or crib). They also have well-fitted pillowcases to go on them, which is nice. =)

My son, who is almost 3, sleeps with a plethora of stuff, one of which is a pillow. When he turned two, we converted his crib to a toddler bed. He asked for a pillow the first night. I gave him a flat firm standard size pillow because it fits snuggly against the sides of his bed. Among the pillow in the bed are his many stuffed animals he must have and a number of blankets. He is a side sleeper and loves to cuddle his animals when he sleeps. I have found that once he started sleeping with a pillow he doesn't rotate every which way in bed now. Which is nice.

If you have one near you, IKEA sells a toddler pillow that is 14 by 22 inches. It is not too firm and not too soft.

My son didn't want to use a pillow until he was past 3 years old. I was a United Flight Attendant from Jan 2000-April 2004.
What airline do you work for? Where are you based? How is it going now?
-Sunshine

I finally gave my son a pillow when I bought him a waterbed on his 9th birthday!

I introduced the pillow at the age of 1 1/2. My kids out grew their cribs at 1 1/2. My kids were a 1 1/2 when I gave them a pillow. It was the same time as th new bed switch. I had to move them into a twin bed. My kids are very big (tall) for their age. It began to be medically needy to give them one with astma and severe acid reflex. They did fine with the new bed switch. My daughter got to have grandma buy her a new bed so she thinks. Grandma just gave her old new bed because grandma bought a queen size bed. The bed grandma gave her was only 2 months old. I bought side rails for the new bed for my son because he thrashes around before he goes to sleep. I hope this helps. I agree with the person below me that responded that as long as he doesn't sleep on his stomach try him with a pillow and see how it goes. If no problems let him keep it. If a problem comes up remove and try it later on. M. P

Hi there-
I probably started giving my son a pillow at 2, as he enjoyed jumping in our bed and hogging our pillows. I had a pillow that was thin and mushy that I put in his crib. My son has always been an awesome sleeper but I've noticed he seems to stay on his pillow all night which makes me think he's sleeping more comfortably. My son is just over 2-1/2 and sleeps with a floppy dog in one arm and bear in the other and sometimes a book in his hands, some may not think thats safe but I'm perfectly comfortable with it at his age.
K.

My daughter is three now and has been in a toddler bed since she was about 17 months old. I introduced a toddler pillow around 27 months and she never really used it. Still today it is next to the bed instead of in it, except when she asks for it.

Here is what I pulled up though off my favorite baby site...

Though they're often sold with crib bedding sets, pillows are not recommended for children under 2. Kids that small can easily suffocate while using one.

Actually, older kids don't need pillows either. Parents often think a pillow will provide their child with extra comfort, not realizing that their child was doing fine without it.

If you want to introduce a pillow, it's best to wait until your toddler moves from a crib to a bed. But if you want to give him one while he's still sleeping in a crib, go with one that's small (the size of an airline pillow) and firm. Stay away from feather pillows, which are too soft, can set off allergies, and can smother a child if his head sinks into it while he's sleeping.

http://www.babycenter.com/404_when-can-my-child-sleep-wit...

Also...SIDS and suffocation are two totally different issues. Don't be fooled in thinking that a baby can not suffocate just because he/she can lift it’s own head.

I don't remember exactly when I introduced the pillow - but my son was still in the crib so I think it was around 24 months or so. By that time he had a blanket in there. The first pillow I got was a small, really flat pillow that I got at a local kid's store. I just wanted him to get used to a pillow for the transition to a toddler bed and also sleeping one way in the bed. He went to a toddler bed at about 29 months and kept that pillow for awhile and then I got a pillow from this place: http://mrbobblesblankets.com/default.aspx
Its a really nice pillow and is a little bit fluffier than the first one but not too fluffy. I had a hard time finding small pillows locally that weren't super fluffy. I'd highly recommend them. I think it has helped him learn to sleep the right way in his toddler bed and occasionally when he decides to get up and visit us in bed in the middle of the night he brings it with him (have pillow, will travel). I'm not sure its physically necessary but I think it helps with the toddler bed transition and also to make him feel like a "big boy".

My daughter is 2.5 years old and does sleep with a pillow, but I'd say that more than half the time, she ends up with her head flat on the bed anyway. If he doesn't seem to be sore or have sleep problems, I would guess he's OK.

He doesn't need a pillow!

My daughter has been using a goose down pillow since she was about 18 months old. After catching a particularly nasty strain of the stomach flu, I ended up putting her to sleep on the couch with me using my pillow for her head, and from that moment on, she insisted on using one every night. She also sleeps with a crib full of stuffed animals: we have found that she likes very much to feel comforted and surrounded by soft things and actually sleeps on top of her stuffed animals when she is not surrounded by them in a little nest. She is 27 months old, like your son.
At 2 1/2 there is no longer any worry of suffocation - in fact, I don't understand why you haven't given him comforting things in bed yet! Once a child is past 12 months and has full and total control over his head and body movement, the risk of SIDS virtually disappears unless the child in question has special needs that does not allow him good head and trunk control. My ped assured me of this when the baby was 18 months old and would NOT go to sleep without a big blanket, oversized stuffed animal, a pillow and a plethora of small animals that she loves. A pillow is not ever necessary, even for us adults, but I know I would never sleep without a pillow if given a choice -- let him have one if he expresses interest in using one. They are soft, cozy, and comforting even to us adults and I know that children feel the same way about them.