Guest Blog: Creating The Perfect Sleep Environment For Your Baby

Here At ClevaMama, we want to help new and existing parents to create the perfect sleep environment for their babies. Recently, we spoke with baby sleeping expert & Dad of two Chris from The Daddy Sleep Consultant. Here, he talks about why your baby’s mattress matters and offers tips on picking the perfect one for your baby.

Guest Blog

There’s lots of advice out there about the best time to introduce a pillow to your infant. I first gave a pillow to my son just before moving him from a cot to a bed. The aim was to get him used to having something under his head so there weren’t too many changes all at once. Lots of little ones love a pillow. Others prefer a flat surface for a bit longer and will move the pillow away themselves throughout the course of the night.

Interestingly, what I’m never asked about is mattresses. We all know the importance of a good mattress for adults, but this is often not discussed for little ones. Maybe that’s because some cots come with mattresses, or because for the first six months babies aren’t always in a proper cot. Whatever the reason, it’s something us parents often overlook.

There are some really important things to look for when picking a mattress for your baby

• Always make sure it fits the bed snugly, is clean with no tears and shouldn’t have gaps around the edges. This will help prevent any risk of getting caught in the sides. Make sure to match your cot dimensions with the mattress.
• Choose one that is firm and supportive. Even if you enjoy a soft mattress, young children should have a firm mattress. They are at an age where their little spines are developing rapidly and it’s important to offer the right support. A good test is if you put your baby in their cot, they should not sink into the mattress.
• Make sure the mattress is breathable. A mattress that allows air to flow and draw moisture away from your baby will help reduce heat retention. One of the reasons little ones have trouble sleeping or wake early is because they are too hot. They are unable to keep their temperature regulated so it’s important to ensure their sleep environment stops them overheating.
• I’m a big fan of the mattresses from ClevaMama. Their ClevaFoam^® technology is designed with babies in mind. Their mattresses cover all my major requirements above and their increased support has been proven to reduce the pressure on the baby’s head, which helps with positional plagiocephaly (also known as Flat Head Syndrome).

Safety

Above all, practice safe sleep guidelines. Ensure that babies are placed on their backs when sleeping and their feet are towards the bottom of the cot. Please visit hse.ie or nhs.uk for more information.

About The Daddy Sleep Consultant

“As an infant sleep consultant, my main aim is to get babies sleeping better and longer. I specialise in designing gentle baby and toddler sleep training programmes for little ones. Working with families one on one, I spend time getting to know them to make sure the sleep solution that we agree upon works for them. I offer unlimited support until parents have achieved their sleep goals, which is often to get baby sleeping through the night. I also have a series of age-specific online training courses. “

For more information on creating the perfect sleep environment for your baby, visit:  www.thedaddysleepconsultant.com or on social:  @thedaddysleepconsultant

More sleep environment content: The Dream Solution For Your Growing Child

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