I never really thought too much about shopping for my kids’ mattresses. I’d simply walk into the store, tell the sales assistant my budget and ask for the best valued product.
Since researching sleep behaviour and ways to enhance our children’s ZZZs, I am more informed than what I was when I last went mattress shopping. I hope the below information makes your mattress choices easier next time too!
The transition from a cot to a traditional bed usually happens around 18-36 months, so when purchasing your kiddo’s first big bed, it is essential they have the best support available for their developing spines.
A toddler’s spine can lengthen 1.5cm during the night due to their intervertebral discs filling with fluid. A mattress that is soft enough for our toddlers to get comfortable, yet firm enough to prevent them slumping into it, is imperative; both their neck and spine require support in a neutral position to minimise stress and allow the spine to grow without restrictions.
For this reason, innerspring mattresses are preferred over pure foam mattresses; innersprings offer superior skeletal structure support and don’t degrade with moisture the same way as pure foam.
Our older kids are much better supported by an innerspring mattress as well. On top of the benefits above, the durability of innerspring mattresses over the foam or latex kind means they don’t tend to sag as quickly. Boom!! A savings in our pocket!
Regardless of what mattress you decide to invest in, they should be turned and flipped to maintain their longevity (and parents’ bank accounts) and replaced every 3 years for kids aged 0-10 years, and every 5 years for our 10-20 year old kids.
