How Do I Make My Kid's Bed More Comfortable?
How can you help your kid sleep better? The answer lies with their bed.
Creating a super-comfortable bed is one of the best things you can do to improve your kid's sleep quality overnight. It won't overcome nightmares, but it will give your kid the comfort they need to drift off to the Land of Nod.
This article reveals the five steps to creating a super comfy kid's bed. Hopefully, getting your kid to sleep well is the final trick.
Let's jump in!
Get a solid bed frame.
What do we mean by a solid bed frame? We suggest one that doesn't wobble, squeak, or groan after your child inevitably jumps on it and messes around. It should be rock solid – a bed frame made to last at least five years.
You can't go wrong with an oak or pine bed frame, but metal bed frames last the longest if outright durability is essential to you.
Another consideration is the mattress base – these are solid or sprung slatted. The latter is best for spring mattresses, and the former is for foam mattresses.
Buy a high-quality mattress.
Parents' biggest mistake when investing in their kid's bedrooms is buying a cheap mattress. These usually manifest as open-coil (spring) mattresses less than 20cm thick, resulting in a mattress that is overly bouncy and noisy.
It is better to buy your kid a softer adult mattress they can grow into. Here are a few options that won't break the bank:
- Giltedge Solo Balmoral (soft-medium, springs, £169 for a single)
- Giltedge Solo Memory Plus (medium, memory foam, £209 for a single)
You can find more single mattresses here.
Invest in two duvets.
While saving money with one all-season duvet (10.5 togs) is tempting, these can be too warm in summer and not warm enough in winter.
If you have the space, it is far better to have two duvets. One winter (13.5 togs) and one summer (4.5 togs) duvet will suit your child better.
You can pick up high-quality hollow fibre single duvets for around £20, so you won't break the bank. You can also get a vacuum pack kit to store the out-of-season duvet in a wardrobe or under a bed without taking up much space.
Get a non-fussy pillow.
A fussy pillow is awful for sleep because your child will struggle to settle down when they can't get their head comfy.
A good pillow has three traits:
- Support
- Squishiness
- Breathability
If a pillow lacks one of these, then it's no good.
Children do best with one medium pillow that isn't too thick. We recommend a hollow fibre pillow because it's breathable and squishy.
Memory foam is less suitable because it doesn't breathe as well, although it does offer ultimate squishiness if that's what your kid likes.
Avoid down and feather pillows because down is an allergen, and the feather stalks can penetrate the pillow, giving it a prickly texture.
Don't cheap out on bedding.
Despite all your efforts in buying a reasonable bed frame, mattress, duvets, and pillows, it's all for nothing if you cheap out on the bedding.
Think about it – bedding is the only thing your kid touches in bed because it covers everything, so its softness and non-fussiness are critical to good sleep.
If the bedding is too big, scratchy, unbreathable, or cold to the touch. Here's what we recommend with kid's bedding:
- Avoid 100% polyester bedding altogether (it's too rough).
- Polycotton bedding is okay, but it needs lots of fabric softener.
- 100% cotton bedding (ideally, organic) is the best you can buy, although it costs around 60% more than polycotton.
- Microfibre bedding is only suitable for winter – it gets sweaty and loves to stick to the skin in the summer.
If you enjoyed this article, read our guide to getting your children to sleep.