A healthy bed for a good nights rest
A new born child needs lots of sleep which is one of the reasons that the bed or cot has an important and central place in the child’s life. The same principles apply here, as with furniture and the children’s room in general: Choose a practical and functional, sturdy and tough bed with a secure position and rounded off corners. It should be non-toxic and have the ability to “grow” with the child.
Choose a sturdy slatted frame with a narrow spacing between the slates to prevent them from becoming a foot trap for playing children. The bars on the side should be no more than 6.5 cm apart so that the child’s head does not fit through them.
Of course there are many decorative extras in a baby’s room, but, please, consider that ribbons and string are not suitable in and around the cot or bed. If you use a dummy/soother chain, it should be shorter than the circumference of the neck and only connected to the clothes. A cloth surrounding the cot or bed is not necessary. A cradle is good for the first few months but soon becomes to small.
The mattress
The mattress should be hard enough to support the body in any position. Energetic movements should not sway the mattress. An additional hush cloth mops up wetness and can be washed when necessary.
Choose the least toxic material for the mattress. The following labels may help you with the decision:
- The eco-control-label of the “European Alliance of ecological manufactures” that guarantees its products are free of VOCs, pesticides, heavy metals and harmful colourings
- The QUL quality label of the “Quality alliance for environmentally-friendly latex mattresses”, that ensures the mattress is free of dangerous substances
Mattresses are usually aired by the retailer prior to delivery, but it can’t harm to air them again yourself. Avoid any product which is treated with an anti dust mite preparation.
A good night
Now you can bring your baby to bed where it will, hopefully, sleep peacefully. Air the room before hand and dim the lights so that the baby can calm down. If needed, you can leave a weak, indirect light on during the night. A pillow is not necessary.
At the beginning, it is an advantage if the baby sleeps in the same room as the parents, because the sound of the parents’ sleeping, calms a baby down. And when the baby cries at night, needs to be fed or have its nappies changed, everybody is happy for the short distance to be travelled.
