Sleeping With A Pillow

Jaime - posted on 07/17/2010

My son is 14 months and we have been letting him sleep with a pillow for about 3 months. He really likes it. I personally think that you can't go by what everyone says about babies, I was told not to give him a pillow till he was 2 years plus, he liked my pillow and so my husband and I decided to get him his own. He does really well, Sleeps with his arms either under the pillow or he hugs it all night. I think it would just depend on the child. If you feel he and yourself are ready then by all means, give him a pillow :)

Michaela - posted on 07/17/2010

My daughter is 14mths old and has been in a single bed since 9mths her choice not ours and she has been using a pillow and duvet and sleeps fine its the old style rather flat ones. When she comes into our bed she shares our pillows as well.

Stacie - posted on 07/15/2010

My twins are 14 months old. They go to bed with pillows and have for many months now, since they could hold up heads good. But, most of the time mine move so much in the night that they end up off the pillows anyway

Janeai - posted on 07/14/2010

My 14 month old has been sleeping on a pillow for about 3 months now and she's doing fine with it

Krissy - posted on 07/13/2010

Hey there,
Well I know that my little Charlie (14 months) has loved having a pillow ever since she was about 9 or 10 months. I made sure not to have a huge fluffy one, I just gave her one of my flat pillows.
She absolutely loved it, and it helped her sleep through the night.
I know there are risks, but in the end, there's risks with everything, you just have to assess if your baby is ready.

Hope it helps!

Katherine - posted on 07/13/2010

My daughter is 14 months old too and has only just been given her own pillow. We didn't want to give her one.. But after about 2 weeks of her trying to use my cheek as one (we co-sleep) it became obvious that she felt she needed one lol. Now she sleeps pretty well with it.. even if she does turn it side ways and sleep length ways between Mum and Dad!

LaToya - posted on 07/13/2010

My daughter has been balling up her blanket and laying her head on it for about 4 months now. She is also 14 months and I moved her to a toddler bed 2 weeks ago. When I moved her, I gave her a pillow and she is doing great. Some nights she even curls up in a little ball with her head on the pillow. If you feel he is ready for it, give it to him. If you aren't completely comfortable with it, see how he does with it during a nap one day. I'm sure he'll be fine with a pillow, though.

Melanie - posted on 07/12/2010

i have NEVER given a child under 2 a pillow... i am currently pregnant with my 7th and my 14 month old wont havea pillow for at least 6 month still after i have the baby...My best friend gave all 3of her kids a pillow since birth.. even in the hospital despite the nurses dismay.....

Allison - posted on 07/12/2010

Like others have said, we introduced a pillow at about 8 months when our daughter was sick with chest infection to keep the head elevated, she loves it, and sleeps 12 hours straight every night. But you should just do what you feel is best, you know your child.

Crystal - posted on 07/12/2010

Our 14 month old just started using a pillow a month ago, mostly because we felt it was time. But he would take his lullaby seahorse and put it under his head, so we thought he was ready. Plus, the pillow keeps him faced the right way and he doesn't roll around so much with it, which will make it easier to transition him to a toddler bed soon. I haven't heard anything one way or the other about using a pillow, but i think, like everything else, kids are different and you'll know when your baby's ready for one. Our boy always liked playing with pillows and he takes ours and lays his head on them, so we figured it was time.

Tahlia - posted on 07/12/2010

Oh, i just saw the previous comment! Sorry added my post without reading anyone elses'. But yeah i did the exact same thing with the elevation too.

Tahlia - posted on 07/12/2010

My son, whose also 14 months, has been sleeping on a pillow, granted it's flat, since he was just under a year old. He wouldn't sleep without one. So he was safe from suffocation or any danger i placed a pillow under his mattress to elevate it and the pillow in his crib was slightly elevated too so he settled right in the middle of the pillow away from strangulation and any danger. Hope this helps.

Belinda - posted on 07/11/2010

My son is 14 1/2 months old and i only just gave him a pillow this week as he had a cold and was having trouble breathing and he loves it so much that i think im just going to let him keep sleeping with it... im not too sure though but at the moment i havent had any problems with him using a pillow although i do know that we shouldnt be using them yet... i agree with yvette above me that you should just do what you feel is right for you and your baby :D

Yvette - posted on 07/11/2010

There has been some really good advice here, so just think about what feels right for you and your child. My youngest is now 14mths old, and has slept with a pillow since 12mths. It is just a really flat one that was originally under the cot mattress to raise it while he had a cold, then I realised how much he enjoyed using ours while snuggling in the 'big bed'. He does sleep on his side and back though, otherwise I would have held him off a bit as he's still small, and I was worried he would have smothered himself otherwise (under the sheet is a good idea!). Try him with it during daytime naps if you have concerns about the SIDS issue so you can check regularly that he hasn't wriggled under it. And good luck! :)

Chanda - posted on 07/11/2010

My son is pretty advanced with most things, so he has been sleeping with a pillow for a while... it is a normal medium pillow with a pillow case on top of the sheets and he is fine. If your kiddo sleeps face down like some do, it probably wouldn't be a good idea... but you should use your better judgment, since you know your kid best. I'd say a medium to firm pillow would be best... I wouldn't give them a really soft pillow that they can burry their face in... The one I have for my son barely makes an impression when he lays his head on it... but he loves it! You can always graduate them once you know they do well with it.

Cristina - posted on 07/10/2010

My baby girl is 14 months, and she has been sleeping with a pillow since she was about 4 months old. I think your baby is old enough and he should be more than ok. :)

Emily - posted on 07/10/2010

My Daughter was sleeping in our bed with us since she was 2 weeks old and had a bad cold, I felt so bad for her and she was so tiny I just didn't want to leave her alone. From then on I just loved having her there to cuddle up to. One night I woke up to find that she had crawled up and was lying her head on the pillow next to me. She was probably 8 months old. She is 13 months now and has been sleeping in her crib for about 5 months now , I put a pillow in there with her from day 1 that she slept in there because she was used to it and she sleeps on iit without a problem every night . At this point I think they are old enough that you don't have to worry about them smothering and not being able to get up or roll over but obviously whatever you are comfortable with.

Susan - posted on 07/10/2010

I got told by my doctor, for safety reasons, to leave it as long as possible without a pillow. my daughter is 14 months + and she sleeps very well without one. She sleeps in a baby grobag (sleeping bag) so to be honest she doesn't really need one. My twins (now 3 and half) slept without a pillow til they were gone 2 and moved to a toddler bed, when they changed from their growbags to duvets. Good luck with what ever u decide X

Sarah - posted on 07/09/2010

I started putting my son on a Boppy a WHILE ago. He was stuffy, and I thought the smell of me would help him sleep better. He has done perfectly fine with it. I like that the Boppy is firm, so he can't smother himself...

Ashley - posted on 07/09/2010

i have let my daughter use a pillow for a very long time, she is 14 months old in a few days, and i think its fine nothing wrong with it.

Emma - posted on 07/09/2010

my son also had a pillow from bout 4 months,but i put the pillow under the cot sheet so no chance of it going over his face and he sleeps brilliantly :)

Aimee - posted on 07/08/2010

my son had a pillow since he was 4 months old he usto sleep on a teddy so i gave him a pillow and he was happy hes old enough to sleep on a pillow. i noticed my son slept better with a pillow

Stephanie - posted on 07/07/2010

My baby has been sleeping with a pillow since she was a year. Put a used, flat pillow under the bottom sheet of the cot so they cant move it around.

Amanda - posted on 07/05/2010

my daughter is 13 1/2 months old and has slept with a pillow since she was holding her head up well with tummy time (about 4 months). We started with one of our old REALLY flat pillows. She is more comfortable, moves around less, sleeps longer, and puts herself back to sleep with one.

If you want to try one I would suggest trying at nap time only for awhile, then you can monitor how he does, if he moves around, moves his head off of it, tries to snuggle under it (dangerous) or what he does. If after awhile you feel he is doing well and want to try it at night, I don't see a problem. Ask your pediatrician first if you are concerned of course!

Cynthia - posted on 07/05/2010

My son is 13 months old and has been sleeping with a pillow for a long time. I have noticed at night he does pick up his head and the advice my mom and everyone gave me is if he is picking his head up and doing ok with it then he will be fine.

Felicia - posted on 07/03/2010

my son is 13 months and has been sleeping with a pillow since he was 9 months old

Zoe - posted on 07/03/2010

my son is 13months old and i too have noticed that sometimes he faces the wrong way rond in his bed and crumples up his blanket and puts his head on it to sleep. i spoke to my health visitor about this and she advised me not to give him a pillow. a few months ago he was having trouble with blocked nose and she advised me to fold a not too thick blanket up and place this underneath his mattress in his cot so the head part is slightly raised. id suggest u try this instead of giving him a pillow just yet.