A toddler pillow is a small, flat pillow, usually 40x60 cm, made for a young child's bed. A baby shouldn't have a pillow before 12 months old: the NHS and The Lullaby Trust both advise keeping pillows out of the cot until then. After 12 months there's no set age, and many children start using one when they move from a cot to a bed.
Why can't a baby under 12 months have a pillow?
A baby under 12 months shouldn't have a pillow because soft bedding can cover their face and raise the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The NHS lists pillows alongside duvets, cot bumpers, loose blankets and soft toys as items to keep out of a baby's sleep space.
The Lullaby Trust asks parents to keep the cot clear of anything that could cover a baby's face or head, and to follow its safer sleep advice until the child is 12 months old. For premature babies, the NHS says to follow safer sleep advice for a year from the due date.
Some products are sold online as baby sleep pillows or positioning pillows. These aren't recommended for babies under 12 months either.
Is it safe for my 2 year old to have a pillow?
Yes, a pillow is generally fine for a 2 year old. The safety advice against pillows applies to babies under 12 months. For a toddler, choose a small, flat, firm pillow that doesn't lift the head much, rather than an adult pillow, which is too big and too high for a small child.
A 2 year old doesn't need a pillow, though. Plenty of children sleep without one until 3 or later, and that's fine too.
How do you know when a toddler is ready for a pillow?
A toddler is usually ready for a pillow when they move from a cot to a bed, or when they start resting their head on a soft toy, a folded blanket or their arm. There's no medical milestone to wait for after 12 months, so these 3 signs are the practical guide:
- Moving to a toddler bed or single bed, which is when many families add a pillow and duvet together.
- Propping their head up on toys, a blanket or their arm at night.
- Asking for a pillow, often after seeing an older sibling's bed.
When you do add one, put it flat at the top of the bed and keep it the only pillow there. Wash it often, because toddlers sweat more in their sleep than adults.
Our toddler pillow is 40x60 cm with a low loft, a 100% cotton cover and anti-allergy hollowfibre filling. It machine washes without losing its shape and is for children over 12 months. If you're also choosing a duvet, our guide to cot bed duvet size covers the 120x150 cm size that fits a toddler bed.
Sources: NHS, "Reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)", nhs.uk. The Lullaby Trust, "Safer sleep information", lullabytrust.org.uk.
Written by the Adam Home team at Ensor Mill, Rochdale.
