Bedding specialists offer a wide variety of pillows: every sleeper should be able to find the one that best suits their needs. While for adults, having the right pillow ensures quality sleep, optimal comfort, and good posture, this is not the case for all children.
It is only after reaching a certain age that children can sleep with a pillow without it posing a risk to their safety and health. When your child begins to need a pillow, choosing the right one is absolutely essential. The filling, firmness, shape, and size—all of these factors influence the quality of the pillow and the comfort it will provide your child every night. We’re here to help you choose the perfect pillow.
At what age can a child start sleeping with a pillow?
Although it helps some people sleep better, a pillow is not an essential piece of bedding for everyone. While it serves no purpose in ensuring a young child’s (between 18 months and 3 years old) sleeping comfort, it is even dangerous for an infant (from 0 to about 18 months), as it can pose a suffocation risk, among other things.
Many children start sleeping with a pillow around age 3, but there’s no specific age: every child develops at their own pace and behaves differently. There are, however, some signs that may indicate your child could benefit from a pillow—for example, if they toss and turn during sleep and frequently change positions, or if their shoulders are starting to broaden.
When the time comes, you’ll need to choose the right pillow for your child’s body type and needs. This pillow can then be paired with other bedding items—such as a comforter, flat sheet, pillow, stuffed animal, etc.—that were also not recommended when your child was a baby.
What size and shape should you choose for a child's pillow?
Since children's needs are different from those of babies or adults, the criteria for choosing a pillow are not the same as those you're used to considering.
A child's pillow should be very flat: a height of 3 to 7 centimeters is ideal for the child's comfort. If the pillow is any thicker than that, it will be uncomfortable for the child, who will not get a restful night's sleep and may suffer from neck and back pain.
Since children's bodies grow quickly, you'll need to replace their pillows regularly. As children grow, their shoulders get wider, so a thicker, more voluminous pillow may be a good option.
When it comes to the shape of a child's pillow, it's best to choose a rectangular one. Generally, rectangular pillows for children measure 40 by 60 centimeters. This shape helps prevent the shoulders from being raised too high and promotes proper spinal alignment. In addition, a rectangular pillow is better suited for children who tend to move around a lot while sleeping: it offers them greater freedom of movement.
Material and Firmness: Which Filling Is Best?
Choosing Between Natural and Synthetic Materials
The quality of a pillow is partly determined by the materials it is made of. It is therefore important to understand and compare the advantages and disadvantages of each material that can be used as pillow filling. Among the materials most commonly used in pillow filling are:
- polyester;
- memory foam;
- down or feathers (from geese or ducks);
- natural or synthetic latex.
Pillows made of synthetic materials (polyester and memory foam) are the most popular, given their more affordable price and wide availability in the bedding market.
However, pillows filled with synthetic fibers do not allow for proper air circulation: they tend to trap heat, moisture, and unpleasant odors. Such pillows therefore promote the growth of bacteria and dust mites, which could trigger an allergic reaction in children.
If you choose a synthetic pillow, it is essential that it have a removable cover so that it can be machine-washed, since the pillow itself cannot be machine-washed without losing its shape.
Because of the comfort, softness, and breathability they provide, fillings and covers made from natural materials are ideal for children’s pillows. As for the pillow cover, it is best if it is also made from natural textile fibers, ideally organic cotton fibers.
In any case, the pillow you place in your child’s bed must comply with European standards, as indicated by the CE marking on the product label. Ideally, the pillow should also be Oeko-Tex certified, which guarantees that the harmful substances used in its manufacturing processes do not exceed regulatory thresholds.
Choosing the Firmness Level of Your Pillow
To provide your child with optimal comfort while preventing pressure points, the pillow should be soft enough, regardless of your child’s sleeping position. However, a pillow that is too soft will not provide proper cervical support, especially as your child grows.
Should you choose a traditional pillow or an ergonomic pillow?
This choice depends mainly on your child's nighttime habits: based on their sleeping position, you can choose the most suitable pillow. A child may sleep:
- on his stomach; in that case, he doesn't need a pillow, unless it's extra-thin (no more than 3 centimeters thick);
- on your back, so a pillow that is 3 to 7 centimeters thick is essential for proper neck support;
- on your side, so the pillow can be slightly thicker—perhaps even ergonomic.
An ergonomic pillow offers more comfort than a traditional pillow: it conforms to the shape of your child's head for more restful nights. However, this is only possible if your child maintains the same sleeping position throughout the night.
Whether classic or ergonomic, the pillow you choose for your child should be suited to their body type and needs. A 5-year-old will not have the same needs as a 10-year-old, so you’ll likely need to replace the pillow every 2 or 3 years.
We recommend these other pages:
- How to Choose an Ergonomic Pillow
- Should I choose a memory foam pillow?
- How to Choose a Neck Pillow
- How do you choose a pillow for a baby?
- How to Choose an Orthopedic Pillow
- Should you choose a firm pillow?
- How to Choose a Flat Pillow?
- When should you choose a feather pillow?
- What size pillow should you choose?