Felicia Rizky
A large number of parents are worried about leaving the comforter in the baby’s bed unattended. They are right ! Letting baby sleep with his cuddly toy could be a very risky decision in his first months of life.
As baby grows, he can surround himself with his cuddly toy and toys to help him fall asleep better. Many parents have discovered better baby sleep when surrounded by their favorite comforter. So we are going to see at what age can we let baby sleep with his cuddly toy?
When baby can sleep with a cuddly toy?
In order to provide you with a more precise answer, we have extended our research to the American continent. We discovered that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) clearly advises parents, for at least the first twelve months, not to give objects that could block baby’s breathing during sleep.
Here is the list of objects that could cause baby choking or sudden infant death syndrome:
Blankets
Pillows
Comforters
Comforters
Plush animals
These different items are the leading cause of death for babies aged 1 month to 1 year. These products can also accumulate dust, which could lead to breathing problems and sinus congestion in your little baby.
Why sleep with a comforter?
For his first year, the safest solution is not to clutter your baby’s sleeping space. After his first birthday, your little one will be less exposed to the risks of sudden infant death syndrome. Indeed, at this age, your baby will now be able to roll over, sit up and push objects that would hinder him.
In order to be sure to avoid the accident, we advise you to introduce a soft toy in the bed of the child, only after his second birthday. For safety, please choose healthy plush for children. This stuffed animal will be characterized by soft fur, without buttons, ribbons, glass eyes or even containing removable parts. Thus, you will avoid the risk of suffocation and your child will be able to fall asleep with his comforting soft toy in complete safety.
Why sleep with a comforter?
The plush has multiple superpowers, including helping babies fall asleep! You are probably wondering where is this miracle solution or the wonderful comforter to make baby sleep in order to get it and enjoy your wonderful evenings. It’s not as simple as that.
Before giving your child a cuddly toy overnight, you need to make sure it’s big enough to sleep safely. In fact, if your little one is too small or his stuffed toy is too big, there is a risk that baby will fall asleep with a comforter on his face.
sleeping-baby-with-doudou
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is exposed in young children who sleep with a stuffed animal in their bed. Knowing that the rate of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) has decreased by more than 3/4 in France with 1500 deaths in 1990 against 350 deaths in 210. Preventive actions in this regard have been effective in protecting our young infants.
It is therefore very important to keep an eye on baby when he is lying with his cuddly toy. If baby has difficulty falling asleep, we advise you to make baby believe that he is sleeping with a cuddly toy by placing him on one side of his bed. Once reassured, baby will fall asleep and you can remove the baby comforter.
How to choose the best soft toy for baby sleep?
In order to choose the best stuffed animal to comfort your child at bedtime, you must take into account our few essential tips! You will see that choosing a stuffed animal is far from difficult.
Comforter-for-baby-to-sleep
You need to pay attention to the size of your stuffed animal. For a small baby, it will be difficult to handle a giant stuffed animal, due to its weight and its imposing size. These large soft toys pose a risk of suffocation, especially when sleeping if baby sleeps with a blanket on his head.
This element is not always identified in young parents. Indeed, young adults think that the child will be able to get out of an object that falls on his stomach. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. It is enough for a toddler to panic when his toy falls on him for it to be blocked. To avoid this kind of problem, please choose a small plush that is easily transportable.
Here is an exhaustive list of the essential elements to check before giving your child’s comforter for his night’s sleep:
Small and light plush: Please choose a small size plush that your child can carry easily. In addition, its light shape will allow your baby to easily move away from it if the toy should fall.
Soft and cute plush: At bedtime, children need tenderness. Please bring him a stuffed animal that will channel and rest him. Its softness will be a good way to soothe your child to help him fall asleep. We do not recommend that you give your child a cartoon cuddly toy that could stimulate him to play. Therefore, you can introduce a cuddly toy for play and a cuddly toy for sleeping.
Healthy plush for children: check that your child’s cuddly toy is not made up of parts that could come off such as ribbon, eyes, buttons, clothing or even removable parts.
Soft toy adapted to the child’s age: all soft toys include a statement indicating the age recommended for use. If the plush does not include this information, look on the packaging thereof or on the product’s web page in the event of an online purchase.
For more advice on choosing a soft toy, we invite you to read our article “How to choose a soft toy for children”. Once these few points have been checked, you will be comfortable with the idea of seeing your baby sleeping with a cuddly toy!
At what age can we let baby sleep with his cuddly toy, the summary
The choice of such a decision is unique to each parent and family custom. In this article, we have demonstrated the possible risks in babies who sleep very early with a stuffed animal. Beyond the first year of your little one, you can offer your child wonderful nights of restorative sleep in the company of his favorite cuddly toy. Thus, you will see the many benefits of soft toys on your child’s sleep.
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