What Age Should Children Move to Duvets and Pillows?

If they are starting to become more mobile, getting out of bed by themselves to come to their parents' room, to use the bathroom or to play with toys early in the morning, it might be the right time for a duvet.

The general rule is that duvets and pillows are not appropriate for children under twelve months of age. This is because they could accidentally pull the duvet over their faces and suffocate or choke, whilst not being strong enough to push it away from their heads. Similarly, before this age it is likely that the child will wriggle too much in the freedom of unrestricted movement and will get the duvet tangled around their legs.

On moving from a cot to a bed there are a number of safety concerns to bear in mind. There is the possibility that the child will fall out of the bed. The risk of this can be minimised by having the mattress on the floor for the first few nights, until they have shown that they don't move too much and won't fall out or alternatively by using a safety rail.

These attach to the side of the bed and will stop them from being able to fall, but remember that the rail must be easy to lower and raise for putting the child to bed and in case they do need to get out in the night. Leaving some cushions or extra pillows on the floor next to the bed can also be helpful in stopping any harm should they fall. Be sure to move large furniture items out of the way so that nothing will be hit in the event of an accident: falling off the bed to hit their head on the corner of a wardrobe will be much more serious than landing on a rug or cushion.

As part of the night time routine, consider leaving a night light or small lamp in the corridor outside the door so that if necessary, they are able to walk safely across the landing. This might be when they are going to the bathroom or if they need to come to their parents' room for any reason. If the child takes to wandering in the night, start closing the bedroom door fully to encourage them to stay in that space.

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