Ecus Kids: Guide

0. Contents 0. Contents

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1. IIntroduction

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2. Advice

How to choose the right mattress.

Is a large mattress better value?

When should I change the mattress?

Can a mattress prevent asphyxia or flat head syndrome?

Bed time. The routine before going to bed.

How many hours should my child sleep for?

Is a mid-day nap necessary?

What problems does a lack of sleep cause?

My child wakes up during the night, what can I do?

The bedroom.

Sleeping away from home.

Should I strictly follow the advice in this guide?

Table of mattresses per age 3. The sleep guide 2.0

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1. Introduction Welcome to the Club for Small Dreamers.

A child’s sleep is one of the greatest concerns for their parents.

Without a doubt, sleep is essential for the first stages in their lives both physically and physiologically.

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However, children do not find it easy to develop a routine adapted to their age. For this reason, at Ecus Kids we have written this guide in order to help parents with these difficult moments in the lives of the smallest members of the family, and, therefore, the rest of the household.

We hope you find our little booklet handy.

The Ecus Kids team.

Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

2. Advice HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT MATTRESS. The choice of a new mattress is an important investment. Here are some recommendations to take into account both for cot and bed mattresses: 6

Know what it’s made from: a child spends between 10 to 12 hours sleeping a day so avoid products that contain substandard materials that might be inhaled.

The Oekotex certificate: look for certification, like that of the Oekotex 100 clase 1 standard. This is an assurance that the product does not contain elements that are toxic for young children.

Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

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Breathable and hygienic: a mattress should be able to disperse the CO2 exhaled by the child and help to prevent dangerous overheating. If the mattress has a treatment against microbes, make sure that it is adequate for their age and will not migrate and damage a baby’s skin.

Not too soft: while a mattress should be comfortable for the child, it is important that it has the correct amount of support so that they do not sink into their bed raising the risk of CO2 pooling and overheating. For older children it would be best to choose a product that promotes the correct posture during the night.

The look of the mattress is important when making a gift, and four year olds are delighted when a huge new mattress comes through the door especially for them. However, check to see that the fabric is soft to the touch and will not irritate young skins or produce excessive sweating.

Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

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IS A LARGE MATTRESS BETTER VALUE? We tend to think that we can save money by purchasing a larger mattress. After all, that way it can last for longer.

In reality a child requires a mattress that adapts to the requirements and size of her or his body; something that is not as important for adult mattresses. Just as we take care with what we feed the newest members of the household we should also be careful about the quality of their sleep.

Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

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WHEN SHOULD I CHANGE THE MATTRESS?

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Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

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It is best to change the mattress as the child develops, not just in terms of length, but also physiology. In most cases, once a child reaches the age of two she or he is considered to be old enough to move to a bed. The change is an important one, even if the bed is a convertible crib it requires a totally different type of mattress.

In order to simplify this process, which can often be traumatic for the child, we have created the Dubi: a multistage mattress with two independent sides. The first side emulates the surface of the Pig端 cot mattress, so that the child does not notice the change in comfort. As they get older the mattress can be flipped over to provide the correct back support.

Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

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Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

THE TRANSITION FROM COT TO BED Moving up from the cot to a bed is one more stage in the child’s growth and process of learning. Another moment in the adventure for the parents. We suggest: Do not redecorate yet: place the new bed in the same place that the cot used to occupy so that the surroundings remain familiar during the period of adaptation.

Shopping together: choose the bed, sheets and mattress with your child. Let them play a part and get used to the idea that an important day is going to arrive for them.

I’m older now!: let them show off their new bed to their visitors. Make them feel proud of being older now.

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CAN A MATTRESS PREVENT ASPHYXIA OR FLAT HEAD SYNDROME? 14

Unfortunately no magic product exists that can totally prevent cot death.

However, the risk can be reduced by following the advice of doctors. One such change has been to place babies head up in their cot, which in turn has led to an increase in the instances of flat head syndrome.

To help mitigate this, many paediatricians recommend placing the baby head down when awake and head up to sleep. The latest generation of mattresses can help as well. They can distribute the weight of the head of the baby and still allow air to circulate freely throughout reducing the build-up of CO2.

Another key issue is overheating. Mattress manufacturers can help by using fresh materials and enable small pockets of air to cushion the child.

Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

BED TIME. THE ROUTINE BEFORE GOING TO BED. There are certain things that that help us drift off to sleep. Experts recommend that we should start a routine with our babies early on, from week 6 to 8. Here are some basic ideas: Let your child play a little: this way she or he will let off some steam before going to bed.

Goodnight! before going to sleep remember to say goodnight to everyone, including their favourite toys.

Bath time: a good bath with help to relax the child’s muscles – he or she will feel warm and clean. If your child does not enjoy a bath, or becomes tense, it would be best not to bathe them just before bed.

Happy endings: a classical way to end the ritual is with a story. At Ecus Kids we have added a special area on the foot of the Dubi mattress for you to sit and read.

Pyjamas: stay with your child while they change for bed, as they get older it is a good time to talk to them and calm any thoughts that might otherwise torment them during the night.

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Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

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Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

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Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

THE ROUTINE CONTINUES THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. Although it does not seem as obvious, the routine throughout the night is just as important.

The room should be calm and dark. The living room is not the best place for a child to fall asleep, at first they maybe soothed by the sound of talking but will find the transition to sleeping alone to be difficult.

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Temperature: the room should be between 18 and 22ยบC. Too much of a variation can even be dangerous.

Eating: it is best to make sure that the child has had enough to eat before going to bed, but without over feeding them.

A hungry or thirsty child is likely to wake up the entire house, but eating too much before going to bed is likely to cause indigestion. Most paediatricians agree that babies should eat whenever they are hungry, so if they wake up several times during the night we should simply accept this as normal.

Smoking: Make sure that nobody smokes near your baby, especially in their room, as this decreases the risk of cot death.

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Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

HOW LONG SHOULD MY CHILD SLEEP FOR?

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This table shows the amount of sleep that most children need.

If in doubt, please talk to your paediatrician.

Age

Hours of sleep at night

Hours of sleep during the day

Total

1 Month

8

8 (not continual)

16

3 Months

10

5 (3)

15

6 Months

11

3 1/4 (2)

14 1/4

9 Months

11

3 (2)

14

12 Months

11 1/4

2 1/2 (2)

13 3/4

18 Months

11 1/4

2 1/4 (1)

13 1/2

2 Years

11

2 (1)

13

3 Years

10 1/2

1 1/2 (1)

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*Number of naps in parenthesis.

Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

TIME FOR A NAP! If your child takes a nap during the day, be sure to make sure that it’s not too late as this will spoil the all-important night time ritual. Each baby’s different and will sleep a different number of times; a good routine is the following: If the baby likes to sleep three times: Half way though the day, early in the afternoon and early to bed at night.

If the baby likes to sleep twice: Once half way through the morning and early at night.

If the baby only sleeps once: Early in the afternoon.

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Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

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Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

WHAT PROBLEMS DOES A LACK OF SLEEP CAUSE? First we should understand what we mean by “sleeping badly”. The causes and types of sleeping disorder a varied and might take place over a short space of time or over long periods.

When we talk about short spaces of time this is normally associated with a change in the life of the child to which he or she needs to adapt: maybe they are starting at nursery school, moving house, a trip or awaiting new teeth. When the problem is not evident, or continues over a long period, consult your paediatrician.

A bad night’s sleep for the child also has consequences for the entire family. For a baby, sleeping poorly translates into quick and continual crying, irritability and sometimes even eating disorders and a lower rate of growth. When the children grow up the problems continue. For example during school years children that do not sleep enough might find their marks drop. Parents also become irritable as they also lose sleep and worry.

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It is important to know that the vast majority of children can be taught to sleep by simply following some rules and establishing a routine.

Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

MY CHILD KEEPS WAKING, WHAT SHOULD I DO? 24

Your child should learn to sleep all night long, just as you do.

However, during the first few months constant waking is common, more often than not for all important feeding, and should not be a cause for concern.

During this time it is advisable to take a nap yourself during the day; remember that sleep is just as important for you.

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Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

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Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

MY BABY SWEATS A LOT WHILE ASLEEP, WHAT SHOULD I DO? While it is natural that babies sweat during the night, as we do, it is fundamental that they do not overheat.

The first thing to remember is to keep the room at a temperature that we would find comfortable at night – around 18ºC. Do not place too many blankets on your baby; you can use more than one thin blanket to regulate the temperature of you baby to compensate for the ambient temperature

Quality mattresses can help by creating pockets of air and ventilating throughout.

Remember that sweating is a natural mechanism of the body; some of us sweat more than others and should not be a cause for excessive concern as long as their body temperature is not dangerously high.

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If your baby has a fever or is hot during a summer’s night, it might be appropriate not to use any bed clothes at all. Never try to “sweat-off” a fever.

Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

THE BEDROOM. What is the ideal room for a baby? A question that is difficult and sometimes very personal. Here are some suggestions to take into account before taking a decision:

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The space: the room should be well ventilated with natural light.

Furniture and decoration: before choosing furniture, think about what the baby really needs, and not to cluster the room too much. At first they will want to investigate their floor space and will play there; desks can be added later.

Security: less furniture at the beginning translates into fewer security risks. For those items that are in the bedroom, remember to use security devises on sharp corners, draws and electricity sockets.

The room should always be clean and tidy.

Avoid using the room as a storage space.

Think about the future: as your baby grows into a child their needs, and decoration, should adapt. The first stage is the room as a nursery, with as little furniture or obstacles as possible. The second stage is as the child’s bedroom. First place the new bed in the nursery until they have become accustomed to it and then take on the task of redecorating the room.

Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

SLEEPING AWAY FROM HOME. As we have all become more mobile, so have our children. Many move continually, especially between home and their grandparent’s house. These changes can make a child anxious, leading to a loss of sleep. The simplest remedy is to try and follow the same routine when away from home as closely as possible.

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Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

Ecus Kids proposes the use of the Tuca mattress to aid in this process. The top part of the mattress can be removed so that it can travel with your baby. This way they will always sleep on the same, familiar surface.-.

SHOULD I STRICTLY FOLLOW THE ADVICE IN THIS GUIDE? This guide is a collection of many Frequently Asked Questions that have been put to the Ecus Kids team. The opinions expressed here are those that have been offered by experts in the field, however, they should always be contrasted with your paediatrician for the latest advice.

Being a parent is a magical journey and one in which only the mother or father can decide what they believe to be right for their children.

We are always interested in receiving opinions in order to improve our guide and look forward to hearing from you.

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TABLA DE COLCHONES POR EDADES. PETI Mini cot

MUSO

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0-6 Months

3-24 Months

2-4 Years

4-8 Years

+8 Years

Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

PIGÜ

TUCA

MIMO

BABÚ

DUBÍ

FACES

BAMBINO

F1

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0-6 Months

3-24 Months

2-4 Years

4-8 Years

+8 Years

Ecus Kids / The sleep guide

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