Sleep is essential for a child’s healthy development and activity throughout the day. In addition to the length of sleep, sleep quality is also important. Sleep is influenced by many factors, one of which is the quality of the baby blanket and the correct size.
Peculiarities
The most important parameters for a baby blanket are high thermal conductivity, air permeability, heat retention, hypoallergenicity and, of course, size. Before the birth of a child, many parents do not even think about it and buy the first baby blanket they come across in the store, and they do it in vain. Also, very often, when buying, expectant mothers and fathers pay attention only to warmth, materials and design, forgetting about such an important parameter as size.
Of course, size is not the primary parameter when choosing a blanket for a baby. But it is also very important. We will try to list all the possible problems that arise after purchasing an unsuitable blanket:
A blanket with the wrong selection can now and then slide off the crib. If it turns out to be large, there is a chance that the blanket will simply slide out of bed at night, leaving the child freezing.
Often purchased blankets simply do not fit the crib. It either does not fit or is too small. As a result, this naturally provides a lot of inconvenience and does not allow the baby to sleep peacefully and soundly at night.
It can be very difficult to buy a duvet cover for a non-standard size blanket. Therefore, you should immediately think about this moment and purchase the right underwear right away.
The size of a baby blanket is always very important, and choosing it correctly will allow mothers to be calm, knowing that their child is fast asleep.
Standard for Blankets
Of course, there is no single standard size for children of all ages and parameters. All babies are so different, moreover, they grow and develop every year, and in the case of very young children, even every month. Therefore, you should be prepared for the fact that periodically the blanket for your baby will have to be changed, because this is very important for his peaceful sleep and health:
- A blanket for a newborn should be on average 80×120 cm in size, since the size of a crib for a very small child is about 120×60 cm.Just in case, given that children often throw off the blanket during sleep, you can purchase a larger product. 110×140 cm is perfect for tucking the ends of the blanket into bed if necessary. Then you can be calm that the baby will be warm and comfortable all night.
- When purchasing a blanket for the summer season, you should pay attention to the size 80×100 cm. This is a small size, just appropriate in warm weather.
- For discharge from the maternity hospital, you need to purchase a blanket ranging in size from 90×90 cm to 100×150 cm, 160×100, 100×160 cm. Usually, for this, a blanket is chosen for its beautiful appearance, which is not entirely correct, because the main thing is comfort for the mother and her baby.
- For walks during winter and late autumn, it is worth buying a blanket with dimensions of 100×140 cm or 160×120, 150×115 cm. A small blanket is convenient to have with you while walking in a stroller.
- Continuing the theme of the smallest, it is worth noting that the most common sizes of blankets for the smallest are 90 x 120 cm, 100×120 cm, and for a child 3 or 5 years old, blankets 100×140 cm are suitable.It can be used up to school age. When it becomes small for the child, you will have to think about purchasing a new, one-and-a-half blanket.
- A teenager needs a blanket measuring about 150×200 cm – already almost an adult scale.
In addition to all of the above parameters, there are other, not quite ordinary sizes. For example, this is a square 100×100 cm, as well as atypical 100×118 cm, 100×125 cm, 100×135 cm.Their variety on the market allows parents to find exactly what suits their son or daughter individually.
Materials
Today, baby blankets are made from a wide variety of materials that differ in price and quality. Most of their manufacturers strive to ensure that these products are as comfortable, warm and safe as possible (that is, hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly), and also do not harm the child’s sleep and health.
Downy Blankets
Down duvets are quality and comfort in one bottle. We can easily say that it is one of the most pleasant and cozy among many other varieties.
It should be noted right away that a quality down comforter cannot be cheap. This can hardly be called an advantage, but you always have to pay extra for high quality. If such a blanket is also cheap, it means that low-quality down was used in its manufacture.
It is better to bypass these types of products, because they will not be able to positively affect the child’s sleep, and even worsen it, like the health of the baby.
In terms of warmth, the duvet is very good at keeping the temperature warm. This is important for the comfort of the child during the cold season, especially in winter. In addition, such products are quite light, even if they are filled with a lot of fluff. For the child, they can create the effect of a light and weightless cloud, which will make the dream even more cozy, comfortable and sweet. No other kind of blanket can boast of this.
Down products are very durable. Their service life is about 20 years. However, they also require thorough care. Firstly, it is undesirable to lie on the blanket itself for a long time, because from this it can lose its heat resistance. Secondly, you need to periodically beat the blanket to prevent the formation of lumps from the fluff. Thirdly, you should regularly ventilate the bedroom.
Another drawback is that this type of blanket is not suitable for those children who are allergic to down. For them, it is better to purchase, for example, a synthetic product. Then there will be no problems with rashes on the body and difficulty in breathing.
Wadded Blankets
The next type of blanket worth mentioning is a wadded blanket. It is very popular in our country. However, one can understand why. First of all, let’s talk about the pros. These include an affordable price, high-quality thermal insulation, hypoallergenicity and high moisture absorption. Unfortunately, this is where all its benefits end.
Despite the fact that wadded blankets are in demand, they still have more minuses than pluses. Such a thing will not suit those people who do not like heavy bedding. Undoubtedly, children from the heavy weight of the blanket will be uncomfortable and uncomfortable. In addition to all this, the cotton filler lacks ventilation. A child, lying under it, can easily and simply overheat.
The cotton filler absorbs odors and moisture very quickly. It will be much more difficult for mothers to take care of such a thing. There is a high probability that small insects will start inside the blanket. This is very dangerous for a child! But worse than that, it is more flammable. The smallest spark can ignite the filler of the blanket.
Of course, a cotton blanket has a very small price tag. Therefore, you should not expect high quality and long service life from it. Moreover, you should not purchase such a product for a child, because it is dangerous and very uncomfortable.
Bamboo Blankets
An unusual option is a bamboo blanket. It is made from bamboo yarn, which has amazing thermal insulation properties. The benefits of bamboo blankets are many. To begin with, thanks to the special fibers of this material, the products come out not at all thick and rather light, which makes them more comfortable. As mentioned earlier, bamboo blankets are good at keeping warm, although they are most often used during the warmer months.
For a child, such a thing is good because it is anti-allergenic and antibacterial. In addition, bamboo fibers are highly breathable. They do not require particularly careful care, which allows mothers to reduce the amount of worries. The only thing to do regularly is to beat and air the blanket, but it shouldn’t take much effort. Washing is carried out in a delicate mode.
A bamboo blanket can even be compared to a silk blanket in its softness, while at the same time it is much more profitable at a price.
This is the best option for children with allergies.
Woolen Blankets
The next type is a woolen blanket. It is one of the best and highest quality of its kind, as it keeps warmth and is very comfortable and soft. Woolen blankets are divided into several varieties – these are 100% woolen, half-woolen, from camel wool, llama wool, Kashmir goats, and sheep.
The advantages of such products can be enumerated for a long time. First of all, they retain heat very well, they are also soft and pleasant to the touch, which makes sleep calm and comfortable. It is easy to take care of such a thing, because it does not collect dust on itself and various insects such as ticks never appear on it. It is also anti-allergenic.
A woolen blanket is highly absorbent. This improves the so-called sleep microclimate, which is so important for children. Camel wool blankets will be useful for children with circulatory disorders, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, allergy sufferers and asthmatics. In addition, they can even help cope with pain in the head and teeth.
Llama wool blankets can also have a positive effect on the baby, as their fibers are coated with natural wool wax. They have anti-allergic and anti-bacterial effects.
Sheep wool is the finest snow-white material. It is pleasant to the touch, has excellent structure and elasticity. Items made from this type of wool usually last a very long time. Especially cashmere baby blanket.
Blankets are also made of wool, which will be convenient for each parent of a small child to carry with them during walks with a stroller or, for example, on a long train or car trip.
Fleece
Fleece is a synthetic knitted polyester fabric that is very warm and pleasant to the touch. Usually, clothes are made from it, for example, sweaters, jackets, hats, scarves, but blankets are also made from this type of material. Many people believe that no synthetic fabrics are able to “breathe” and are therefore harmful to babies. But that’s not the case with fleece. The fleece “breathes” due to the fact that when creating the coating itself, a large number of pores are formed, which ensure the penetration of air into the material during operation.
This material has both advantages and disadvantages. Let’s start with the pros. Firstly, fleece keeps warm very well and in the cold season the child will not freeze with it. At the same time, in summer and warm spring, the fleece will create a pleasant cool feeling and will not let your baby sweat. Secondly, the fleece blanket is very comfortable and pleasant to the touch, as well as lightweight and almost weightless. With him, the child will always be very comfortable.
Thirdly, fabrics such as fleece are very easy to care for. It is machine washable and dries quickly. No need to fight annoying mites and moths. Fourthly, this item has a fairly long service life.
But even such a seemingly ideal blanket for everyone has its drawbacks, and quite significant ones. To begin with, it should be said that this material is completely unsafe. It is highly flammable and also electrified. Pilling often occurs on it, that is, it quickly loses its beautiful appearance and quality.
The quality of a fleece is directly related to the amount of fibers in the material. It is recommended to choose such products in which the number of fibers is from 225 to 300 per cm. A satisfactory result is from 190 to 225 per cm. It is not at all recommended to purchase a fleece with the number of fibers from 190 and below, it is of poor quality.
Often a fleece blanket is purchased for newborn babies.
The main thing is not to choose cheapness at the expense of quality and always remember about safety measures when using things.
As mentioned above, each material can have a different effect on the child. Allergic children will do one thing, while babies with musculoskeletal problems will do something different. When buying, a parent must pay attention to whether the son or daughter has health problems, allergies, as well as his height and weight, so as not to miscalculate with the size. If this is taken into account, the child will always sleep peacefully and sweetly.