Wholesome Blog

A few weeks back we met up with a really charming toddler named Kingsley at his home in Edmonton, Canada. We were told by his parents, John & Christine, that this almost 2 year old was ready for his very first 'Toddler Pillow’.  We were in the neighborhood so we decided to drop in and deliver it ourselves.  

Every parent knows at some point their child will need to separate to their own sleep space. It can be quite a traumatic thought for a baby to be cut off from sleeping in the same room as their parent. There are however clever ways to transition your child into their own room into their crib or bed. For instance, parents can introduce and encourage a strong bond between a baby and a special blanket or pillow. Use these items to transition your lil ones into their new sleep space. It is very important to choose the right item considering that toddler's spend between 12 and 14 hours a day sleeping so their first pillow is an important thing.

If you can work it out so that your child associates a comfy pillow like our Toddler Pillow and your toddler's favorite blanket with nap time. It makes our job being super parents that much easier :)

If you have not heard of toddler pillows before then you may be wondering why a toddler can’t simply sleep on a regular pillow.

A regular pillow is designed to provide support to the adults head and neck. A toddler does not have the same proportions as an adult and resting on a regular pillow will place unnecessary strain on the neck and shoulders. Continuous strain may lead discomfort and sleepless nights or worse, poor posture.

Toddler pillows are designed around your baby’s proportions, allowing for a comfortable sleep while providing your little ones developing body with appropriate support. The common sizes for a toddler pillow in the US are 13x18 or 12x19 inches.

There is much debate as to when a toddler should start using a pillow. Many “experts” agree that the right time to give your toddler a pillow is when you transition your little one from the crib to a bed, around the age of 18 – 24 months.

The answer you will get from parents, however, will differ vastly. Many parents report that they introduced pillows well before this age without problems. As every baby develops and behaves differently, there doesn’t appear to be a universal “right” time to introduce your baby to a pillow.  

Ultimately as the parent, it is your decision as to when your little one is ready to use a pillow. If you watch your toddler closely then you may notice him giving you clues that he is ready to make the jump to sleeping with a pillow.   

• Failure to sleep without the head being propped up
• Restless at night due to being uncomfortable
• Resting the head on a blanket or stuffed animal
• Laying head on a pillow on the couch or in your bed
• Another indicator is to look at your baby’s shoulders. Once they are wider than his head then your little one will usually be more comfortable sleeping on a pillow than a flat mattress.

Try introducing it and if you see that your toddler is getting better sleeps then they are ready.

The purpose of giving your toddler a pillow to sleep on is to make him more comfortable and to begin to associate their sleep space and the items in it as their own. If your toddler is sleeping just fine without a pillow then simply look out for the above clues and continue your little ones sleeping routine as normal.

SIDS WARNING: Do not introduce a toddler pillow to babies under 1 year old, it could cause your baby to turn over and suffocate.

If you are trying to find the best pillow for your toddler then you will need to take the following points into consideration.

The moment you have decided to introduce a pillow to your toddler’s sleeping environment, start using the pillow when the child is taking a nap. This makes it possible for you to monitor her/him so that you can ensure she/he stays on the pillow and doesn’t move around so much that her/his face is covered. If she/he moves too much, take it slowly and put it away for some weeks before trying again. When she/he has started sleeping well on the pillow, you can start using it during bedtime.

Let’s say that your child is allergic to wool. It goes without saying that you would not buy your toddler a wool pillow, which would only aggravate his or her allergy. By being aware of what your little one is and isn’t allergic to will help you narrow down the perfect toddler pillow. You do not want a piece of polyester fabric on your baby's sensitive cheeks neither.

Toddler Pillow by Wholesome Linen are made from materials that are non-toxic, hypoallergenic & antibacterial and are made from raw, unbleached, undyed natural flax fibers and 100% linen fabrics from Europe. The pillow insert is made from a cluster fiber that is made in the USA that is easy to wash.

Meeting and observing kids like Kingsley is priceless to our design process. It's so illuminating, exciting and necessary for us at Wholesome Linen to see our end users initial reactions to the products we make.  We build things for infants and toddlers who rely heavily on their natural instincts to figure out whats good for them and what is not. 

When Kingsley’s father John introduced him our Wholesome Linen Toddler Pillow, Kingsley naturally hugged and began snuggling with it, we knew this pair was a match made in snoozing heaven.  We knew he was ready to transition to his first pillow. We were very lucky to capture this adorable moments on camera and want to share with you in this blog.

We can all agree that a well rested, nourished and loved baby is in a better position to achieve their full potential. When we look at Kingsley snugging with his Wholesome Linen Toddler Pillow, we see an aspiring entrepreneur, a talented musician and a sheer bundle of joy. 

At Wholesome Linen we believe that every child’s sleep is precious, so #LETSMAKEITWHOLESOME !