Is Your Child Ready for a New Mattress?

There comes a time in every parent’s life when they look into their child’s room and realize that they’ve outgrown their beloved race car bed. They’re inching closer and closer to adulthood and while you might wish to keep them small for a little while longer, it’s important to embrace this growth. One of the steps to this is to buy them a new bed and, most importantly, a new mattress.

Even if your child hasn’t quite gotten to that stage, you know it will be coming eventually. Keep your eyes peeled for telltale signs that they’re ready to graduate to a more grown up mattress.

Your Child is Going Through Growth Spurts

It’s a fact of life that children get bigger and outgrow their things. Clothes, shoes, treehouses, and, of course, mattresses. If you’ve been noticing growth spurts, especially with your child getting taller, it’s time to go up a mattress size. This can be from a child’s size mattress to a twin, or even a twin to a full-size mattress if they need room to spread out.

Children of various ages require a specific amount of sleep each night. Much like how shoes that are too small can hurt your feet, a mattress that is too small can be uncomfortable for your child and prevent them from getting enough sleep. This can affect their growth and health, so if you’re noticing growth spurts and that the bed is starting to get too small, it’s essential to upgrade to something bigger so they have the room they need.

Before you buy them a new mattress, though, consider how much more they’ll likely grow. Think about their age, how tall the rest of your family is, and how active they are. Talk to their pediatrician about their growth to get their professional opinion regarding how tall they’ll get. After all, you don’t want to spend the money on a high-quality twin mattress that you’re expecting to last them until college only to need to get them a twin XL by the time they reach high school.

They’re Getting More Mature

Children don’t just grow up physically. They go through mental changes, as well. Your child might be starting to move away from their old princess aesthetic towards cheerleading or punk rock. They could also be starting to take on more responsibilities, like doing additional chores or not needing to be told not to jump on the bed. This is often a positive sign that they’re interested in not being seen as a kid. Getting them an “adult” mattress can help continue this transition, as they’ll take it as a sign that you recognize that they’re more grown up.

When it’s time for your more mature child to “graduate” to the next mattress size, take them shopping with you. Emphasize that you want their opinion on their new mattress, as it’s something they should be comfortable sleeping on and you trust their judgment. You can even turn it into a great teaching moment about quality and cost. You can explain to them how a mattress that lasts a long time is worth more than a cheap mattress that will need to be replaced in just a few years.

The Child-Size Mattress is Worn Out

Kids can be rough on their things. They get holes in their jeans, stains on their shirts, and wear out their shoes rather quickly. Mattresses aren’t exempt from this. In fact, since children spend so much more time sleeping than adults, it’s no surprise that they get worn out and develop lumps and sagging more quickly than an adult’s mattress. While adults typically spend 6-8 hours a night in bed, children can spend anywhere between 8-12 hours depending on their age. That’s plenty of extra time for a mattress to get worn out.

If you’re realizing your child’s mattress is getting worn out, consider upgrading to a high-quality adult mattress. These typically have a longer lifespan than a child’s mattress. That’s not due to lack of care. Manufacturers simply anticipate that a child will outgrow their mattress within a few years due to growth spurts. Meanwhile, mattresses made for adults typically are expected to last several more years because there’s rarely any worry that the sleeper will get too big for it and don’t spend as many hours sleeping in it. 

Your Child’s Comfort Needs Have Changed

As your child grows older and changes physically, so do their needs for their bed. Perhaps as a child they could only sleep on super-soft mattresses. However, as a tween or teen, their bones, joints, and backs have changed. Now, they find they need a firmer mattress for more support. If they have started complaining about waking up sore or not getting enough sleep, it’s time for a mattress change.

Take your child to one of our showrooms so they can test out a variety of mattresses for themselves. They can feel the difference between an innerspring mattress and a talalay latex mattress. Your child can talk to the expert craftsmen who will stitch the mattress together. The two of you can ask about materials, how the different layers work, and more. Who knows? Perhaps your child might even decide they want to become a mattress craftsman for Gardner when they grow up.

As your child grows up, embrace the changes and give them the mattress they need. They deserve to sleep in a bed that is comfortable, the correct size, one that suits their style, and is a symbol of their increased maturity. Take them shopping for their new mattress and let them have input on the bed they’ll be sleeping in. This will help them appreciate their mattress more and become well-rounded adults.