Moses baskets, cribs, bassinets. Wherever your baby might get his/her ZZZs, the bedding you wrap your baby in is one of the most essential factors in your baby’s sleep. Creating a comfortable and safe sleeping environment for your mini-me might seem daunting to new parents, but we’ve got you. Having worked with bedding and developing new materials to help people sleep well, we’ve learned a few tricks that can help you and your bub.

What kind of bedding should your baby’s crib include?

A child who's less than a year old should not have pillows and duvets since they are suffocation hazards and can make your baby too hot. These young ones should instead be swaddled in a blanket/throw until they’re mobile which happens between 2-4 months. Whattoexpect.com suggests parents stop swaddling their babies at 2 months old to be extra safe.

Once your baby grows out of swaddling, you can place the baby on his/her back with his/her feet at the foot of the crib. Tuck a thin breathable blanket/throw firmly around the crib mattress, only as far as the baby's chest. This technique stops your baby from wriggling down and getting the blanket over his/her head.

Soft bedding, such as pillows and duvets, shouldn’t be included until at least age 1 and preferably age 18 months or later, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics' safe sleep guidelines. If you want to be extra safe, introduce your child to the comforts of soft bedding once s/he graduates from a crib to a toddler bed.

What about decorative shams and teddy bears?

The same rules for pillows and duvets apply to shams and teddy bears. Don’t add any soft objects until your child is at least one year old.

What’s the best fabric for my little one(s)?

Natural fabrics are the way to go. Cotton is one of the best fabrics for your newborn. It provides aeration and breathability to your child’s skin. It’s also non-allergenic and therefore great for babies with asthma.

At Lexington, cotton is one of our favorite materials to use in bedding. Our Baby Pinpoint Oxford Duvet Cover, Baby Pinpoint Oxford Pillowcase, Baby Flag Throws, Baby Quilted Shams and Baby Knitted Shams are all made of cotton. If you choose our pinpoint bedding for your toddler, you’ll notice it feels lighter than your regular poplin bedding. That’s because of its finer yarn which gives the bedding its temperature regulating properties, making it perfect for children. It’s not too hot or too cold. The pinpoint bedding is also our contribution to the bedding industry which makes it unique in the market.

Now that you’re equipped with some more information to make sound bedding judgments for your baby, you’ll hopefully be able to rest your head easily in one of our comfortable bedding. Explore high-quality bedding below.