Take care of your posture from a young age, or How to sleep for children
Health is always high in the system of life values of people, especially when it comes to the well-being of the child. Parents pay a lot of attention to the formation of posture. An even spinal column is the correct functioning of the cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems, normal blood circulation, and the health of internal organs. Children are encouraged to sit upright, offered to wear orthopedic shoes, taken to the pool, etc. However, the correct posture is laid not only during the waking period, but also during the night's rest. Children sleep a lot: babies for 16-17 hours a day, preschoolers and primary school children - 10-12 hours, adolescents - 9-10 hours. That is why choosing the right surface for sleeping is the most important tool in the prevention of scoliosis and similar diseases.
Expert opinion
Vitaly Gitt, chiropractor, author of a method for restoring the musculoskeletal system:
- When stooped, the lungs are in the wrong physiological position, and the child does not breathe fully. Also, the abdominal organs suffer from compression, sometimes digestion is disturbed. Do not forget about the social aspect - a person with a straight back and good posture automatically has a higher rank in society than a person with a bowed head and drooping shoulders.
Parents, attention!
Medical experts are starting to sound the alarm - it turns out that with all the aspirations for the correct position of the back, parents do not always adhere to the correct path. “Children's posture is a national disaster,” says Oleg Mataev, a neurologist, chiropractor, and kinesiologist. - In nine out of ten cases of appeals, posture disorders are detected. The main reasons are injuries sustained when a child learns to walk and at the same time falls, hitting all parts of the body. Sometimes adults do a disservice - for example, when they vigorously pull a resisting baby by the hand, they make jerky movements.
To avoid potential problems, the child should be systematically shown to specialists. “There are several things I would recommend in order to prevent the occurrence of poor posture or scoliosis. First, and this is obvious, gymnastics and physical activity. Strengthening muscles is essential from an early age - pediatricians or podiatrists are ready to teach you simple and effective exercises. If there are no health restrictions, any sport that the child likes is useful. Secondly, water procedures (pool) and active walks in the fresh air are useful. Thirdly, it will not be superfluous to take vitamin D3, moreover, it helps the child not only in the first year of life, but also during school years. Naturally, you need to eat properly and in a balanced way. Finally, it is important to strengthen the feet and monitor the development of flat feet in order to prevent it in time. For foot problems, I recommend wearing custom orthopedic insoles and hard-toe shoes. But such devices should be selected by an orthopedic surgeon, so consult a doctor before buying any shoes or insoles for your child, ”comments Anna Sarukhanyan, traumatologist-orthopedist, therapist of the family network of medical clinics.
Also, as one of the preventive measures, doctors are likely to name the correct position of the body during sleep. This is especially important in infancy, when the child cannot say that he is uncomfortable, this or that part of the body hurts.Babies, as a rule, give signals often tossing and turning, changing position and waking up - these things cannot be ignored.
Choosing the right surface for baby sleep is not new. Both five and fifty years ago, experts argued whether a mattress should be hard or soft. “Moderation is good in everything,” Vitaly Gitt is sure. - There is no benefit both in a too soft surface - a feather bed or a mattress with a "hammock effect", and too hard - boards, etc. It is best to choose a mattress with orthopedic properties, made, for example, of dense polyurethane foam. The fact is that spring mattresses, especially inexpensive ones, soon begin to "expose" their components, which does not contribute to a healthy and comfortable sleep. "
Natalya Sverdlova, Head of Mattress Blanks at FoamLine, a developer of turnkey solutions for foam mattresses, says that a sound and healthy sleep does not require expensive mattresses with multiple functions. “Toddlers should not choose sleep products with a comfortable memory foam top layer or other specific properties. It is important that the child just sleeps on a flat, but not very hard surface that adapts to the curves of the body, ”says the expert.
Due to the fact that the surface must be flat, folding sofas, consisting of several parts, folding beds and hammocks are categorically unsuitable for children.
Each age has its own sleeping placeThere are also individual features of the choice of a surface for children's sleep, depending on the age of the child, since the growing organism rapidly changes weight and the body develops.
0-3 years “After birth, all children at once have lordosis in the cranio-cervical junction (the curvature of the spine facing forward with a bulge. There is a concept of kyphosis - a curvature facing the convexity backward. - Author's note). And it is more pronounced when the child lies not on his back, but on his stomach, raising his head), says Oleg Mataev. - It is from this moment that posture begins to form. Physiological bends appear with the onset of confident walking, that is, closer to 1.5 years, and the formation is completed by the age of 15-16 ”.
The doctor considers the best choice to be a hard, not thick (up to 6 cm) springless mattress and no pillow.
3-7 years“By the age of three, physiological lordosis and kyphosis appear, and by the age of 5-6, some children already have scoliosis, which develops extremely quickly with the wrong choice of sleeping place. Therefore, during this period, it is important to rest on an absolutely straight surface with a dense mattress. Fortunately, preschoolers can already express their feelings in words, and it is necessary to listen to them, ”says Vitaly Gitt.
At this age, doctors still advise to refuse pillows.
7 years and olderThere is an active phase of growth and the formation of the musculoskeletal system, and the more laid down in early childhood, the healthier the child will be. “Schoolchildren are shown mattresses with orthopedic properties. A good solution would be a mattress made of highly elastic foam. Such a surface will provide reliable support for the spine, will not put pressure on soft tissues, joints and blood vessels, and will relieve unnecessary softness, ”explains Natalia Sverdlova.
A pillow that is loosely filled with feathers (if there is no allergy) or hypoallergenic made of polyurethane foam will do - the child will be able to adjust it in height and density during the night, depending on whether he is lying on his stomach, back or side.
What else adults need to knowA baby bed must be not only comfortable, but also hygienic, hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly. You should not choose products for sleeping with latex, the main component of which is Hevea juice - the strongest allergen. Coconut coir is also not suitable - when wet, it becomes a breeding ground for mold and fungi.Among other things, a children's mattress must have high hygienic characteristics: it must breathe, not accumulate moisture, foreign odors and dust, it must be easy to clean and dry.
Expert opinion
Admin Buzunov, President of the Russian Society of Somnologists, Head of the Sleep Medicine Center of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Clinical Sanatorium" Barvikha ", Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation, Doctor of Medical Sciences:
- Buy a mattress from a reputable manufacturer. Serious firms value their reputation and do not offer low-quality products. They, as a rule, maintain a price-quality ratio rather strictly. Mattresses are a product that cannot be tested from the inside. Here you should rely only on the reputation and brand of the manufacturer, as well as on your own feelings.
Arranging a sleeping place for a child is not an easy process, but with the advice of knowledgeable people, it turns into an exciting experience. And most importantly, the baby will definitely thank the parents for the beautiful posture.
FoamLine press service
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