Children's Pillow: When Does a Child Need a Pillow?

A child doesn't need a pillow from a set age. What matters is whether the pillow suits your child's body measurements, meaning shoulder width, neck and sleeping position. And because children grow, the same size only fits for a while.

When does a child need a pillow?

In our view, there is no fixed age limit. For babies and very young children, please follow what your paediatrician recommends about safe sleeping. We don't give advice on this.

Later on, the question changes: is your child's head resting well, or is support missing between the head, neck and mattress? When lying on the side, a gap forms there, and it is mainly determined by the shoulder. The narrower the shoulders, the smaller this gap.

A pillow makes sense when it fills this gap without pushing the head upwards. An adult pillow is therefore usually too high for a small child.

Some children also sleep well without a pillow. In that case, you don't need to change anything.

What decides which children's pillow fits?

The same applies to children as to adults. Five things determine the right pillow height:

For adults, we measure the first three points like this:

The head and cervical spine should sit in a line, and the shoulder needs room. That is the principle behind every well-fitting pillow height. It is not a cure, but a good starting point for lying comfortably. You can read about how to work out the height at Calculating pillow height. How to tell if a pillow doesn't suit you is covered at Pillow too high or too low?

Which pillow suits school-aged children?

With school-aged children, several changes come together. They grow, their shoulders get broader, and their sleeping position sometimes changes. A different mattress often comes into the picture too, for example when a child moves from a cot to a bigger bed.

A pillow that fitted when your child started school can be too low a few years later. On the other hand, a large adult pillow is often too high and too wide for a school-aged child. With school-aged children, it's therefore worth not choosing the size by age alone.

If your child mostly lies on their side, shoulder width is particularly important. You'll find more in the guide The right pillow for side sleepers.

Is there a children's pillow for toddlers?

Pillowise Junior starts at age 4. We don't have a pillow for younger children. If you're looking for a pillow for a young child of kindergarten age, it's best to talk to your paediatrician.

The same is important here: the pillow should suit the child, not the other way round. A pillow that is too high or too big doesn't do any child any good.

Why doesn't one size fit forever?

Children don't grow evenly. Shoulder width, neck and nape change, and with them the gap that a pillow needs to fill. A children's pillow that fits today is therefore not a decision for all the years ahead.

The following signs suggest it's time to check the size:

These are signs, not a diagnosis. If your child repeatedly complains of neck, head or back pain, please have it checked by a doctor. A pillow is no substitute for an examination. You'll find more basics in our guide to the right pillow.

What is Pillowise Junior?

Pillowise Junior is our children's pillow. The idea behind it came from Thijs van der Hilst's physiotherapy practice. He couldn't recommend a suitable pillow to his patients with neck complaints, so he developed a measuring method. With Pillowise Junior too, the size comes from details about the child and not from age alone.

Three sizes for children aged 4 to 15 mean that your child will change size over time. That's intentional. It reflects what happens as children grow. You'll find the details on sizing and the pillow on the Pillowise Junior page and at pillowisejunior.com.

What Pillowise Junior doesn't promise: it doesn't treat any complaints. It's meant to give your child suitable support for the head and neck, nothing more.

So: does your child need a new children's pillow now?

If your child sleeps well, wakes up relaxed and the pillow still suits their shoulders, you don't need to change anything. There's no need to swap a pillow just because your child has reached a certain age.

Think again if your child has grown, the mattress has changed or the pillow looks visibly too high or too low. Then it's worth working out the size based on body measurements.

You can see for yourself how sizing works for adults on our measuring page. The principle of body measurements, sleeping position and mattress stays the same.

Work out your size or find a stockist: Take your measurements here. You can find a Pillowise stockist near you under Stockists. Feel free to ask them about the children's pillow.

Thijs van der Hilst, physiotherapist (non-practising)
Inventor of Pillowise