1-Year Old
Child sleep is one of the vital requirements for a healthy baby.
Table of Contents
Peaceful and enough rest hours translate to a happy strong toddler; one ready to take on the world.
For parents, a top priority while making crib decisions is safety at all times.
This comes with a number of considerations that are worth exploring.
A Pack n Play is generally a portable crib also known as a play yard.
It doubles up as a sleeping area while still giving your young one generous play space.
These units come secured with breathable mesh material on the 4 sides so you can easily keep close watch of your baby.
Newborns take to pack n’ plays very well.
Taking to consideration their tiny bodies, it only makes sense for them to use such as their prime bed as opposed to larger cribs.
Older babies on the other hand come with numerable complications when it comes to regular use of a Pack n’ Play.
So then, can a 1-year old sleep in this unit?
To answer your question, let’s take a few factors into consideration.
By the age of 1, your baby is certainly not in the same weight category as when they were smaller.
Some body progress is expected.
By WHO standards the average birth weight of a healthy baby ranges from anything between 7- 7 1/2 pounds.
Fairly acute predictions suggest an average of 5 to 8 pounds for full term pregnancies.
Premature births could come in a lower scale.
Over the course of growth, babies tend to gain about one pound each month for the first half year.
By the time they clock one year, baby girls approximate at 19 pounds 10 ounces while boys average at 21pounds 30 ounces.
Typically, a regular play yard accommodates up to 30 pounds from which point it is susceptible to break- downs or abrupt collapsing.
While this looks safe judging from the weight restrictions; the tricky bit arises from the fact that growth charts vary from one baby to the other.
Expert predictions can be misleading if you solely rely on them.
Some babies are larger than others right from birth, so it is only expected that they will weigh above the average child by their first year.
Weight aside, travel cribs equally come with height restrictions; usually an allowance of 35 inches.
After one-year girls can reach up to 29 inches high with this number likely to go higher for boys.
Before going ahead to use the yard as a sleep area, ensure you baby’s height can comfortably be accommodated.
Again, watch out for extraordinary growth spurts that could cancel out this option a bit early.
This leads me to my next point, developmental milestones.
In a nutshell, the term refers to significant progress that a baby makes during developmental stages.
It could be anything from crawling, social smiles, pronouncing words, growing the first toothed cetera.
In this case, most babies are able to roll over in their sleep, pull up to standing positions, some even able to climb once they hit one.
This kind of hyper-activity could be fatal when using a pack n’ play.
For units that come with bassinet attachments the possibility of your child falling through is very high.
If they are strong enough even tipping it over becomes feasible.
According to pediatricians, babies who were regularly fed with breast milk during the first year come out very strong.
Their growth spurts are incomparable to those who were introduced to formula too early.
This means that they are a step ahead in everything.
Once your baby starts rolling over or levering up then the play yard becomes unsafe; even if they are still under the one-year mark.
Baby health care providers should be able to advise when the proper time to change from a pack n’ play arrives.
Many do recommend for play pens once your child begins to outgrow the unit.
They are much firmer so you need not worry too much about accidents.
They equally come with stable sleeping surfaces that are soft enough but not too plush to evoke suffocation.
However, there are sturdier portable cribs that serve well for heavy duty.
Here are some of the larger versions.
The 4 Moms Breeze plus Travel Cribextends to46 by 33 inches and by 29″ high.
Although heavy on hand, it is easy to set up and break down and can also pack down for plane luggage.
It is one of the most reliable play yards there is.
Coming at a close second is the Summer Infant Pop n’ Play Travel Cribthat stands at 48″ wide and about 26″ tall.
Availing 14 square feet on the bottom area, this particular one offers extraordinarily large play surface.
The only down side is the mesh netting that was found to be a little lose during a review.
Your baby could be at a risk of climbing out if they push their foot too hard against the net.
Plus, the exterior cross bars are also potentially dangerous.
Safety considerations to remember when your child is still on the play yard level:
- Create a danger free environment both inside and outside.
- Ensure the unit des not bear sharp protruding ends.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions while setting up for maximum stability.
- Strictly maintain back positions until your young one is able to roll over independently.
- In case the manufacture’s padding proves a bit harsh for your older child; you can consider an additional mattress. However, work closely with your pediatrician to avoid ill-fitting options. This does not apply to young infants as it could cause SIDS.
Conclusion
There are no precise guidelines as to how long your baby should sleep in a pack n’ play.
In fact, it can be argued that the 1-year mark is only a minor prediction that may or may not apply in your case scenario.
The most important thing is to closely follow your child’s development while judging them against the product’s specifications.
Thoroughly consider the weight and height restrictions before placing your baby inside.
Tick of major growth signs from the milestones check list and use that too.
In the meantime, as you budget for a long-term crib, the above recommendations could save you a little more time.