Doctors say stuffed animals offer emotional support and are comfort items for children. But doctors also say stuffed animals can make children anxious and that children should not be allowed to sleep with stuffed animals like long cat plush pillow. Parents need to know what stuffed animals are safe for kids to have and why.
Here are seven things you need to know.
1. It’s OK for children to sleep with stuffed animals.
The American Academy of Pediatrics agrees. A child’s internal sleep environment should not be so different than their bedroom environment. So, if a child loves stuffed animals, there’s no reason to stop them from sleeping with them, they say.
Some stuffed animals are more likely to make a child anxious, like a soft toy or plush animal. Other stuffed animals might offer just the right level of comfort for some children. And some stuffed animals might not make a child anxious at all.
2. A light blanket over a child’s head does not promote sleep.
Some parents believe a light blanket placed over a child’s face and head is relaxing and makes it easier for the child to fall asleep. But these blankets could actually be making children more anxious, they say.
According to Dr. Jennifer Shu, a pediatrician in Cleveland, it’s important to eliminate all the light and darkness from a child’s sleeping environment. Keep everything dark, shaded, dark-colored and cool, like in a blanket. Use a lot of light on a bright light-colored pillow, like a mobile night light.
3. No, children should not sleep with stuffed animals.
While there are some stuffed animals that might be safe to sleep with, experts say they shouldn’t be allowed to sleep with a stuffed animal. “No stuffed animal should ever be used as a comfort object,” says Jim Perrin, a pediatrician in Austin, Texas.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, stuffed animals can make children anxious. There are some stuffed animals that might offer the right level of comfort for some children, like a soft toy or plush animal, they say.
But if you want your child to be able to sleep through the night, experts say they should sleep in their own bed with nothing but a stuffed animal if they want it, says Perrin.
4. Removing stuffed animals can help reduce their anxiety.
Researchers at the University of Washington studied a group of infants who were breastfed, and found that 20 percent of those infants had more anxiety and crying if their parents took away stuffed animals. The researchers did not find this to be true in infants who were fed cow’s milk.
The researchers also studied infants who weren’t breastfed and found that those infants seemed to take away their stuffed animals when their parents weren’t looking and play with them more, researchers wrote.
5. Parents should limit children to one stuffed animal or soft toy per child.
It’s OK for children to have one toy that’s their absolute favorite. Some children prefer a specific type of cute stuffed animals or another favorite, like a certain blanket or a stuffed animal’s name. But it’s also OK to limit them to one stuffed animal or soft toy per child, the AAP says.
Parents should not force children to give away their stuffed animals, the AAP says. Children should be encouraged to play with their stuffed animals and let them fall asleep at night with them if they want, they say.
If a child doesn’t want to let their stuffed animal sleep with them, they should simply try to find a comfortable spot where they can sleep with their stuffed animal, like under the blanket or in a crib, they say.
6. Parents should try to reduce their child’s anxiety around stuffed animals.
Dr. Emily Burns, a pediatrician in New York City, says parents should let their children play with stuffed animals as much as they want, but she cautions that parents should not take away stuffed animals to try to help children sleep through the night.
Instead, parents can use cues to help their children and the child decide when it’s time for them to give their stuffed animal up, Burns says. For example, parents can try to distract children from the stuffed animal if they’re playing with it by talking about other things.
If children keep asking their parents to take their favorite stuffed animals when they’re ready for bed, parents can talk to their pediatrician about sleep habits in children and what strategies might be helpful, Burns says.
