How To Lower Crib Mattress? Step-By-Step Guide

How do I lower a mattress on a crib? You can attempt one of five simple methods; you’ll learn them all as you go.

So, here’s the deal:

A recent study estimates that annually around 10,000 newborns and babies get injuries in crib accidents.

Although there are a variety of crib mattresses on the market intended to prevent this, most accidents have little to do with how firm the mattress is.

Babies sustain around 70% of all injuries from accidental falls from their cribs, bassinets, and playpens.

Choosing the correct crib mattress is crucial, but remembering how to use the crib is just as important.

The years will fly by and your baby will have to grow up and learn to walk and talk and eventually stand on their own.

Depending on how old they are, the crib mattress’s current position may no longer be safe.

Read on to the conclusion for helpful advice on reducing the height of your baby’s crib mattress.

Baby Sleep Safety Guidelines

Some fundamentals of baby sleep safety are universally acknowledged. Learning these best practices will give you the best chance of keeping your newborn safe from SIDS.

New sleep safety guidelines were released by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 2016 to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). There are a few of fundamentals to remember.

1. Room-Sharing is Recommended

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests room sharing for the first six months to one year.

It’s important to keep in mind that sharing a bedroom with a young child is not the same thing as sharing a bed.

The infant should sleep in a cot or bassinet in the same room as you but in a separate sleeping area.

The usage of a co-sleeper is another option for some parents because it allows the infant to sleep close by while still being on a different surface.

2. Enforce Back Sleeping

You should always place your baby on their back to reduce the risk of SIDS, never on their side or stomach. The only time it’s okay for a baby to sleep on their side or stomach is when they’re already able to roll over by themselves.

To prevent sudden infant death syndrome, babies should only ever be placed on their backs and never on their sides or stomachs. If your baby can roll over on their own, only then is it safe for them to sleep on their side or stomach.

Still put your baby to sleep on his or her back, but if they roll over on their own, you can wait a little longer before turning them back over.

3. Avoid Sleep Positioners

Sleep positioners may seem like a good idea, but according to the FDA, you should never use them.

4. Avoid Crib Extras

Despite its appeal, the Food and Drug Administration advises against using sleep positioners.

The only secure blanket for your baby in the crib is the one you use to swaddle him or her. The use of sleep bags is also a sensible and secure option.

Why Raise the Crib Mattress?

There’s a good chance that you didn’t give much thought to the height of your baby’s crib mattress when you originally assembled the crib. After bringing your little one home, you may have realized that the height of the mattress was less-than-ideal.

Changing the height or angle of the mattress might be beneficial for a number of reasons:

1. More Mobility

Putting a newborn baby into a crib that is too low can be a dangerous proposition.

Raising the mattress of the crib provides you and your baby with a safer sleeping environment.

It may hurt to lean over into the crib after having a cesarean section, so even if you’re a tall mom, you may want to have your partner help you. You can make laying down your baby in the crib simpler while you’re still recovering by raising the mattress.

2. Baby Has Reflux

Since lying flat encourages the acidic stomach juices to rise up toward the esophagus, babies with gastroesophageal reflux disease GERD may find it hard to sleep on their backs.

Painful burning can occur if stomach acids travel up into the esophagus. You and your kid may have to endure sleepless evenings because your infant is sick.

Infants with reflux may benefit from sleeping on their side, which helps keep stomach acid where it belongs. However, there is a foolproof method for carrying out this maneuver, which will be discussed in detail below.

3. Baby is Congested

When your infant has a cold or allergies, congestion and mucus accumulation can make it difficult for him or her to breathe at night, causing sleep disruptions and wakings.

Putting your baby’s cot on an angle in a safe manner might help alleviate the pressure created by mucus buildup, allowing your infant to breathe and sleep more easily.

What Are The Different Setting Levels?

Cribs can vary greatly in design. Cribs can be standard size, miniature, or even come with a changing table. When compared to other types of cribs, some have both higher and lower adjustment levels. The crib’s height can be modified on the fly with the help of a number of available settings. This is to ensure that the crib is not lowered too far. Do you see the notches on the crib I use to indicate where the mattress should be placed?

Each and every crib needs to have a simple way to change the height of the mattress. Baby can start out on the higher level from birth up to four months. If you don’t want to have to stoop too low to pick up your infant, a taller crib is a great option. Your crib can be set at three different heights, the lowest being the lowest safe height for your baby.

Why Lower the Crib Mattress Height?

There will come a moment when you need to lower your baby’s crib mattress, just as there was a time when you needed to raise it. Adjusting the size of the crib may become necessary as your child develops.

Dropping the crib mattress is a common safety measure. It is everyone’s worst nightmare to have their infant roll out of the crib and onto the hard floor below, carpet or no carpet.

Safety for Lowering Crib Mattresses

In fact, at the appropriate moment, a lower crib mattress will increase the safety of your baby’s sleeping space. More than 10,000 infants and toddlers are treated in hospitals every year for injuries sustained in cribs, the majority of which are the result of the child being thrown out of the crib.

This implies the crib’s height will need to be changed multiple times as the infant develops.

When to Lower Your Crib Mattress

However, as soon as your infant is able to sit up unassisted, you should reduce the crib to its lowest position.

A baby’s first steps toward standing begin with the ability to sit up unassisted. If the mattress is high enough, a baby who is pulling up can flip over the crib rails. You may adjust the railing down to its lowest position as your child becomes taller.

Observation for Your Protection

What Level Should A Crib Mattress Be? When To Lower It?

You shouldn’t immediately put your infant in a crib with the lowest possible mattress. As soon as infants are able to sit up unassisted, they will be able to use the crib rails to pull themselves up. If the mattress is too high, the baby could potentially topple over the side of the crib.

According to the ‘when to lower crib mattress per AAP’ standards, the railing should be placed at a height of 26 inches from the top of the mattress. As your child grows, you can gradually lower the crib mattress.

Once your child reaches the appropriate age, you should consider lowering your mattress to prevent any potential falls. The baby can use the crib’s bumpers and wedges as a foothold to climb out of the crib, therefore you should remove them. Here is a brief diagram to help you determine when it’s time to lower the crib mattress.

When To Get A Toddler Bed?

If your child is eight months or older and at least 35 inches in height, a crib is no longer an adequate sleeping arrangement.

When To Lower Crib All The Way Down?

The mattress in certain cribs can be lowered to the ground. When your child reaches this age, he or she will begin to demonstrate an interest in climbing. In order to provide a more secure environment for your developing infant, you can lower the mattress to the floor.

This will do in the meantime before you can get your kid a proper bed.

When To Lower Crib To Middle Setting?

Can your infant turn over, sit up, or move around on hands and knees? The crib should then be positioned to its middle position, which is one rung below from its tallest position. Babies can learn to sit up on their own between the ages of five and eight months. As a result, the crib mattress should be put at the middle position if your kid is five months or older.

When To Lower Crib To Highest Setting?

When your kid is a newborn and can’t roll over or pull themselves up yet, the highest crib setting is fine. Even if you’re a tall parent, you’ll have no trouble placing down your child in this position. For infants younger than five months, the crib’s uppermost setting is the only safe option.

Standard Requirements For Crib Height

The required distance for the side rails to the top of the mattress is 26 inches, as was previously specified. In the United States, however, mattresses can be up to six inches in depth. Therefore, between 20 and 21 inches should between the crib’s bars and the mattress.

A baby’s life could be lost if it were to fall from a great height. Consequently, you should follow these guidelines. When your infant is five months old, you should always use the middle setting on your mattress. Once your kid is eight months old or can pull themselves up using the railings, you can lower the mattress to the lowest level.

5 Steps To Lower Crib Mattress

Changing the settings and adjusting the height to the correct level for your infant can be a bit of a challenge, but we’re here to help.

How do I lower a mattress on a crib?

No need to keep waiting; here are the necessary measures for reducing the height of your crib mattress.

Step #1. Deciding the right height

There are several factors to consider while determining your child’s ideal height.

Examine your crib thoroughly as the first order of business.

Determine how many options it offers by pointing your gaze in its direction.

There are typically no more than four options.

Baby’s development should also factor into your choice.

Find out how far along in development your infant is.

Try to assess whether or not they are capable of standing on their own.

Then, measure it up against the height of the crib.

In most cases, the baby’s reach will increase as it becomes more active.

To prevent the baby from standing up and rolling out of the crib, the mattress would need to be lowered.

However, if you have any doubts about its veracity, you can look it up online.

As an added bonus, there are a variety of baby books available that can help you determine the optimal placement of your child’s crib.

Step #2. Remove the sheets

If you want to save yourself some time, take the sheet from the mattress before you lower it.

So, from now on, you won’t have to worry about them bothering you.

When possible, remove the mattress cover from your bed.

Step #3. Lower the crib mattress

To lower the bed, start by removing the screws from the back. Take care to avoid dropping them.

After that, you’ll need to lower the foot of the crib towards the position you chose in the first step.

Reinstalling the crib screws begins immediately.

You can now go on to the head after finishing the foot.

Just like you did with the base, take out the screws and push the mattress to the floor.

Verify that the head is in line with the previously established foot. Reattach the screws as a last step.

Step #4. Testing the mattress

Checking the mattress for comfort and support is a must after completing the mattress set replacement.

Find an item that is at least as heavy as your baby and try putting it in the crib with them.

This is how you can make sure the setting is truly level.

Alternately, check to see if the screws are securely tightened.

Taking this precaution may seem needless, but it’s always preferable to err on the side of caution. Your infant won’t slip or tumble and damage himself or herself.

Step #5. Cover it with some sheets

Now that you have double-checked the safety of your baby’s crib, you can cover the mattress again.

After the crib has been lowered, you can replace the sheet.

It’s it, you’re finished with that!

Crib Safety Tips to Remember

Also, please keep the following safety advice in mind.

Tip #1. Sleeping position of the baby

Your infant should continue sleep on his back because he cannot yet roll over on his own.

This one is geared toward halting the spread of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Babies usually learn to roll over on their own around the sixth month mark, so you can stop worrying about this.

Tip #2. Crib mattress

The crib mattress should be firm and the crib itself should be the right size for the mattress.

When placing the crib next to the bed, there shouldn’t be more than a two-finger gap.

If you’re looking for more reading material, head over here.

At What Age Does A Baby Outgrow A Crib?

Cribs are probably too short for children from 18 months to 3 years. When your child reaches the age of 3 or when he or she is tall enough to climb over the crib’s railing, it is time to start thinking about a bed.

It’s A Wrap!

As your baby gets taller, it’s time to move down to a lower crib.

Both their security and your own peace of mind depend on it.

If you take the time to carefully follow the instructions given above, you can feel confident that your baby will be much more secure in his or her crib.

Furthermore, your child can receive a restful night’s sleep, which in turn allows you to get some quality shut-eye.

However, that is the correct way to lower a mattress on a crib.

Age and Height Recommendations for Reducing Crib Mattress Height