BÖNNIGHEIM – Numerous studies show how important sleep is for children’s mental development. For example, children who had a sleep deficit at the age of 2.5 years performed less well in tests of mental development at the age of six than those who had no such deficit. (Associations Between Sleep Duration Patterns and Behavioral/ Cognitive Functioning at School Entry (Touchette, Petit, Séguin, Boivin, Tremblay, Montplaisir).
Comfortable bedding is one very important factor in having a long and relaxing sleep. Sleeping comfort in bedding means it ensures that the child’s body remains at a comfortable temperature and that any sweat released during sleep is quickly and effectively transported away from the body. Children not only sleep for longer at night but also, especially in the early years, have an “afternoon nap” as well. Because the bedding is in use for longer, sleeping comfort is especially important when purchasing for children. The way children and adults produce heat, and their body dimensions, are different, so the measuring and assessment system for adults cannot simply be applied to children’s bedding. This is why scientists at the Hohenstein Institute in Bönnigheim developed the thermal articulated manikin Charlene, allowing recommendations to be made about sleeping comfort at the point of sale.
Charlene is 92 cm tall and weighs 14 kg and so is roughly the size of a 2-3 year old child. Since the model cannot sweat, measurements are supplemented by the Hohenstein Skin Model which simulates the way human skin gives off heat and sweat. Unlike Charlene, children have hair which retains warmth and so protects the body against heat loss. So that Charlene does not lose heat through her head, the thermal articulated manikin wears a woolen hat. Before Charlene is covered with the bedding that is being tested and the test begins, some key factors are standardized, for example the pajamas that Charlene is wearing and the bed and mattress. Consequently, the bedding is the only variable in the test. The Hohenstein Institute evaluation system is based on objective measurements which are correlated with subjective assessments. In this way it is possible to predict how the sleeping comfort of children’s bedding will be experienced in actual use by means of tests in the laboratory.
The values for the thermo physiological comfort of children’s bedding that are worked out in the laboratory with the help of Charlene are expressed in the form of what is called the sleeping comfort rating. This ranges from 1 for “very good” to 4 for “poor”. The assessment system shows one sleeping comfort rating for low ambient temperatures and one for high temperatures. The sleeping comfort rating that is relevant when buying depends on the room temperature and the individual needs of the child. However, the rating has to be above 2.5 (“good”) for the bedding to be allowed to bear the Hohenstein quality label. The endorsement with the Hohenstein Institute’s “Sleeping comfort rating” quality label allows parents immediately to recognize high-quality bedding that will enable their children to sleep comfortably. The objective assessment system also enables sales staff to make expert and need-based recommendations for their customers. The Hohenstein Institute’s testing of the sleeping comfort of children’s bedding is complemented by the “Sleeping comfort rating for children’s mattresses” quality label. One of the current research projects to do with sleeping comfort for children concerns children’s sleeping bags. The main challenge in this research is to establish the different thermal ranges in which they are used. The researchers expect to be able to publish their results within the next few months
