Side sleeping

Rhea77

One of my 5 month-old boys has recently started sleeping on his side. He rolls to his side almost immediately when he is placed on his back in his crib, and he will stay that way all night long. It's really cute, but I worry if it's safe for him. Sometimes when he lays like that, he will put his face angled almost straight down against the sheet. And I know he cannot roll from tummy to back on his own yet, so I worry he might end up on his tummy and not be able to flip back. I would hope he would just start crying if that happened and I could come get him. Is this anything to worry about? I figure there is nothing I can really do to stop him anyway. And is this just normal for his age? I've just been anxious going to bed each night lately...

wittyschaffy

It'll be ok!  My DD has been rolling to her tummy now once we put her down for bed.  Didn't know she could do that until we found her face down one morning.  I was a wreck too but ya can't really do anything to stop them once they know how to do it!  

MrsG071809

My DD sleeps on her side all the time too!  She can roll both ways, but she has never had an issue of getting stuck in her sleep.  It is nerve wracking, but it just wakes her up to try and move her, so I just leave her be.

RibbitGrl930

I say it's fine. At 5 months, they have adequate neck strength (usually) to turn their heads to get air. DS has been rolling on to his tummy, and I don't worry because he's been turning his head to the side every time.

MillerMama13

Brooklynn has been sleeping on her side since about 3.5 months or so. She will not sleep unless she's in her crib and on her side. She has only rolled from belly to back a handful of times and I'm not sure she really knows how to do it when she wants to. It's totally fine though. I don't worry about it because she hates being on her tummy and she will cry if her face is on the mattress.

sdemilio1231

My son did this too.  He did eventually end up rolling to his tummy and would cry for me once he did.  He now sleeps on his tummy every night.  The doctor said they are strong enough now to lift and turn their heads if they need too. He just recently started rolling himself back to his back as well.  He used to do it all the time and stopped.  I wouldn't worry though!  My doctor said once he rolls to a new position on his own, you can leave him that way!  Sleeping on his belly has also done wonders for his head! It isn't looking as flat anymore.

guilletskichuk

Silas has just started napping on his side over the last week. It's just the position he automatically goes to. He has only rolled a few times so I have been a bit concerned as well. But his head strength has been great since he was born. I don't know why I'm even worried.

The last few nights we have put him in his PnP with a baby positioner that allows him to stay on his side and he has hardly made a peep when we've put him down. He must be comfortable! We're using it because I'm not comfortable with him on his side without support at night until I know he can roll from his tummy to back.

I'm sure someone somewhere would say that the baby positioner is bad to leave in the PnP but I haven't heard anything against it so we're using it for now.

Do you have anything like that that you can use? This is the one we're using. https://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/the-first-years-airflow-infant-sleep-positioner

jdveatch

Our LO has been sleeping on his side lately too.  Seems to be comfy there so I don't worry about him. 

sbwinsor

my son has started doing this too. When he wakes up, he usually flips right back onto his back. He just recently figured out rolling from back to tummy... he has yet to even try the tummy to back roll though.