Sleep Position Question

amr1218

Just moved over from the 3-6 mo boards.  LO will be 6 mo next week.  We are on day 5 of sleep training (using SleepEasy).  We transitioned DD out of our bed into her PNP.  Previously, I wedged her on her side with her back to me and her face pointing away.  I never had to worry about her rolling over or anything obstructing her nose.

Now that she is in her PNP (and is learning to self-soothe) she rolls on her belly and falls a sleep - many times during the night she is either face down or her face is in the crook of her elbow. She has not figured out how to roll from tummy to back, but she can lift her head and has good neck control.

I thought her sleeping on her own was going to be a blessing and that DH and I could sleep better.  Instead, we are constantly checking to see if she is breathing and every time she stirs we are both wide awake. 

I guess I am looking for some reassurance that this is common and nothing to worry about.  What sleeping position does your LO prefer and how did you learn to cope if LO sleeps on his/her face?

alliejo725

DD has been sleeping on her belly or side since she could roll over. She also likes to sleep in the crook of her arm, or with her Taggie over part of her face. We haven't had any problems. She's had great head control for a long time, and all humans have the instinct to move their head if they're having trouble breathing.

Just like adults, a baby is going to sleep how he/she is most comfortable once he/she has enough mobility. If your daughter is sleeping well on her stomach, let her. She's going to instinctively move her head if she can't breathe.

memali26

Both of my girls have been tummy sleepers since 5-6 months. If they prefer their tummy, there isn't a whole lot you can do to stop them short of flipping them back over all night. Just make sure her sleep environment is safe - no blankets, stuffed animals, etc. We use breathable bumpers instead of the cushioned ones for my peace of mind, since DD1 slept with her head pressed into the corner of the crib. 

nbbride06

The day LO started rolling back to tummy was the day she started belly sleeping.  It took me about a week to get over the checking on her all the time thing.  In fact, she is currently sleeping on her tummy wiht her face down in her blankie.  As long as your LO can get there on their own, then she is fine (per my pedi).  Good luck with the SleepEasy.  It changed our family!

kmpage28

DD did this as well.  She started sleeping on her tummy around 4 months of age or so and for the first few weeks, I would find her face down (and freaked out).  Our pedi assured me that she had good head and neck control and that it was fruitless to try to keep flipping her back.  We do have a video monitor so I could see her face position at night, if it was face down, I would sneak in and try to turn her head (usually waking her in the process).  It took several weeks but she eventually outgrew the behavior.  She still sleeps on her tummy every night but now turns her head all the way to one side.  It does do a number on your nerves, but the reality is (as I learned) you can't sit there all night long and watch her.  I did lose a lot of sleep in the beginning but it DOES get better.