Parenthood comes with a million and one problems. You just figured out how to burp your baby without spending half an hour on it and now you do not know how to stop your baby from screeching. All of these struggles going to get better with time but until then you have to keep going.
That little period that your baby falls asleep will be the only moment of relaxation for the first few months of your baby’s life. If you have read baby books and baby blogs, baby’s sleep time will also stress you thinking about the potential risks for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
A safe sleep environment can reduce the risk of SIDS to a greater extent. One of the safe sleep recommendations by the experts is to put your baby to sleep on their back. Putting your baby to sleep on his back is not a problem until he masters the skills of rolling over.
What comes after next? You will put your baby to sleep on their back in the middle of the crib only to find him in a corner of the crib sleeping on his tummy in the morning. This incident will definitely stress you out and you might wonder when you can stop worrying about the sleeping position of your little one.
This article is about how to make your baby safe while sleeping and when it is safe to let your baby sleep on his tummy. I will also discuss some tips to help your newborn fall asleep if he has difficulties in sleeping on his back.
CONTENT
2. When can my baby sleep on his stomach?
3. What to do if my baby rolls over to his stomach while asleep before he is 12 months old?
4. What to do if my baby sleeps only on his stomach?
1. Safe sleep recommendations
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a safe sleep recommendation statement in 2016 to reduce the risk of SIDS during sleep. These recommendations include putting your baby to sleep on his back in a crib with a firm flat surface free of suffocation hazards such as pillows, blankets, bumpers, and soft toys. The parents are guided to share a room with the baby. Co-sleeping and bed-sharing are not recommended by the American Academy of Pediatricians. These recommendations should be followed even during a short daytime nap.
Research has confirmed that these steps can considerably reduce the risk of SIDS which can peak at the age of two to four months. But there is no scientific explanation as to why sleeping on the stomach increases the risk of SIDS.
Some arguments are stating that sleeping on the stomach can cause problems in the upper airway of a baby by making him breathe his own exhaled air. In this case, the baby will be at risk as the carbon dioxide level in his body is increasing and oxygen is dropping. Exhaled air can also increase the body temperature of the baby leading to overheating which is a risk factor of SIDS.
Therefore it is always safe to put your baby to sleep on his back despite the myths that say sleeping on the back can make a baby choke on his own vomit. Some parents are worried about the flathead and disrupted muscular development due to sleeping on the back but these problems are manageable with plenty of daily tummy time.
2. When can my baby sleep on his stomach?
These safe sleep recommendations are relevant to the babies. When your little one is no longer a baby, safe sleep recommendations are no longer relevant although it is optional to stop following them.
How long will your child be a baby? A baby is a child who is 12 months old or less. After the first birthday, your baby can sleep on his tummy and even have a soft light blanket on his sleeping surface. You can continue to put your baby to sleep on his back as long as he is sleeping in the crib even if he makes turns and twists while asleep.
3. What to do if my baby rolls over to his stomach while asleep before he is 12 months old?
As the baby passes the age of four months where the risk of SIDS reaches its peak, the babies will learn the skill to roll over without help. Then it will not be easier to ensure that your baby stays on his back throughout the night or naptime. If your baby can roll onto his tummy and roll again to his back, it is fine to let your baby sleep on his tummy. But always put him to sleep on his back even you know that he will not stay like that.
Though the risk of SIDS is reduced after the age of four months, it does not go away completely before the age of twelve months. If you feel like your baby is still incapable of rolling by himself both ways but end up on his stomach unintentionally, you will have to put him on his back when he has rolled over to his tummy.
4. What to do if my baby sleeps only on his stomach?
There are few safe techniques that you can follow to make your baby fall asleep on his back even if his favorite position is to sleep on his tummy.
- Swaddling
Wrapping your baby with a light blanket will mimic the womb environment to which the baby is well used. There are risks of hip problems and overheating if swaddling is not done properly.
When you swaddle your baby make sure it is not too tight. If you can slide three fingers into the swaddle after wrapping, it is not too tight for your baby. It should not also be too loose so it would unwrap in sleep in suffocating your baby. Never swaddle your baby in warmer weather and look for the signs of overheating such as sweating and redness in the skin.
- White noise
White noise can also help to mimic the womb environment to a baby if you use loud, rumbling noises. This will also prevent the baby from distractions such as loud noises coming from inside and outside the house. White noise will also act as a clue for the sleeping time when it is used regularly over time of a week or so.
- Swinging
If your baby falls asleep on his tummy, you can take him to your arms in his favorite position and swing, sway him to sleep. You can shush him to sleep in this position but never put him to sleep unless he can roll over to both sides well or over the age of one year.
If your baby does not fall asleep on his back despite your attempts, please meet your pediatrician as rest is essential for both you and your baby.
