You should always put your baby to bed on her back until she's 12 months old, even if she ends up rolling onto her stomach at night. Doing so sharply reduces the risk of SIDS — which is one of the leading causes of death during a baby's first year of life, especially within the first 4 to 6 months.
The Bottom Line. The best and safest sleeping position for your baby during the first year of life is on the back. Sleeping on the stomach can increase the risk of SIDS. This is it's important to always place him on his back for every sleep.
Putting an infant under 1 year old to sleep on their stomach is not recommended by healthcare experts. Instead of allowing an infant to sleep on their stomach or side, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that caregivers place infants on their back until the child is at least 1 year of age.
Protect your little one by always using safe sleep practices, like laying them on a firm mattress and keeping their sleep space clear. Remember: Your baby shouldn't sleep on their stomach until they're at least one year old.
If they aren't consistently and intentionally rolling yet but somehow end up on their tummy while sleeping, then yes, hard as it is — you need to gently put them back on their back. Hopefully they won't stir too much.
It's More Comfortable. If your baby has started sleeping on their stomach, chances are there's one big benefit of this new position: They like it! “It's very typical for babies to roll onto their stomach during sleep,” Becker Freidman says. “For many, it's more comfortable than back-sleeping.”
SIDS remains a risk until your baby is about one year old. Until then, you should always put your baby to sleep on his or her back. After that, you probably won't be able to control your baby's sleeping position, and it's okay to allow them to sleep however they want to.
First is the developmental window of vulnerability. SIDS is most common at 2-4 months of age when the cardiorespiratory system of all infants is in rapid transition and therefore unstable.
It improves oxygen levels.
This is probably the #1 reason why bedside nurses place preemies on their tummies while they're growing and learning to breathe. The belly position can lead to higher oxygen levels.
There is good news for those infants who are determined to sleep in a face-down position. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies only sleep on their back until they are 12 months old. After that, it's safe for your little one to change their sleep position to tummy sleeping.
Sleep Routine
If you haven't started a bedtime routine yet, now is a great time! Work toward a bedtime of between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. Know that it is actually harder to get a baby to sleep after 9:00 p.m. The later it gets and the more tired he is, the harder it will be for him to fall asleep.
White noise may also block out excess stimulation and thus, reduce stress levels in babies. But older claims that white noise can reduce the risk of SIDS need more current research.
By the time a baby turns 12 months old, the risk of sudden death is negligible. Here are recommendations for reducing the risk of SIDS: a) Avoid exposing your baby to cigarette smoke before or after birth. b) Avoid falling asleep with your baby in dangerous environment (bed, chair, or sofa).
SIDS has no symptoms or warning signs. Babies who die of SIDS seem healthy before being put to bed. They show no signs of struggle and are often found in the same position as when they were placed in the bed.
However, it can happen wherever your baby is sleeping, such as when in a pushchair or even in your arms.
While the cause of SIDS is unknown, many clinicians and researchers believe that SIDS is associated with problems in the ability of the baby to arouse from sleep, to detect low levels of oxygen, or a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood. When babies sleep face down, they may re-breathe exhaled carbon dioxide.
The most vulnerable period is under 3 months but it is important to follow safer sleep advice until your baby is 12 months old. To reduce the risk of SIDS for your baby, follow our evidence-based safer sleep advice –such as sleeping your baby on their back in a clear sleep space – for the first six months.
By all means, let your sleeping baby sleep. Once babies learn to roll over onto their tummies, a milestone that typically happens between 4 and 6 months, there's usually no turning them back — especially if they prefer snoozing belly-down.
Some research suggests that the SIDS risk for babies who sleep on their sides and then fall onto their stomachs is much higher than the risk for babies who are always placed to sleep on their stomachs. Babies should be placed wholly on their backs for naps and at night to reduce the risk of SIDS.
Tummy Time is an essential move for baby's development! But that doesn't mean baby always loves doing it. In fact, many babies have trouble with the position. As baby's core muscles get stronger and they begin to roll (around 4 months), they may try to roll off of their stomach and onto their back during Tummy Time.
A recent article in Frontiers in Psychology found that these types of sensory-seeking behaviors might be a comfort mechanism, a way to self-soothe when babies are feeling out of sorts, hungry, tired, or just overwhelmed.
It is believed that these vulnerable infants will not wake if they can't breathe or respond (turn their heads) when they are rebreathing their exhaled air. If these infants continue to rebreathe their exhaled air, it will eventually suppress their need to breathe leading to hypoxia and eventually death.
Indeed, throughout much of the pregnancy, your baby sleeps 90 to 95% of the day. Some of these hours are spent in deep sleep, some in REM sleep, and some in an indeterminate state—a result of their immature brain. During REM sleep, their eyes move back and forth just like an adult's eyes.