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View Full Version : Sleeping on tummy... is it okay?



SzennyBoy
04-26-2004, 09:56 AM
Our 8-month old DD has recently started to sleep on her tummy (with her head turned to the side). We've always had her sleeping on her back while she was swaddled but in the past few weeks, we've been letting her learn to sleep without the swaddle and noticed this preference to sleep on her tummy. She sometimes starts on her side but slowly/eventually flops onto her tummy.

Our question... is this sleeping habit okay for a 8-month old baby? Will this increase risk associated with the SIDS problem?

s_gosney
04-26-2004, 10:56 AM
My ped said that once a baby can turn over, not to worry about it. I imagine that even if you turned her over, she would flip right back to her tummy. Most babies seem to prefer sleeping on the tummies. HTH! :)

SzennyBoy
05-05-2004, 08:57 AM
Thanks for the reassurance... :)

Gs Mom
07-12-2004, 06:44 PM
My opinion is controversial, but my dd never would sleep on her back. She's been sleeping on her tummy since she was 6 weeks old. It was tummy sleep, or no sleep at all, for anyone. She was so miserable sleeping until I laid her down, then she would wake up instantly and it would take an hour to get her back to sleep again...then it would repeat. I feel that as long as the baby can turn their head from side to side well, and as long as all of the other SIDS risks are eliminated, then they'll be fine. I bought the "Angelcare Monitor" to ease my mind. I know the 411 book speaks specifically against this, but sometimes you just have to be a Mommy and make the move that is right for you. Besides, when everyone I know still has their kids sleeping on their stomachs and the SIDS numbers keep going down, then...maybe, just maybe the tummy thing has nothing to do with it. I think the reason the number of SIDS cases has come down is because of our awareness of the damages of second hand smoke and having toys and extra bedding in the crib.

I'm no expert.

lazydaisy8
07-23-2004, 09:56 PM
TPmom6.24

I completely agree that you need to do what works best for you. My 4 week old will cry all night if we allow him to when he's placed on his back. As soon as we place him on his belly he's asleep in 5-10 minutes. Every book you read tells you not to put a child on their belly to sleep, but they also tell you to do what works for you.

cmdunn1972
06-28-2005, 07:14 AM
<< I know the 411 book speaks specifically against this, but sometimes you just have to be a Mommy and make the move that is right for you.

Amen, sister. ;-)

I've got my own theory that SIDS is a result of a developmental sleep disorder related to sleep apnea and the failure of these infants to revive themselves from deep sleep. I'd be interested in getting your feedback. Reasons for this are 1) the age that infants are at greatest risk for SIDS is the same age that infants are learning how to sleep soundly (deep sleep), 2) children who have sleep apnea are at greatest risk for SIDS, and 3) the factors that reduce risk of SIDS are the same things that make sleep less comfortable for the infant and help them sleep less soundly (harder bedding, sleeping on back, and cooler temperatures). My theory is that for some reason certain infants while they are learning how to sleep soundly fail to revive themselves from deep sleep.

More comprehensive studies need to be done to show the relationship between SIDS risk and sleeping patterns.

arkansasfarmgirl
07-05-2005, 05:52 PM
I've got another tummy sleeper here. Even when he was a newborn and being swaddled, I had to put him on his side because he wouldn't sleep on his back. When we quit swaddling him around 4 weeks, he would wiggle onto his back and wake himself up and NONE of us were getting any sleep. I started putting him on his tummy after a week of that and he started sleeping 5-6 hours straight at night. Now, at 4 months, he's up to 9-10 hours straight through the night and still on his tummy. If he rolls over in his sleep, he wakes up. Luckily, he doesn't do that very often!

My mom said my sister and I were both good sleepers, and the advice at that time was to put the babies on their tummy. <shrug>