The child sleeps on his stomach: Is it possible for children to fall asleep on their stomach?

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Published: 09/25/2021

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Some parents note that their baby sleeps on his stomach most of the night and worry that this position may have negative health effects. Such fears are justified, since in this position many natural processes are hampered, which can cause various disorders and poor health. Doctors note that compression of the chest and abdominal wall during sleep can cause respiratory arrest and digestive disorders in a weakened person.

1 The importance of posture in children during sleep
2 Choosing the right position for children
3 Advantages and disadvantages of sleeping on your stomach
4 When sleeping on your stomach is dangerous
5 Sudden death syndrome in a child
6 Recommendations from pediatrician Komarovsky
7 Top 5 tips for parents

The importance of posture in children during sleep

If you put a child to sleep and he turns on his stomach, having slept all night, then in the morning instead of being cheerful and in a good mood, he may feel tired and weak. In some cases, painful sensations may appear in different parts of the body, which aggravates poor health.

Doctors recommend falling asleep in a comfortable position, however, it is important that the spinal column forms a straight line. The best position in this case is on your side. At the same time, it is important to choose the right pillow so that kinks do not form in the cervical region, complicating the blood supply to the brain.

If the body position is not physiological, then the following processes become difficult:

blood supply;
intestinal motility;
functioning of internal organs;
Sometimes breathing may be depressed.

In this case, instead of proper rest, the body is forced to work harder to compensate for the load created by the incorrect position.

What to do if a child lies on his stomach in a dream

If a healthy baby older than a month with a normal crib and a good orthopedic mattress lies on his stomach in his sleep, you don’t need to do anything. It’s just so convenient for the little one. And if it’s convenient, why disturb the already tender sleep of a newborn? But if a newborn cannot sleep on his tummy, but he still wants to lie down in this position, you can artificially limit his ability to change position.

The easiest way for this purpose is to place diaper rolls under the back and tummy, fixing the baby in a position on its side. So the newborn is in a more or less comfortable position, he can tuck his legs under his tummy, but at the same time, he cannot lie down on his belly. The head is on its side, which eliminates the possibility of burying your nose in the mattress. And if the baby suddenly burps in his sleep, nothing bad will happen.

The child’s desire to lie with his butt up can be more than compensated for during wakefulness. The question of when you can place a newborn on your tummy will be explained to you in the maternity hospital. This can be done 15-20 minutes before meals, before bathing, and an hour after feeding. The child can be in this position as long as he wants, the main thing is that the mother controls this process. It is enough to start with a couple of minutes, gradually increasing the time. So the baby will stay on his belly, and the gas will go away, and at night there will be less desire to roll over.

Choosing the right position for children

The task of parents is to teach their children, taking into account their age, how to rest and what not to do under any circumstances. First of all, you should provide comfortable conditions for sleeping in the nursery, namely:

The mattress should be of medium hardness. It is best to go with the orthopedic option.
The pillow should be small in size; experts recommend choosing buckwheat husk as a filler - such an accessory helps you fall asleep faster, while maintaining the health of the cervical spine.
For young children, you should purchase beds with small sides, since at this age the child can actively move in his sleep and fall on the floor.
Before going to bed, it is recommended to ventilate and maintain the air temperature in the room within 18-200C.
You should not put your child in a bed that is too soft and warm - overheating of the body and incorrect body position will not contribute to proper rest.
It is recommended to use pajamas and bedding made from natural fabrics.

If your child likes to sleep turned to his side, it is best to place him on his left side. This will promote better functioning of the heart and digestive system.

Basic criteria for normal body position:

The spine forms a straight line.
Legs slightly bent. When lying on your side, you can place a small pillow between your knees, and when lying on your back, place it under the bend of the knee.
In the chosen position, the spine is stretched in all its parts, natural curves are preserved, blood circulation is not hampered, and the body experiences pleasant relaxation.

Dr. Komarovsky about the best sleeping position for babies

The famous pediatrician E. O. Komarovsky devotes a lot of time to the problem of children's sleep in his books and programs. The doctor often repeats that you need to pay attention not to the position of the baby during the day and night rest, but to creating comfortable conditions in the room.

The butt-up position ensures a more sound sleep, the child wakes up less often, does not suffer from gas and colic, and in the absence of a soft mattress, pillows, and toys in the playpen, fears that the baby will suffocate are simply meaningless. But if the baby has a runny nose, the room is hot, stuffy, and smoky, then sleeping with your butt up is harmful and dangerous.

Advice! It is better and more useful to teach a baby to sleep on his side until he is one year old, to place the baby on different sides alternately, you can use special positioners or rolled up diapers.

The pediatrician has nothing against parents and children relaxing together - this gives the mother the opportunity to sleep normally, but this can only be done in the first months of life.

During the first month, parents choose the sleeping position; the safest position for newborns is on their side. As the child grows up, he decides how comfortable it is for him to relax; the mother’s task is to create comfortable conditions, do not forget to ventilate and humidify the air in the room.

Advantages and disadvantages of sleeping on your stomach

The opinion of doctors regarding sleeping on the stomach is unanimous: constantly being in this position at night is dangerous to health. However, there are some advantages of such a holiday:

With increased gas formation, pressure on the stomach will relieve intestinal colic and bloating.
If there are problems with the kidneys, then this position will help optimize their functioning and improve the patient’s condition.
For back pain, doctors sometimes recommend sleeping on your stomach for a while to relieve strain on overstrained muscles.

The harm from such a pose is immeasurably greater than the benefit. Consequences of sleeping on your stomach:

Cerebrovascular accident. When lying on your stomach, your head inevitably turns to the side. This position causes compression of the vessels passing through the cervical spine and feeding the brain.
Difficulty breathing due to compression of the chest. The lungs are not able to fully open, as a result of which gas exchange deteriorates; air rich in carbon dioxide stagnates in the alveoli. The quality of sleep is noticeably reduced, and it will take more time to recuperate. If a child has a tendency to apnea (stopping breathing), then the likelihood of suffocating in this position is high.
Disruption of the urinary tract and reproductive function due to compression of internal organs.
The risk of developing breast cancer in girls increases, since the growing mammary glands become deformed and stagnant processes develop in them.
The likelihood of a stomach ulcer or gastritis increases due to the reflux of the contents of the duodenum. This can be prevented by abstaining from food 4 or 3 hours before going to bed.
Pain in the cervical and thoracic spine due to incorrect and unnatural body position.
Cosmetic defects in the form of sagging skin of the face and chest, the appearance of early wrinkles.

To place a child correctly, it is necessary to help him learn to find a position in which the body will function normally and the body will rest. A bent spinal column during sleep will deprive the muscles of relaxation, disrupt the normal blood supply to the tissues and cause ill health.

Can a newborn sleep on his back?

Most children's pediatricians, answering parents' questions about whether a baby can sleep on their stomach, give a categorically negative answer. The child will be allowed to independently choose a sleeping position only when he is able to turn his head or roll over on his side. This usually occurs at the age of 3-4 months. Until this age, parents must choose a sleeping position for their baby. Some parents put their baby to sleep on his back. However, sleeping on the back cannot be considered completely safe for a newborn baby.

A newborn's daily routine consists of alternating sleep, eating and rare moments of wakefulness. We can say that a newborn sleeps most of the time. Some sleepyheads even prefer to eat in their sleep. Along with the milk, the baby inevitably swallows some amount of air, which he then burps.

Therefore, after feeding, it is recommended to hold the baby in an upright position for some time, lightly patting the back. Sometimes the baby does not burp immediately, but after some time. If at this moment the child sleeps, lying on his back, then the vomit will enter the respiratory tract and the baby will choke.

When sleeping on your stomach is dangerous

When a child turns over on his stomach in his sleep at one year of age and older, this does not pose any threat to his health. In some conditions, it is still better to refrain from such a position and carefully turn the sleeping person onto his side or back.

Not recommended sleeping positions:

Cold, bronchitis or runny nose. With rhinitis, the nasal passages are clogged with mucus and normal breathing is disrupted. If we take into account that air begins to stagnate in the lungs due to compression of the chest, then we can assume a worsening of the condition due to the habit of lying on the stomach.
Intestinal motility disorders, full stomach and other digestive system diseases can be aggravated due to insufficient blood supply at night.
Diseases and curvatures of the spine are an absolute contraindication to sleeping on the stomach.
Diseases of the cardiovascular system, especially in the presence of circulatory disorders, do not allow rest in this position.

Healthy children, as well as adults, are not recommended to sleep on their stomachs, since if such a position becomes permanent, pathologies cannot be avoided. At two or more years of age, children can be taught to sleep in the correct position. At the same time, falling asleep should not be accompanied by discomfort or negative emotions. You should not lift your child at night in order to turn him on his side or back. It is recommended to carefully turn the sleeping person to his left or right side, so as not to wake him up.

Laying on the stomach while awake

The butt-up position is considered safe when the baby already knows how to raise his head, but in order to master this skill, the baby needs to be regularly placed on his stomach during the day. Such gymnastics helps strengthen muscles, reduces the risk of dysplasia and umbilical hernia, improves gas discharge, and helps develop crawling skills.

Basic Rules:

The surface should be perfectly flat and hard; you can lay a diaper on it.
The baby should be laid out before eating; it is better to take off all clothes.
The room should be at a comfortable temperature.
The child should be alert; if he is sleepy, he will immediately begin to doze off, and the task of laying out is to strengthen the muscles.
If the baby starts crying or doesn’t like the activities, you need to postpone them for a while.

You can start early placing your baby on his stomach from the first days of life. The duration of the classes is 10–15 seconds, the time should be increased gradually, the child himself will tell you when he becomes uncomfortable in this position. It is necessary to practice regularly; young children love different rituals and remember them well. At the same time, you can carry out a light massage - stroke the back with your palms, bend your legs and arms, recite poems, fairy tales, sing songs.

Sudden death syndrome in a child

It is noted that sudden infant death syndrome, which occurs in children under one year of age, is associated specifically with the position on the stomach during sleep. Therefore, pediatricians recommend keeping the child in this position while awake, since pressure on the abdomen facilitates the passage of gases. The habit of lying in this way has a beneficial effect on physical condition and promotes early physical development.

The exact cause of sudden infant mortality has not been established, but a direct link has been proven between sleeping on the stomach and the death of children. Most of the dead were in exactly this situation. It is believed that a soft mattress and pillows, colds and difficulty breathing through the nose significantly increase the risk of death from suffocation in children who are placed to sleep on their stomachs.

Important! At older ages, the likelihood of dying from sudden infant death syndrome is close to zero.

As soon as a baby is born, the question of how to properly care for him becomes before every young couple. Parents want to make the baby’s life as safe as possible. Therefore, mom and dad have a huge number of questions: what is the correct position to feed, is it possible for an infant to sleep on his stomach , is it possible to turn the baby on his back if he has turned onto his stomach, what to do if the baby has colic, is it possible to give the baby water?

In this regard, fathers and mothers attend various classes for future parents, read books and study the experience of their ancestors. One of the most important questions regarding sleep safety is whether a baby can sleep on his stomach? Let's figure it out together.

By studying this question you can go back in time. Just a few years ago, almost all children were put to sleep on their stomachs. It was believed that the baby slept better this way, and if he was bothered by colic, then sleeping on the baby’s stomach relieved painful spasms. But also the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) during sleep has almost halved since babies were no longer put to sleep on their stomachs.

In connection with the above, I would like to draw special attention to the fact that if grandparents insist that sleeping on the stomach is healthy and safe or, for example, a child sleeps poorly precisely because he was laid on his back, do not rush to draw conclusions from someone else’s experience, but study this topic yourself.

Even in the maternity hospital, nurses recommend placing the baby on its side; this is considered to be one of the safest positions. If the baby is swaddled , you can put a pillow on one side or make a cushion out of a towel so that while sleeping the baby does not roll over and bury his nose in the mattress. In the first 3-4 months, swaddling gives the baby a feeling of security and is reminiscent of the time when he was in the womb. Most babies actually sleep better in a swaddle.

Baby sleeping positions: • On the side; • On the stomach; • On the back.

Each of these poses has its own advantages and disadvantages. When your baby sleeps on his side, he can tuck his legs toward his tummy, which makes it much easier for gases to escape. But also, if you don’t put something hard under the baby’s belly, such sleep becomes unsafe.

If, after all, the parents decide that the child will sleep on his stomach, they should not be left alone for a long time in this position. It is necessary to monitor the position of the child’s head; it is important that it is turned to the right or left. It may also be difficult for the baby to breathe due to the fact that his back is pressing on his chest. It is not recommended to swaddle your baby if he sleeps on his stomach.

By far the safest sleeping position for a baby is sleeping on his back. In this position, the baby cannot bury his nose in the mattress; his head is free and can turn in both directions. If a child suddenly wants to burp, this will not threaten his life in any way and the liquid will simply come out of the baby’s mouth and remain on the sheet.

Contraindications for sleeping on the stomach: • Torticollis . If a child is diagnosed with torticollis while still in the maternity hospital, he will most likely need to walk in a neck brace for some time. Do not let your baby sleep in it, especially in a position on his stomach. • Prematurity . Babies born prematurely usually have underdeveloped airways. To ensure that the baby has enough air and the sleeping position does not threaten his life, it is better to lay the baby on his back. • Problems in the functioning of the central nervous system and other more serious pathologies . Remember that if your baby is sick with something, no matter how serious or dangerous it is, the main thing is to help him rest properly and safely.

In addition to the correct posture for a good and sound sleep, you should also pay attention to the following factors: • Borders for the crib. It is worth removing them so that the baby cannot bury his nose in them. Also, these products collect a lot of dust, which the baby subsequently breathes. • The temperature in the bedroom should not exceed 22°C. • The relative humidity in the room where the child sleeps should be at least 50%. • The less light there is in the room, the longer the baby will sleep. This is especially true in the summer, when already at 4 am the light begins to appear on the street. • Comfortable sleepwear. • Do not smoke in the room where the child sleeps. Cigarette smoke increases the risk of SIDS.

Positive factors for a newborn sleeping on his stomach: • Sleep is deeper and more peaceful than in other positions; • The child's head is fixed, which gives him a feeling of security; • Correct formation of bones and joints; • The child cannot touch his face, scratch himself and wake up from it; • In the tummy position, the baby shudders less during sleep, as the arms and legs rest against the mattress.

Safe age for baby to sleep on stomach

Around the time the baby is 1-2 months old, he will learn to hold his head up on his own. Until this time, you should not place your baby on his tummy. At this age, children cannot yet turn their head over on their own. As soon as you see that the baby is already confidently turning his head and holding it without outside help, only then can you begin to practice sleeping on his stomach.

Already at 4 months, the child begins to try to roll over on his own. Therefore, do not be surprised if you put your baby to sleep on his back, and he wakes up on his stomach. At this age, children change body position several times during one sleep. If parents are worried and still don’t want their baby to sleep on their stomach, you can try to continue swaddling the baby. But as soon as he begins to confidently roll over onto his stomach, you should stop swaddling.

By 6 months, the position for sleeping on the stomach becomes physiological and normal for children. The baby can initially take this sleeping position himself. Moreover, by this age, babies begin to love sleeping on their stomachs and can sleep with their butt up until the morning. If the child turns over on his stomach, there is no need to turn him over onto his back. At six months, this position does not pose a threat to the baby’s life, unless there are additional pathologies.

To help your baby get used to lying on his stomach and also learn to hold his head up, start training with your baby during the period of active wakefulness. Place the baby on the tummy 10 minutes before feeding.

If you've read a bunch of information about baby's sleep, but still doubt what to do right, take a look at Tatyana Kremneva's Instagram page. On Tatiana’s page, you can find a lot of useful information about the safety of children’s sleep and how to improve sleep in children.

There is still a lot of debate about which position is the safest for a baby to sleep in. Doctors are inclined to believe that sleeping on the back does not cause as many consequences as if a newborn were sleeping on the stomach. Therefore, no matter how tired you are and no matter how much you want to sleep, remember that the life and safety of your baby is the most important thing.

Author: Tatyana Kremneva.

Top 5 tips for parents

Pediatricians and psychologists recommend teaching children to fall asleep correctly from an early age. The first and main recommendations are as follows: maintaining a daily routine appropriate to age and ensuring physical activity while awake. Violation of the routine can turn the life of the entire family upside down and deprive the household of free time, proper rest, and turn the child into a twitchy and hysterical creature.

Five tips that, if followed, can improve your sleep quality and make it easier to fall asleep:

The size of the bed should correspond to the age of the child; for younger children, sleeping furniture should have small sides to prevent falls.
The pillow should not be too soft or large. Its task is not to raise the head, but to support the neck, ensuring its level position. It is ideal to use an orthopedic pillow.
Blood circulation in the extremities should not be impaired: an arm or leg may become numb if they are bent or pressed with body weight.
The head should not bend too close to the chest: in this case, the blood supply to the brain is disrupted, which negatively affects health. The problem can be solved by selecting a quality pillow and teaching the child to sleep correctly.
In the evening, you should create an atmosphere conducive to rest, introduce rituals (bathing, reading fairy tales, quiet activities), after which children will eventually reflexively try to fall asleep.

The importance of correct body position while resting is no less important than good posture and proper seating at the table. It is very important for a growing body to get proper rest in order to develop well and maintain a healthy state. Providing a comfortable place for your child to sleep and creating a suitable environment is one of the important tasks of parents. At an older age, you should explain how to lie on the bed correctly and why it is important. Young children can be placed in the desired position.

Video: how to properly lay a newborn on his stomach

In this video, the pediatrician explains and clearly shows when, for how long and how to place a newborn on his tummy.

In fact, any sleeping position for newborns has both its pros and cons. Many babies like to sleep on their stomachs, this way the baby feels comfortable and the gas flows better. But the disadvantages of this event make many parents think. It is not so important in what position the baby rests. If you create safe sleeping conditions, your baby will be able to rest in a position that is comfortable for him. And you won’t run to the bedroom every minute to check if your little one is breathing.

What position does your baby like to sleep in? Does he sleep with his butt to the ceiling? How often do you put it on your tummy during the day? Share your experience in the comments, this is important for new parents. Healthy children and comfortable sleep!

How to make it safe for your baby to sleep on his stomach

Never place your baby on pillows or soft feather beds. By burying his face in the pillow, the baby can easily suffocate. Do not put blouses with ties on your child; these ties may become wrapped around his neck.

When buying a crib for a baby, pay attention to the distances between the slats. They should not exceed 8-10 centimeters. If the gaps between the slats are larger, the baby may get his head stuck in them. Do not cover your baby with a thick blanket; it is better not to use cotton quilts at all. If a child accidentally ends up covered with such a blanket over his head, he may be left without air.

The air temperature in the child's room should not exceed 20 °C. If your baby has a runny nose, you need to monitor how he breathes through his nose and promptly clear his nose of dried mucus. If central heating radiators are running in the room, the air may be dry. Use humidifiers.