8 month old - trying to sleep on front

[belinda31]

My 8 month old has started to roll onto his front as soon as I put him in his cot, and if I try and roll him back he just instantly flips to his front again. I can roll him back onto his side or back once he's asleep, but not when he's awake.

So, should I keep trying to keep him sleeping on his back or side, or can I let him front sleep? I was lent one of those breathing monitors which I haven't used yet as he was always on his back. Do you recommend I let him sleep on his front (and use the monitor thing), or should I keep flipping him?

One other factor is that he can't remember how to roll back onto his back from his front (though that was the first way he rolled!) so once on his front, he's stuck till I roll him, and in the morning this means he cries straight away rather than babbling and playing for a bit. Which suggests I should roll him back, for longer in bed!!

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[BelleAtrix]

Mine has also started doing this - although he can roll back if he wants. I spent a couple of weeks turning him back, but he nolonger cries on his front and sleeps this way every time.

The HVs I have spoken to say not to worry - the risk of cot death has dramatically reduced by this age and he could get himself on his side if he wanted.

Use the monitor if it helps you relax - if he is sleeping fine let him

[PrefetParfait]

Not to worry - as long as he can lift his head and turn it when on his tum it is not a concern.

[Seona1973]

from 6 months you can let them find their own sleeping position - both dd and ds's favourite one was on their tummy with their bum stuck in the air!

[LibrasBiscuitsOfFortune]

Leave him.

[MollFlounders]

My DD (nearly 9 months) does this too. Every time I go and look at her in her cot she is in a new bizarre position. It is unnerving to see her face down but I've given up flipping her as she just reverts back to face first anyway. At one stage I was getting up all through the night to put her on her back but it seems a bit pointless. As everyone says, as long as they can lift and turn their heads it seems to be fine.

[Montifer]

DS has always preferred to sleep on his front. He was very colicky until about 4 months old and would stop crying and let out a little sigh of relief when laid on his tummy, we used to let him fall asleep and then turn him over, sometimes he continued to sleep (often not).
As soon as he could turn over (7 months-ish)he did and has slept on his front or side ever since. Has slept a lot better (much fewer wake ups during the night) too.
It did take a bit of getting used to on our part though, I think you get so programmed into the 'sleeping on their back' SIDS prevention message when they are under 6 months.
I imagine it won't be long before he can sort his position out on waking.

[tablefor3]

Hi

My DD is much like Montifer. We worked out at about 6 weeks old that she preferred sleeping on her front. Long story, but we did.

Obviously, I was greatly concerned about SIDS, and the first times we put her on her front to sleep, I watched her nap for two hours!

But, we reckoned that she was able to turn her head from side, even in her sleep, plus the sheet was nice and tight across the matress. It's hard to find some of the background research on the SIDS advice, but there are a list of factors which reduce the likelihood, of which the front-sleeping is just one. Pretty quickly (espeically with the unbroken nights) we got accustomed to it.

As someone says, the SIDS incidents drop off after about 6 months. I would say go with the flow if you can.