Not a wink of sleep, rolling 5 month old please help!

[areandare]

My little boy is now 5 months old. He has been a fantastic sleeper from the start and will usually sleep 7pm - 7am with one night feed at around 3/4am.

The last 2 nights have been absolute hell. He has started rolling on to his front but hasn’t yet mastered rolling back by himself. He’s started doing this through the night now.

He will go to sleep on his back, but after a short period will roll on to his front and get stressed as he can’t roll back, if I roll him back then he will just instantly roll back on to his front. This means that I have to hold him and rock him back to sleep, wait at least 20 minutes so that he’s in a deep sleep before putting him back down. Once I put him down he’ll sleep for an hour max until the process is repeated.

I have not slept. Now I have to look after a baby all day and deal with the continuous rolling all day. How am I meant to function with absolutely no sleep? Somebody please tell me this isn’t long term because I cannot survive like this

It won’t be forever but will feel like it I’m sure!
practice lots of ‘tummy time’ in the day to help him figure out how to roll back.
try and get some sleep when he sleeps today and call in help if you can to get a nap x

Have you tried putting a rolled up towel or similar next to him to make it a bit harder for him to roll over?

If not, LOADS of tummy time during the day (let him get a bit cross he’s on his tummy if needed) and he’ll probably crack rolling back really soon.

How long will he sleep on his tummy before getting upset and waking?

My dd also figured out rolling onto her tummy first, but she just liked sleeping like that so it wasn't an issue. Although it did scare me for a couple of nights!

Hopefully, it won't be long until he figures out the other way. I would try and practice with him in the daytime so he maybe gets it quicker. Lots of rolling onto his tummy and then showing him the movement to get back.

My dd didn't learn to roll the other way until she had learnt to sit herself up and was almost crawling though 😅.

It’s hard, I’m going through this with my 5 months old, no sleep and have to look after him and a toddler! It’s horrific.

My first DC went through the same phase, it lasted about 4 weeks before he started to roll back or be able to position his head to the side to sleep safely on his front.

It does end/get better, is this your first baby? If so I know you probably don’t want to hear this but a 5 months old only waking once is amazing.

Thank you so much everyone. He does a lot of tummy time, but even more so now that he’s rolling. I’m going to try getting him used to rolling back today, hopefully if I keep rolling him back he’ll eventually do it by himself!

He can move his head to the side when he goes on his front so I’m not too worried about him not being able to breath etc. it’s just that he does not want to sleep on his front so is waking and getting restless as he wants to turn back but he’s awake then so it’s not as simple as just rolling him back - vicious cycle!

@JokerOfTwoaww I’m sorry that you’re going through this too, it’s exhausting. Hats off to you as I cannot imagine doing this with a toddler to look after too!

He can position his head safely but just doesn’t want to be on his front, so I have no clue why he keeps rolling it must be instinct as it’s his new skill 😆

Yes he is my first baby. I know that waking once is amazing, that is why I said he has always been a fantastic sleeper and usually sleeps for 12 hours with one wake which I know is brilliant. However, that has changed drastically since he started this rolling we’ve been up basically every hour for the past 2 nights 😢

Just take each night as it comes & chill as much as possible in the day.

When first DC went through I’d just spend the morning lounging in the bedroom (not an option now 🙈) or I’d take a drive, get double shot latte a Starbucks, listen to a podcast & let baby sleep - felt like a break.

@JokerOfTwolove the Starbucks idea! I will be stealing that 😍 do you remember how long it lasted? Will he snap out of this rolling at night or is it just something that I need to get used to i wonder

In the exact same spot with my 5-month old, except he rolls onto his side to sleep. He doesn't do this during day naps but has started doing this from 2 nights ago - accompanied by hourly waking as he'd wobble between his side and his back at the end of a sleep cycle and eventually fully wake himself up. I've tried to stop him rolling to his side by gently press his legs when I first put him down in his cot - with no success; he'd just still try and make annoyed sound when he cannot move, so I have to let him go before my pressing wakes him up. Husband and I are losing our minds. Know it will pass and that everything is a phase, but honestly every night feels like eternity.

@GoluNezhaoh I’m sorry to hear your in the same position, it really is exhausting isn’t it.

I have just let him be now and he chooses to sleep on his front, the first few nights were awful as I was up all night watching him and worrying about him but soon realised that he is able to move his head both ways freely so is able to breathe.

I hope that things will settle for you soon and you manage to get some sleep x

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