Tummy sleeping at 7 months?

[nearlytherenow]

DS2 is 7.5 months. He's been a fairly dreadful sleeper since 4 months. For the last few weeks, he has a handful of times rolled onto his tummy during sleep (I think 3 nights in total, and for the odd nap). The difference is amazing - 2.5 hour naps as opposed to 45 minutes, and maybe one night waking - back sleeping he will wake every 2-3 hours at best and often as frequently as hourly). Would it be awful to start putting him down on his tummy? I think that the SIDS advice is "back to sleep" until aged one, but I am starting to feel a desperate for some decent sleep. He is crawling and rolls a lot through the day, so can easily get himself off his tummy if he wants to. I was hoping that he'd just start tummy sleeping of his own accord every night, but so far that's not happened.

Sorry, should have said think. Sleep deprived.

My friends baby slept much better on their tummy and he has slept like that since 3 months old.....

from 6 months you can leave them to sleep in whatever position they want

I wondered though whether it was OK to actively put him on his front? Happy to leave him there if he flips over, but he generally doesn't (but has slept much better on the odd occasion where he has, IYSWIM).

From 6 mths we put dd to sleep on her tummy and she slept better. By ten they can raise and turn their heads so should be safe.

I've done it for the last 2 nights. He's slept through , although I haven't as I'm still a bit nervous about it! He is very, very mobile when awake though, so hoping it's ok...

My daughter and son rolled on to their fronts to sleep from about 4 months old and they slept better in that position! I spent a lot of time panicking and turning my daughter onto her back and inturn disturbing her and then she would cry and roll back on to her front to settle herself. HV said ok for her to find her own sleep position once she was able to roll but that I should always place her to sleep on her back.

Theoretically you are 'supposed' to keep putting then on their back till 1 year. But once they're moving around I don't see the point - they'll get into whatever position they feel comfortable. From about 6 mo my ds started sleeping on his front. At first I still put him on his back but as soon as he touched the mattress he'd flip right over so it seemed a bit pointless. He'd be moving around the crib all night anyway but rarely slept on his back. Now he prefers to be curled up on his side. At 7.5 mo I'd expect your son will just go to whatever position he finds most comfortable, and if that is his front, put him down that way. Just make sure he's on a firm mattress, no blankets etc that could get scrunched up around his face.