5 month old wants to sleep on his tummy

[MagicFajita]

I'd love to hear the experiences of others and possibly some advice on this issue.

My ds can roll from his his back to his tummy but not back again. For the last few weeks he has started to roll onto his tummy when he wakes in the night , he then falls asleep with his face planted in the mattress.

This freaked me out so I have moved his cot right next to me so that I can put him back on his back and hold his hand until he is settled again. He wakes like this about 6 times per night now.

Basically I don't know what to do. Should I put him right? Should I leave him to sleep on his front?

I feel very uneasy about it and apart from tucking him in and restricting his rolling , (this doesn't feel right at all!) I have no idea what to do.

I think once they can roll, they're fine to sleep on their front?

My DS was a tummy sleeper from very early on. I know it's against the guidelines and believe me I tried to make him sleep on his back. He'd be up every 20 minutes, whereas we got 5-7 hours at 6 weeks old on his tummy. I made sure he was next to me at all times and that his mouth and nose were clear of the mattress.

I had a similar problem when dd was 5 months. I actually cried one night as I couldn't keep her on her back. I've learned to relax a lot, once they can move there's no stopping them. She's now one and sleeps face down with her bum in the air.

If they can roll over themselves then it’s fine. He has the head and neck strength to move his head if he can’t breathe. I think the advice is to put them down on their back but if they roll themselves then leave them. My DD does this, but she then gets stuck on her front and cries as she usually sleeps on her back, she just likes to test out her rolling

Thank you all for responding , I've read so many conflicting things that it's hard to know who to listen to.

Also were going on holiday next week. I doubt there will be enough room in our hotel room to push his cot right up by the side of the bed so I'll be up several times laying him back on his back.

My first baby couldn't sleep on his back from birth! I spent the first 2 weeks watching him sleep propped upright because he'd choke on his own tongue and turn blue if he was on his back! I was so conflicted but I'm the end I had to sleep and so did he! I put him on his front and he still sleeps like that now sometimes- he was 8 last week!

He could lift his head from the get go so that helped me to sleep lol and as my mum said- each one of her 5 kids slept on their front and their all ok lol

It's each to their own but at 5 months I think he'll be fine, the more he's on his front the quicker he'll learn to roll back again x

Someone above has the correct advice - continue to place him on his back but if he can roll himself, it's ok to leave him. If really worried, couldn't you move his head fully to the side, (cheek and ear flat on the mattress) rather than turn him unto his back? Obviously if any specific considerations apply like breathing issues or prematurity or medical concerns, check with your doctor but that's the general advice.

And all the the safe sleep guidance, no loose blankets, no toys, no cot bumpers all apply too.

My DD would roll onto her front in her sleep from 6 months and I had similar panicking at first but Ive learnt to leave her and she sleeps much better on her front.
She’s 11 months now and I still put her down to sleep on her back and she instantly rolls onto her side or front