6 month old won’t stop rolling in cot. HELP!!

[MotherOfDragon20]

My 6 month old daughter learned to roll from back to tummy 2 months ago and she WILL. NOT. STOP!! The problem being that she still doesn’t know how to roll back onto her back so this results in her rolling onto her tummy in her cot, getting stuck, crying and me having to flip her round 1684 times a night. I know this is a fairly common developmental phase and the only way to ‘fix’ it is to wait until they can roll both ways however this has been going on 8 weeks now with no signs of stopping. She spends pretty much every waking minute on the floor with me trying to teach her to roll back but she just doesn’t seem interested, everytime I help her roll onto her back she just cry’s and immediately goes back onto her tummy. I really don’t believe that she is not physically able (she seems very strong) she just seems far more interested in army crawling about, she would happily lie on her tummy for over an hour playing with toys, scooting about on her belly and looking about and not even attempt to get back onto her back.

Anyone any tips I’m bloody exhausted!

Ps I’ve tried just leaving her on her belly to sleep (don’t flame me I know it’s against safe sleeping guidance but I’m exhausted and I really believe her head/neck/core strength is good enough). But she can’t seem to relax in that position to sleep, she just keeps lifting her head up and crying.

only way to ‘fix’ it is to wait until they can roll both ways

This is it.

You just have to practice and wait. Meanwhile rolling back over in the night 357533674467644 times.

Tummy time and strategically placed out of reach toys is the way they learn. Tgey always do those first few rolls accidentally, never purposefully. So it's about getting her reaching in the right direction so her centre of gravity tips her over onto her back 'accidentally'

@FATEdestiny thank you so much for replying!

In my head I know this is the only way but I just feel like surely by 8 weeks she should have mastered this by now 🙈
She has managed to roll onto her back twice, both times absolutely accidentally and weeks apart, she seems almost scared of it, she gets quite upset when I roll her back as if she’s frightened by the sudden movement or change of view.

I'm dreading this phase with dd. With my ds, he rolled onto his front when we went on holiday and he stayed in a travel cot. He wouldn't stay on his back. In the end we had to sooth him through the frustration. After that 1 night, he has slept on his front ever since, he's now 2.5yrs!
No advice but buckets of sympathy

It might not help but does she sleep in a grobag? That can make it slightly more tricky for them to roll about.

@squirrelnutkins1 no just in a normal sleeping bag, that held her back for the first week or so but she soon mastered it, a gro bag might be worth a try!

They're smart little cookies aren't they 😂 mines just figured out how to sit up from lying down so that's made naptime and bedtime fun 🙈

@squirrelnutkins1too bloody smart 😂 I’m now dreading every motor skill development to come because she does seem to practice everything round the clock!

I have exactly the same problem! Also tried lots of tummy time in the day and DS just isn't interested in rolling back. I also just leave him to sleep on his front as long as he wants until he starts crying and then he's usually unsettled after that. I totally get the exhaustion!

Also just to add he's in a grobag and that makes absolutely no difference. He can still flip over really easily.

I know this is an old thread but my 6 month old DD is doing the exact same thing and for 6 weeks! How long did it last?! I’m on my knees with exhaustion. Or was there anything you did to help her along?

Oh my this brought back some memories! Although not sure I needed the reminder because I’m currently in the throes of this with my DS who is 5 months! So after weeks of flipping her back onto her back I eventually gave up and left her to sleep on her tummy. I know it’s technically against advice but it really wasn’t realistic to keep flipping her over constantly, I felt like my daughter was strong enough to lift and turn her head if she got into trouble and felt pretty confident she was safe on her tummy. She’s now almost 3 and still a tummy sleeper.

Thank you so much for the quick reply!! How long did it take for her to learn to role back over?

I’m in this phase too 😢. I wish she would sleep on her front but she just grunts and cries while lifting her head as high as possible. Any tips would be amazing 🙏

Also in the throes of this 😩. My LO is 6 months and her sleep has been hideous for the past 3 weeks, I'm barely functioning. I don't remember my last 2 being anything like this x

Same 😭 my son was such a good sleeper and never seemed to do this! She was a better sleeper as a newborn!