Babies Sleeping on Stomach

Babies Sleeping on Stomach


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Babies Sleeping on Stomach

Do you know that newborns sleep most time of the day (around 16 hours)? While the baby’s sleeping, the intense development of all the body’s systems and the skeleton formation are going on. It’s important to assure the maximum of sleep comfort for the baby. While sleeping, the baby takes different postures. Many babies prefer to sleep on his stomach. However, parents believe that it’s a dangerous posture.

Safe Sleep on Stomach

In the womb the baby could comfortably sleep and turn in different directions. It is believed that the baby is most comfortable sleeping on the side or on the stomach. Some parents are worried and do not allow their baby to sleep on stomach. Can the baby suffocate while sleeping?

Benefits of Sleeping on Stomach

  • Sleep on stomach is calm and deep. In this position the body is able to get rid of gas and thus diminish colics.
  • In this position the baby feels safe, as his nose is close to the pillow. As you know, newborns perceive the world through tactile sensations. If the baby is surrounded by the warm soft linen, he sleeps calmly.
  • According to statistics, babies sleeping on stomach better keep up their heads.
  • Sleep on tummy in babies contributes to the correct formation of the bones and joints.
  • The baby sleeping on tummy, unconsciously makes himself a massage that has a positive influence on peristalsis of the digestive tract.
  • Sleep on tummy provides freedom of movement for arms and legs. In this posture the baby won’t wake himself up by an awkward movement.

Conditions for Safe Sleeping on the Stomach

at what age can babies sleep on their stomach

  • Bedding for babies. There are special mattresses for babies with orthopedic properties providing full safety of sleeping on tummy. Choose solid and porous bedding items. Soft linen is considerable especially dangerous.
  • Sleep without a pillow. Leading pediatricians say that sleeping without a pillow is especially beneficial for babies. Firstly, there is no chances of suffocating. Secondly, sleep without a pillow is considered to be healthy for the spine for people of different ages.
  • Sleeping on tummy, the baby should be monitored. Clean the baby’s nose from crumbles and turn the baby.
  • Clean the baby’s bed from all the objects. It’s better to remove toys and pillows. These items are considered safe for children over one-year-old.
  • Sterility and purity of children's linen. Don't forget about basic hygiene. Pediatricians recommend to change the baby’s linen at least two times a day.

Sleeping on Stomach: Contraindications

As you can see, sleeping on the tummy for babies is not only safe, but also healthy, if you respect the basic safety rules. According to Dr. Komarovsky, this type of sleep is desirable for all infants without pathologies, as it provides early physiological development.

There are contraindications for sleep on the stomach for babies:

  • If the baby has deviations in the CNS functioning or other pathologies, it’s not recommended to sleep on tummy. Be sure to consult with your pediatrician regarding sleeping postures.
  • In one position the baby’s neck goes numb. Parents need to monitor babies and in addition to providing well ventilation of the room with sufficient humidity, turn the baby. That means, that a long sleep on the stomach is contraindicated. No matter what the posture is, you need to turn the baby from time to time.
  • Remember that breathing reflex is still underdeveloped in babies. Therefore, there is a risk of suffocation in any sleeping posture, if the baby’s nose is buried in the mattress or the pillow. Be sure to keep an eye on your sleeping baby.

Recently, moms don’t have questions about how their babies should sleep. But due to the frequency of accidental death syndrome, a hypothesis about the dangers of sleeping on the stomach was put forward. Modern research has shown that sleep on the tummy is much safer than sleeping on the back. In the US, they sell special children mattresses in the form of a cake. If you use it, your baby is able to sleep only in one position considered the most convenient and safe for your baby. However, pediatricians are skeptic about this invention, as it’s still has a number of disadvantages.

Video: When is it safe to let your baby sleep on their stomach?

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