Help! My 5-1/2 month old was sleeping through the night beautifully for the past couple months, but he recently learned how to roll over from his back to his tummy and I guess he loves his newfound movement so much he does it at night. However, as he has a low tolerance for tummy time (5/10 minutes and he gets cranky), he gets himself stuck on his stomach and now I find myself going into put him back on his back 2-4 times a night! The funny thing is during free play during the day he sometimes rolls from his tummy to his back so I know he knows how to do it, and I keep showing him how, but middle of the night (and now naps too) evidently he forgets. Not sure what to do?? He gets so frustrated grunting and then it turns to cries, I hope he will find a comfy position on his belly but he never does so I end up going in after 5 minutes or so (probably only 1-2 minutes of light crying). Any suggestions?? I have a hard time leaving him crying for longer but maybe that's what I should be doing? Thanks! The other night I was up every two hours flipping him over....
You are not alone - Many of us have been there. I used a wedge until my son couldn't fit in it any longer, which was prior to him being 5 months old. Then I used two hand towels (or small pillows depending on the sleeping arrangements) rolled up on either side of him. This kept him on his back more times than it did without it and gave me more sleep.
If you really think it is the flipping that is bothering him... those "bumpers" that Ana G mentioned really work. I call them wedges (very soft and squishy) that velcro on to a thin mat... the baby lays on the mat and the wedges go on either side. We're using them with our youngest who just turned 5 months... she goes to roll and the wedge stops her so that winds up laying on her side. I think that's actually really comfortable for some babies! That should take care of the rolling... if he still cries then you have to do what you're comfortable with... but a little bit of investment of patience at nap time or during the night over a few days will go a LONG way toward ensuring your sanity in the next few months/years.
If he was sleeping through the night, and he can get back on his back without your help--then why are you going in there? I would let him cry for at least 10-15 minutes. He doesn't "need" you, but if you keep going in there--you will inadvertently be training him to wake up and expect you instead of soothing himself back to sleep. I bet if you wait-you'l lstop hearing him in a matter of days...
This is also just a phase since he'll probably, like most babies end up wanting to sleep on his tummy once he gets used to it.
My son is now 8.5 mo old, and we went thru exactly the same thing at about the same age as your son. I feel your frustration. What we ended up doing was putting him to sleep in his swing and leaving him there until we went to bed. The thought being that he couldn't roll over in the swing & so would get to sleep longer w/out being interrupted by rolling over. I still had to get up once a night to flip him, but it was better than the alternative. Once he figured out how to roll over consistently, we gradually stopped putting him to sleep in the swing by rocking him & putting him to bed, and then finally just putting him to bed. Now he rolls over ALL the time in his sleep, but it doesn't wake him. I'm not sure there's a perfect answer to this, it's really just what works for you. GL!
I would try a Sleep Positioner......for a little while longer.
Try letting him cry a little longer. The first time it may take a while, but it should get better every time after that. He will learn to go back to sleep on his own which will let him have a better nights sleep. All that broken sleep isn't good for him or you.
God Bless,
R.
My daughter actually did the same thing at night. She also did not like tummy time. I just dealt with it for a few months and she eventually learned to roll herself back. Towards the end of the time she was doing that, she learned that if she rolled on her tummy and cried that I would come into the room. As soon as I'd roll her back, before I'd even make it out of the room, she would roll back over and start crying. I started delaying the time I would take to go in (while watching her in the monitor to assure she was ok) and she eventually stopped doing it. Not only did she do the rolling thing but she would also cry everytime her paci fell out. That was a fun time!! She out grew that also.
I had this problem with our first son and now with our 3 month old. Our eldest started rolling at about 4 months, and I was suddenly having to get up 10 times a night to roll him back over. Baby's R Us has this positioning wedge that you lay your child into. It keeps them from rolling themselves over in their sleep. It sure saved me a lot of sleepless nights. My 3 month old started rolling himself over at 2 months, which was a surprise and a bit frustrating, and the wedge is working for him as well. Using blankets and things rolled up were out of the question because he moves around so much I was afraid he would suffocate. But the wedge keeps them in place very well, and he actually seems to sleep better because he feels snuggled in.
Here are some examples of what I am talking about.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2308665
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2341851
Take care and good luck with your LO
T
No need to let him cry it out, poor guy! Roll up some blankets and put on either side of him, so he can't roll over while he's sleeping. They also used to sell special bumpers that go on either side of the baby. Not sure if they have those anymore. If he rolls over that I would check out the bumpers or double up the blanket roll. Baby blankets should work just fine, though, that's what I used to use.
Best of luck to you!
A.
Yep. Wait a bit longer before "rescuing" him. Use a clock.. especially at night, those cries seem to last longer than they really are. When he is a little older he will learn to sit up and will start practicing that during the night... after that comes standing, and he won't know how to get back down from that right away... Be careful of setting a "habit" of coming in several times a night to "rescue" him from something that he really doesn't need to be "rescued" from. Just turn down the volume on the baby monitor, and check the clock... if you give him a few minutes he'll either figure it out, or go back to sleep in that position, but you have to give him a chance to choose which. :)) If after 10 minutes he still hasn't managed one or the other... then you might slip in quietly and help him out.
wait longer before you go in each time. he will start to get it. learning frustration is part of being a baby as well.
