Why does a child roll over on his stomach in his sleep?

The baby's main responsibilities are to eat well and sleep well.

After all, in the “embrace of Morpheus” children not only relax, they grow, strengthen their immune system and process a huge amount of information received during the day.

But there are situations when a child sleeps restlessly and tosses and turns a lot, and this magical process is disrupted for a variety of reasons. Then both the baby himself and the parents who are looking for a way to help him suffer.

Stages of life accompanied by “restless sleep”

There are several stages in a child's life when sleep problems arise.
The first stage is a week after birth.
At this age, the baby is bothered by new, unfamiliar sensations. He is often malnourished due to the fact that his mother’s milk production has not yet improved. Therefore, the baby often wakes up and demands food. In addition, before the first bowel movement, he may be bothered by abdominal pain. Within a week, these first difficulties end: intestinal function improves, the mother's milk comes in - sleep becomes more restful and longer. The second stage is the age from three to six months. This is the time when most children begin to experience flatulence and intestinal colic. Increased gas formation causes severe discomfort to the child. Also, at this age, the first teeth most often begin to cut, causing severe pain to the baby. These unpleasant sensations worsen at night, so restful, sound sleep is out of the question.

The third stage begins at three years of age. The child develops his first childhood fears. He begins to be afraid of the dark, negative heroes of fairy tales and imaginary monsters. And also - he gets acquainted with such a feeling as jealousy. The baby is jealous of mom and dad for everyone and often worries. All these fears cause nightmares, which often wake the child in the middle of the night.

The fourth stage is five to seven years. At this age, the child is visited by serious adult thoughts. For the first time he thinks about death, begins to fear catastrophes and natural disasters. In addition, he becomes a schoolchild, and this new role adds excitement to the person. All these experiences negatively affect the quality of sleep.

A child’s sleep, just like an adult’s, is divided into two phases:

1. REM sleep is a superficial and active phase, during which a person moves, smiles, dreams and processes knowledge acquired during the day. During this phase, even minor discomfort or external irritation can wake a person.
2. Slow-wave sleep is deep and calm, the body rests and grows, and the immune system is strengthened.

In infants, the REM phase takes up up to 50% of all sleep time. Therefore, they wake up quite often.

Benefits of falling asleep on your tummy

Initially, sleeping an infant on the stomach for parents seems unacceptable, and the position is uncomfortable. However, the baby subconsciously chooses the usual position even before birth. In addition, such a pose reduces significant load on the still weak spine.

Newborn babies often suffer from gastrointestinal problems. They are characterized by frequent constipation, intestinal colic, and gas formation. Pediatricians advise young mothers to regularly lay their babies belly down, which helps improve the functioning of the digestive system. As a result, children are no longer tormented by unpleasant sensations in the tummy.

Another positive aspect of falling asleep with your stomach down is the strengthening of the muscles of the neck, shoulders, legs, and arms. The position of the baby, in which the head is located below the body, improves blood flow to the brain. The movement of the legs during inversions helps the baby develop musculoskeletal joints.

Frequent regurgitation of infants under one year of age when resting on their stomachs does not pose a threat. Because a baby in such a body position will not be able to choke on vomit.

The idea that sleeping on your stomach carries a risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is wrong. Professors of medicine have proven that the baby’s position during rest has no effect on mortality. The causes of SIDS lie directly in the health of babies.

Main causes of restless sleep

Anything can disrupt a child's sensitive sleep.

Its quality depends:

• from well-being;
• lifestyle;
• age characteristics;
• temperament;
• the environment in which he sleeps;
• global changes in life.

In fact, there are many more reasons for restless sleep . They are divided into three groups:

1. physical;
2. psycho-emotional;
3. pathological.

Experts recommend early bedtime - about seven to eight hours. It is believed that this is the best time for the young body to rest and grow.

Physical reasons

The most common natural problems associated with the characteristics of the human body or irritating external factors:

• Moro effect (a baby’s natural reaction to fright - he shudders, throws up his arms and opens his palms, and if the baby sleeps without diapers, he will wake up from each such shudder).
• Feeling hungry or thirsty.
• Wet diaper.
• Teething, colic.
• Uncomfortable position.
• Uncomfortable clothes.
• Maturation of reflexes - during periods of mastering new skills (rolling over on his tummy, sitting up, crawling, etc.), the baby can hone them even in his sleep, waking up from his own movements.
• External factors - too high or low room temperature, insufficient air humidity, bright light, loud sounds.

Why does a baby roll over on his stomach in his sleep and wake up, reasons and what to do

Starting from the second or third month of life, the baby tries to roll over onto his tummy. The baby practices a new skill throughout the day and even at night.

The newly acquired skill indicates the baby’s proper development and coordination of movements. But many mothers are concerned about the fact that the baby turns over on his stomach in his sleep, begins to whine, gets up and wakes up.

Should you worry about this and how to keep your baby as safe as possible while sleeping is discussed below.

Possible causes of coups

If a child turns on his stomach and begins to cry, the root cause of this should be identified.

First you need to check if the child is comfortable:

• no folds appeared on the bed or in things that cause discomfort to the baby’s delicate skin;
• whether the baby’s breathing is difficult due to non-compliance with temperature, humidity, cleanliness and lack of dust in the room;
• the baby is hot or cold;
• is the diaper dry, comfortable clothes, a cap without ties;
• whether the child is twisted in diapers or a blanket;
• whether the child is exposed to air from the air conditioner or heat from heating devices;
• Is there any loud noise or light in the room?

If the above reasons have been eliminated, but the child begins to cry as soon as he turns over on his stomach, the physical causes of the baby’s anxiety should be eliminated:

1. Colic, bloating, discomfort and pain in the tummy. In this case, the baby cries for a long time without calming down, pulls up his legs, is capricious, and asks to be held in his mother’s arms.
2. Congestion of the digestive system and intestines. Children who are introduced to complementary foods at 4 months may not yet be ready for such foods. Even if complementary foods are introduced after 6 months, the baby’s body may not yet be ready to accept “adult” food - it has not produced the required amount of enzymes for processing.
3. Increased muscle tone. A characteristic sign is the head tilted back upward during sleep, the arms pressed tightly to the body.
4. Poor development of the nervous system. In this case, the baby jerks his limbs sharply and scares himself.
5. Teeth are coming through.
6. Nasal congestion, runny nose, breathing problems.
7. Increased body temperature caused by infections, viruses or after vaccination.
8. An allergic reaction, which may be accompanied by other symptoms: itching, redness of areas of the body, rash, rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing.

These reasons are a reason to contact a pediatrician, neurologist or gastroenterologist to determine treatment options.

How to prevent your baby from rolling over?

If turning your baby onto his tummy during sleep causes excessive anxiety, you can try to prevent the process:

1. Swaddle your newborn before bedtime.
2. Place your baby on his side in the playpen before going to bed. And place soft cushions under the tummy and back.
3. Change the crib to a stroller cradle or a “cocoon nest” that limits the baby’s activities.
4. Sleep together with the baby, controlling the baby's sleep positions.
5. Place the baby to sleep immediately on his tummy with his head turned to the side.

Pathological problems causing sleep disturbances

Pathological problems include various diseases that affect well-being:

• elevated temperature;
• ear pain caused by otitis media;
• difficulty breathing with a runny nose;
• dysbacteriosis;
• Itching during allergies and other ailments can deprive a little person of sleep.

Pain during teething and colic do not belong to this group, as they are natural for a small child.

When is sleeping on your stomach contraindicated?

The child is crying because he woke up and something hurts.

Sleeping a child on his stomach has its contraindications. First of all, they are related to the health of the baby:

• Infantile torticollis. It can be congenital or acquired. Being in one position for a long time, the neck muscles weaken on one side and become stronger on the other. When the symmetry of the muscles is disturbed, the child's head is slightly tilted to one side. It is difficult for a baby to turn his head to the right or left, depending on the location of the pathology. When sleeping on his stomach, the baby puts his head on the side that is more comfortable for him, aggravating torticollis.
• Central nervous system disorder. For certain problems, a neurologist may recommend not placing the child on his stomach while sleeping.
• Apnea. If your baby holds his breath, it means his breathing reflex is not fully developed. Do not place your baby on his stomach. Having buried his nose in the mattress, the baby may not feel the need to raise his head. If there is a history of apnea, parents are advised to acquire a breathing monitor.

If your baby has any health problems, talk to your doctor about sleeping on his stomach.

A child should absolutely not sleep on his stomach if his parents smoke in the apartment. Nicotine is a poison that affects the child’s immature respiratory system. Having inhaled smoke, the child feels suffocation, sometimes a spasm, and tries to turn away from the negative factor. And he can only turn on his stomach towards the mattress. The consequence is suffocation. Don't risk your baby's health!

How to fight

The first and easiest step to healthy sleep for a child is to create comfortable conditions for him and eliminate the physical causes of restless sleep.

You need to take a responsible approach to choosing a crib, mattress, and bed linen. It is better to choose wallpaper and textiles in light, calm colors, as bright shades are tiring.

In the children's room, the temperature should be maintained at 18-20 ° C and the humidity around 60%, and the room should be regularly ventilated. Newborns can be frightened by complete silence; older children also fall asleep more easily to quiet monotonous melodies, so during “quiet hour” you can turn on a recording of the sounds of nature: rain, the sound of the sea, birdsong and others.

Before going to bed, the baby should be fed and changed. It is recommended to have dinner no later than an hour and a half before lights out. Drinking heavily before bed is not advisable. Newborns sleep better in diapers; for older babies, you need to choose comfortable pajamas that do not restrict movement. After falling asleep, you should ensure peace, protect from loud sounds and bright light. Try not to wake up if the baby overslept during feeding time: an extra half hour of sleep, even on an empty stomach, will not do any harm, but the baby will wake up on his own and in a good mood.

In the first months of life, the baby is still learning to sleep, so often during the active phase of sleep he opens his eyes and begins to whine.

You should not rush to your child at the first sign of awakening; you need to give him the opportunity to calm down and fall back into sleep.

During night feedings, nothing should disturb the baby or attract his attention. If, waking up in the middle of the night, he sees a familiar picture - his room, a night light, his favorite toy - then he will quickly and easily fall asleep again.

Solving psycho-emotional problems will require more effort. First of all, you need to take care of maintaining your daily routine. It can be formed starting from the age of one and a half months, because at this time the little person already pays attention to the difference between day and night. And even in the short time when a two-month-old baby is awake, this difference can be emphasized. Night feedings and changing clothes should be carried out in silence, without talking to the baby, by the light of a night lamp.

During the day, you can play with him, entertain him with songs and nursery rhymes, and during the daytime rest, do not darken the room so that the difference from what the child sees at night is clearly noticeable. For the same purpose, some child sleep consultants advise putting the baby in a different place during the day. The regime must be strictly observed: firstly, the child gradually gets used to falling asleep at the same time, and secondly, children feel much more confident and calm when the day goes according to their usual scenario.

Every family should have a strict rule: wish each other good night only in a good mood.

A person - both an adult and a child - should fall asleep in a relaxed, calm state.

Therefore, all grievances and quarrels should be resolved and forgotten long before bedtime. Otherwise, worries will bother the little impressionable person all night.

Joyful shocks can play the same cruel joke. It is better to move good news, new clothes, a visit from a beloved relative and other joyful events to an earlier time of day.

It is very important for a child to follow a certain familiar ritual before bed. Reading fairy tales, singing lullabies, discussing the events of the day, or another evening tradition will help you calm down and get ready to relax. When choosing such a ritual, you need to take into account the baby’s temperament: someone can be lulled to sleep by a short lullaby, while others need a whole hour to fall asleep.

For the same reason, it is not recommended to organize noisy active games in the evening. The parent who puts the baby to bed should be in a good, calm mood. The child feels his parents’ feelings very well, and if mom or dad are in a hurry or nervous, he unwittingly copies their behavior and then bedtime can take hours.

If a child is prevented from falling asleep by some fears or is tormented by nightmares, he also cannot do without the help of adults. You should treat the child’s problem with all understanding and sympathy. If he asks you to stay with him at night or hide him under his blanket from imaginary monsters, you cannot brush him off or laugh at his request.

In addition, you need to talk to the child about everything that scares him, explain that he is safe and protected. You can share memories of your childhood fears.

Or you can joke and laugh together about what scared the baby.

But to be ironic about the cause of fear, and not about the child himself!

To prevent this problem, you should carefully select the films and fairy tales that your child watches and listens to. They must be age appropriate.

Children should also not see news stories about natural disasters, catastrophes and crimes.

If the causes of sleep disturbances lie in health problems, you need to devote all your efforts to treating the child and alleviating the symptoms that caused insomnia. Recovery will be followed by normalization of sleep.

The health and well-being of a child depends on many factors. And the task of parents is to create all the conditions so that the baby eats properly, sleeps soundly, is healthy and cheerful. Only then will he be able to regularly delight his loved ones with new achievements.