Stomach Sleeping Advantages....

[KarenLV]

Here are the numbers
For babies that sleep on their stomachs:
4 weeks old=19.7 hours
8 weeks old=15.0 hours
For babies that sleep on their backs:
4 weeks old=15.3 hours
8 weeks old =14.5 hours
Source: “Effects of Sleep Position on Infant Motor Development” by Davis, Moon, Sachs, and Ottolini.

Back sleep is associated with social skills delays at 6 months, motor skills delays at 6 months, deformational plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome), torticollis (tightening of neck muscles), decreased sleep duration, increase sleep awakenings, increase episodes of sleep apnea (lack of oxygen), shoulder retraction, and temperomandibular jaw disorder.
Stomach sleep has none of those negative effects and also helps prevent hip subluxation, increases sleep duration by 8% to 16%, decreases awakenings by 40%, decreases infant screaming episodes, and lessens colic.

The SIDS prevention "Back to Sleep" campaign statistics are misleading, overstated, and not even applicable to 99% of babies. Before 1993 over 70% of American babies slept on their stomachs, 13% slept on their backs, and the rest slept on their sides. Since 1993 there has been a 500% increase in plagiocephaly as well as a huge increase in developmental delays and disorders. If a parent decides to put their infant to sleep on their stomach they should watch them first or have the baby sleep on it's own stomach on the parents chest to see that the infant is ok.

Just read this interesting article and wanted to share it. My baby loves sleeping on his stomach on my chest but I always place him on his back when he goes to his crib....I have always been to scared to place him on his stomach but might try to do that now just to help increase his sleep as he wakes every 1hr30! What do you think of this article???

 

[masi]

Personally i wouldn't risk it. All my three slept on their backs, and they all slept well too. None of them had plagiocephaly either, and all developed their motor skills when they should have.
What the article also doesn't say is how much cot death has reduced since the days when most babies slept on their fronts.

 

[Ratty]

When my little one is struggling with wind it def helps for him to sleep on his stomach but I always put him on my chest to do this as I'm too scared to leave him in his crib.

The other night he rolled over onto his stomach and slept for a lot longer than he normally does. My internal alarm clock woke me up and being neurotic I went to check on him and he was sleeping so soundly.

 

[Alexas Mommy]

My daughter sleeps on her back and she sleeps very well... There are so many different articles and opinions out there it is up to you to decide which to believe and go by. I agree that doctors are not always right by what is suggested, but I think that I am going to go by this rule of sleeping on there back. Also, if you give your baby the reccomended 20 minutes of tummy time I dont think that the child will have any delay in motor skills, or socail skills. Just my view... also, my daughter HATES being on her tummy unless she is on my tummy!!! Thanks For sharing!!!

 

[Holldoll]

I agree with the sleeping better and helping with gas. Bella will not sleep on her back. She has been rolling onto her side since 1 week and if she's on her belly will sleep 4 hours. I put her on her belly during the day when I can watch her, but at night I put her on her side or if she is fussy and gassy I put her on her belly on mine or DHs chest and she sleeps very well. The dr. told me as soon as she can lift her head and turn it side to side without getting stuck in the middle she can sleep on her belly. I can't wait until that day!

 

[mommytashaX2]

I put my daughter and son on their backs to sleep until my daughter got older and then I put her on her stomach (once able to turn on her own).. I plan on doing the same with my son also. I just wouldn't want to take the chance of anything happening to either of my kids, even if sleeping on the stomach has nothing to do with SIDS. My son sleeps perfectly fine on his back and my daughter didn't have a flat head either. Personally, I wouldn't take the chance, but then again, it is up to you and what you feel comfortable doing with your own children.

 

[ColtonsMom]

Colton sleeps on his belly.
I started putting him in his crib and he sleeps 1,000x better in there (and on his belly);
but even before when he slept in our bed.. he would start to wake once OH got up (and was noisy.. grr), so I would scoot over and let him get on his belly and he would sleep at least an hour longer, sometimes up to 3 hours more!!

 

[Always&4ever]

Jasmine won't sleep on her front

 

[x-amy-x]

My LO prefers sleeping on her belly also, but she is a windy baby and it helps when she has belly ache from wind. I always know when she is due to wake up because i hear her farting first

I don't let her sleep on her belly too much though because of the recommendation that you have them sleep on their backs but she only ever sleeps about 2 hours at a time on her back, 4-6 hours on her front

xx

 

[Linzi]

We only put Seth on his belly through the day when I can watch him. I know nothing would probably happen if we left him at night but Id be so scared about it. He might sleep beter, but I know I wouldn't!

xxx

 

[Margerle]

Sharlotte sleeps on her tummy 90% of the time.

 

[Tezzy]

my 2 have always slept on their tummys.. rhys still does now!

 

[PitBullMommy]

Charlotte sleeps on her tummy when she's on me or DH, she sleeps on her side in the crib, but she wakes up every hour on her back...on her front she sleeps MUCH longer...gonna have to try that tonight.

 

[lilmamabear]

Here are the numbers
For babies that sleep on their stomachs:
4 weeks old=19.7 hours
8 weeks old=15.0 hours
For babies that sleep on their backs:
4 weeks old=15.3 hours
8 weeks old =14.5 hours
Source: “Effects of Sleep Position on Infant Motor Development” by Davis, Moon, Sachs, and Ottolini.

Back sleep is associated with social skills delays at 6 months, motor skills delays at 6 months, deformational plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome), torticollis (tightening of neck muscles), decreased sleep duration, increase sleep awakenings, increase episodes of sleep apnea (lack of oxygen), shoulder retraction, and temperomandibular jaw disorder.
Stomach sleep has none of those negative effects and also helps prevent hip subluxation, increases sleep duration by 8% to 16%, decreases awakenings by 40%, decreases infant screaming episodes, and lessens colic.

The SIDS prevention "Back to Sleep" campaign statistics are misleading, overstated, and not even applicable to 99% of babies. Before 1993 over 70% of American babies slept on their stomachs, 13% slept on their backs, and the rest slept on their sides. Since 1993 there has been a 500% increase in plagiocephaly as well as a huge increase in developmental delays and disorders. If a parent decides to put their infant to sleep on their stomach they should watch them first or have the baby sleep on it's own stomach on the parents chest to see that the infant is ok.

Just read this interesting article and wanted to share it. My baby loves sleeping on his stomach on my chest but I always place him on his back when he goes to his crib....I have always been to scared to place him on his stomach but might try to do that now just to help increase his sleep as he wakes every 1hr30! What do you think of this article???

I'm glad to see this! It makes you wonder what everyone did back in the day huh?! I'm a mama to a newborn little boy who turns 7 weeks old today and within the last week I've had him sleeping on his tummy. I was really apprehensive at first with all the people who say it's a crime to have your baby sleep on their tummy; however, after sitting and watching him sleep for a few hours on his tummy, he did just fine! We have the Angelcare monitor with sensor mat which gives me a lot more confidence. With all due respect to those people out there who say that you CANNOT let your baby sleep on their tummy, you need to really consider reading up on the benefits of sleeping on their tummy like this article suggests. Don't forget, a baby can potential choke on spit-up if they are on their back in the same way that a baby can potentially starve of good oxygen if on their tummy. If you take the appropriate precautions and have a good monitor, and surrender your little one to the care of Almighty God, then you should be fine!

 

[fxmummyduck]

Thanks for this, im wondering whether I could put lo on his front in the day when he sleeps, im rather worried about the back of his head being flat

 

[Teri7489]

Thanks for posting this! My baby girl has slept on her tummy since she was born and I've no issues with it. She is so alert, brilliant head control since 2 weeks old, sleeps from 9-9 with one bottle at 11pm.

I've had a few people call me nasty names, one told me that if I have to resuscitate my baby then it would be my fault and i would deserve it. I think other factors have to be taken in to consideration with regards to this topic...smoking, alcohol consumption, temperature of room, distance baby sleeps from parents...

 

[dreamer_x]

My little girl likes to be on her tummy, but we only put her on her tummy when she's on our chests. We'll sometimes get back in bed with her and have her on our chests to settle her, and she seems pretty comfy on her tummy, but I'd be too paranoid about letting her be on her tummy in her moses basket just yet. She does have quite good head control and she's very alert for her age, but I worry when she sleeps for more than 4 hours without wanting a feed, or if I wake up naturally (granted it's rare that that happens lol) - I know I'm being over-paranoid, but I'd be even worse if she was sleeping on her tummy in her moses basket! When she can roll herself over, I might not mind as much, but not at the moment.

 

[fieryphoenix]

This post is so old! It's from 2008. It's definitely been proven safer for babies to sleep on their backs.

 

[supertabby]

After the campaign was launched in 1994 to raise awareness for putting baby to sleep on back, sids rates dropped 50%. No other individual piece of safety advice has had such a dramatic effect.
That's all I need to know.

ETA: The reason health professionals heavily advocate "tummy time" is to counteract the issues mentioned in the first post. Tummy time can be done from birth and recommended to be around 30 mins a day (all at once or broken up) but should be done under supervision when baby is awake. You can also lie baby to sleep on his/her front on your chest for naps (while you are awake) or nap in a sling. All ways to counteract the issues of delayed motor skills and flat head syndrome.

 

[mara16jade]

Hmm, to play it safe, I'd still have them sleep on their back and then do supervised tummy time. Its so hard to decide "what's best for your baby", so when in doubt... I'll just do what I feel is safe for us. And for us - that'll be on his back for sleeping, and plenty of tummy time when I'm watching him.