Sleeping FAQ: 4-6 months – Other

Rolling over while asleep wakes my baby of 5 mths

My baby is five months old and is sleeping 7am until 7pm, no problem. She has, up until now, been sleeping on her back the whole time. She is, however, beginning to roll over on to her stomach, but then she can’t roll back again. This happens several times a night and wakes her up. My baby sleeps in a dark room, in a fleece all-in-one, on a mattress covered with a fitted sheet but with no other bedding; this permits her to move around her crib freely. Any advice you could provide would be helpful.

Once babies are too old to be swaddled, I recommend in all of my books that they be put in a sleeping bag. Under the age of six months, my advice is to use a 0.5-tog hundred-per-cent cotton sleeping bag. This type allows the use of a thin sheet and, in winter, a cellular blanket as well, without risk of the baby over-heating. The reason for this suggestion is because, at around three to four months, most babies become much more active while they sleep. It is recommended that babies under six months are put to sleep on their backs to help reduce the risk of cot death, and I find that a combination of the sleeping bag and being able to tuck the sheet and blanket under the mattress, helps prevent the baby from rolling over on to its tummy.

For very active babies, I know of some mothers who use extra-long sleeping bags, tucking the end under the mattress at the bottom of the cot, and this also restricts rolling. It is, however, possible that your baby could object to being tucked in so firmly, and if this is the case you will just have to accept that he will need your help to return to sleeping on his back until he is past six months old.

Once a baby reaches between six and seven months, most have learned how to roll in both directions without help. In the meantime, you can practise this with your baby on the floor during playtime. This will help your baby develop an excellent skill, and in time, will reduce the need of your having to go in several times a night to re-position him.