Before getting straight to the Pros and Cons of Baby Sleeping on Stomach, you should know a little about whats and hows. Looking at your baby sleeping on its stomach as a new parent might raise concerns for you. You may have already inquired about this with your neighbors, parents, and elders back home. Because of the conflicting advice, being a first-time parent could be perplexing.
When babies are born, they may sleep on their bellies. This is best for them! But when they get older, you might want to make sure that they switch over to sleeping on their back or side. This way, their spine does not curve too much, and the baby's head can be in a better position.
Babies sleep more hours than adults. This is because babies spend a lot of time in deep sleep and the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage. These periods are called active sleep, and they happen one after another, making it seem like the baby is not sleeping very much.
This is a somewhat uncommon position to be safe, but certain doctors have recommended it. Sleeping on their stomach may help to strengthen the neck, back, and stomach. When the baby is awake, tummy time is typically encouraged. Note these pros of sleeping baby on the stomach if you want to get a clear perception.
When on their stomachs, babies place pressure on their back and not on the back of their heads. The back of the head remains in a good position. Since babies do not have control of their neck muscles, they often keep them straight while sleeping on their backs. This can cause problems with breathing and digestion, which will be discussed later here.
Since babies usually sleep with their mouths wide open and tongues out, it means more chances for air to pass through- making them breathe easier! This air might get pushed down into the stomach or lungs when placed on its back or side since there is less room for air to pass.
Babies might need some assistance with digestion if they are not sleeping on their stomachs. When more of the body is supported, like when babies sleep on their backs, this can cause air to build up in the stomach and intestines. This is called acid reflux, which means the food isn't being digested well, so it's being "thrown" back up. Sometimes babies have no choice but to sleep on their backs for safety reasons- it is best to let them do so without interruption or risk of suffocation.
An irritation causes hiccups in the esophagus due to swallowing too much gas. Sometimes the hiccups are not bothersome, but if babies have problems with digestion or suffer from acid reflux, then hiccups can be a problem. Since sleeping on the stomach allows room for more air to pass through, there is less chance of irritation in the esophagus, so hiccups should be less frequent after switching.
Weight gain has been linked to better sleep because growing babies need enough food to properly grow and develop their bodies. However, this may not always be the case. It would seem that since suffocating is an issue, it is best to keep your baby awake during tummy time and off its back or side when sleeping.
There are many reasons why parents should make sure their babies switch over from sleeping on their stomachs to sleeping on their backs or sides when they get older. Let’s head over to the cons of baby sleeping on stomach now.
When babies sleep on their stomach, air might get pushed down into the stomach or lungs because there's not as much room for it to pass. This can cause problems with digestion and breathing, especially if your baby is older; young babies typically don't suffocate even though they're sleeping on their stomachs.
Babies could suffocate if they were to roll over onto their stomachs while sleeping. Even adults can suffocate by rolling over onto their fronts during sleep; this is called positional asphyxiation. When you roll over onto your back, you are at risk of stopping your breathing due to compression of the chest and lungs. This can be an issue since babies are less conscious of their bodies during sleep than adults.
When babies sleep on their stomachs, their faces could get pushed into the mattress accidentally. If this happens often enough, it is possible that they might suffocate because not enough air will be able to pass through. You should always make sure your baby's face is visible so he won't suffocate- even with pillows or blankets near his head.
If you put your baby on his back or side instead of his stomach, it is easier for you to monitor your baby's breathing. This is easier because you can see his chest rise and fall when he inhales and exhales instead of just seeing movement under the sheets or his back if he is on his stomach.
Suffocation is a risk even when babies are sleeping on their backs, so it's advised that they be monitored at all times in case they roll over onto their stomachs by accident. You should also watch how your baby sleeps for signs of acid reflux since this can cause them to wake up with coughing fits that could lead to suffocation.
Having too many pillows near your baby while he sleeps is dangerous because they block the airways. You can easily test it yourself by placing a pillow over your face and taking deep breaths in and out to prove this point. You will see that it gets harder to breathe when the pillow is covering your mouth. This won't happen when babies sleep on their backs or sides because nothing is blocking their air passages.
Conclusion on the Pros and Cons of Baby Sleeping on Stomach
Sleeping on their stomachs is dangerous for babies because many things can go wrong. This doesn't mean you shouldn't let your child sleep on his back or side when he gets older; just wait until you notice the signs mentioned in this article to make sure he sleeps well enough to eat properly and grow.
The recommended safe sleeping posture for a newborn in her first year of life is back-sleeping. Sleeping on the stomach is an unsafe sleeping posture since it has been linked to an increased risk of SIDS (SIDS).
The safest way for babies to sleep is on their back to reduce the risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI), such as SIDS and fatal sleeping accidents. However, many babies do not like sleeping on their backs, which means that they spend time on their tummies while awake.
It's common for babies to fall asleep during their awake time on their tummies, and many of these babies sleep well on their tummy at naptime too. This is particularly true for infants who are more alert and active (e.g. ready to play), as it's hard work keeping a baby entertained when he has just woken up.
The American Academy of paediatrics (AAP) advises that you continue to put your baby to sleep on their back until they are a year old, even though they will be able to roll over both ways naturally around six months old. Once this happens, it's usually fine to let your infant sleep in this position.
