Rolling over is destroying sleep

[PuppyLuf]

My baby is almost 6 months old and he recently figured out how to roll from his tummy to his back.  He is a tummy sleeper due to reflux.  He cannot roll back the other way.  The problem is that he's been doing this in bed, especially at night.  Then he cries and cries.  I go over, flip him over, and as soon as my hand is off him, he pushes his behind back up and rolls over again.  He will do this over and over.

Last night, after I flipped him twice, I left him there, hoping he would figure it out, as clearly, we were getting nowhere.  He cried for about an hour and a half until he dozed off on his back, and then he woke up and cried for another half hour.  He does not do this as often during naps, but he does from time to time.

His schedule is:
6:30 wake and bottle
8:45-10:15 wake
10:30 bottle
12:30-2:00 nap
2:15 bottle
4:00-4:450 nap
5:00 - solids
6:30 bottle/bed

He higher sleep needs, I think, and all this waking is making him quite crabby.  Do I just have to weather this out until he figures out how to roll back over or how to sleep on his back?  Thanks for help.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Does he get a lot of time in the day to practice? Any time we had a new skill interfere with sleep we had baby boot camp and practiced that particulat skill all the time! (Only in a fun way of course and not if they were crabby and bored of it). If he has a favourite toy, placing it up above his head and over a bit while he is on his back will get him craning his head too see and then possibly his body will follow - I assissted in this at first until they caught on.

[PuppyLuf]

Thanks!  I have not been doing that.  I will start today.  Right now, he went down for an early nap at 7:45 am because he was so, so tired from all his wailing.  I will practice with him when he wakes.   

[AlanaCYK]

We had the same experience accept only when our DD was trying to get to sleep. It helped to have a large blanket or thin sheet tucked over her back and down the sides of the crib to give the slight sensation of being "tucked in".

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I would be really hesitant do that with a bedsheet as if you have a wiggly baby they could easily wiggle under the tucked in sheet and not be able to get out.

Just thinking too instead of flipping him over at night, help him to roll and if something like patting his bum would keep him in position? DD3 like a bum pat but now will sleep on her side sometimes as well as her tummy. I still often pull her opposite leg over and help her roll if she is up at night.

[PuppyLuf]

I actually do the bedsheet thing and it has not been a problem, but it hasn't really helped either.  Nothing seems to stop the flipping when he's up for it.  The minute I rolled him over, he attempted to roll back again, and cried the whole way.  Putting my hand on his back and trying to get him to sleep again did nothing, and nor did a little bum-patting. 

We worked on rolling the other way a lot today.  It made him very tired   He is almost able to do so.  I even put him in a little camouflage bodysuit so we could call it Baby Bootcamp!  He still rolled and cried during one nap today.

Last night, he slept well all night, and when I went into his room, he was awake and on his back, but he wasn't crying. 

So maybe he's realizing he can sleep on his back?? 

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Aww so cute with the camo! He might be getting used to his back - might end up being his preference!