Rolling around in the crib

[lizjackson]

For about 2 months now, my lo has been falling asleep by herself for naps and at bedtime.  She usually rolls on her side and goes to sleep when  I put her down and sometimes would play with her toes a little before  falling asleep.  Things have changed.  She has been able to roll back to front for about 3 weeks now and has discovered that she can do this in her crib too.  What is happening now is I am putting her down for her nap ready to fall asleep and she is rolling onto her side as usual and then continuing the roll and going onto her tummy.  She is not going to sleep then.  She pushes herself up, looses her pacifier and begins to talk which eventually turns into whine and calling out.  My question is.. Do I just leave her their on her tummy?  I really think that she likes sleeping on her tummy, she does that when she is already asleep, but just has not had to fall asleep like that.  Or should I go in every so often and turn her back over to stop the calling out.  Yesterday I did the second option and went in her room about 10 times turning her over, giving her her paci.  The paci is another problem, she is addicted to it and I think it has definatly becoming a sleep prop.  What do you all think?  I am fighting stepping in and interferring with what may need to be a natural process of her learning to fall asleep a new way...and maybe without the paci??  Any ideas?  Oh, I do want her to sleep on her tummy because she sleeps a lot longer and is going on 6 months soon, so I am comfortable with that.  thank you!!

[Spectra]

My LO was like that when she first learned to roll from back to front.  Never did much tummy time when she was younger because she hated it so much.  So when she was in her crib and rolled to her tummy she would get all upset, even in the middle of the night, and I had to come downstairs to turn her over lol.  I then rolled up a receiving blanket and put it beside her tummy, as she loved to sleep on her side, and once she fell asleep I would take it away.  1 week later she now loves LOVES to sleep on her stomach.  She may fuss for the first little little bit but I rub her back, she calms down, and falls asleep.  Thank goodness too, I didn't know what I was going to do if I had to get up after 3 hours because she would roll over lol.

[lizjackson]

thank you for that idea.  I was able to get her to fall asleep just now for her nap by rubbing her back, etc..  I am glad to hear that your lo got used to sleeping on her tummy so quickly.  Hopefully that will happen with my little girl.  I am going to try the blanket technique tonight!!  Thanks again.

[Spectra]

I'm glad!  I hope your LO learns to love sleeping on the tummy too!     I know you can actually buy things that are more fixable in the crib, kind of like two rolled up blankets, so they don't move at all.  Never bought them, but I was really considering it at the time.

[ShannonMiller]

Hi!  We just went through the same thing with our daughter.  I think you're doing the right thing by helping her go to sleep on her tummy by rubbing her back instead of turning her over.  We learned that no matter how many times we rolled her over she just kept going back to the tummy.  It was getting frustrating for all of us.  It's been a couple of weeks and she falls asleep fine on her tummy.  Just hang in there and it will get better! 

Shannon