Should You Wake Your Baby if They Fall Asleep on Their Stomach? Expert Advice on a Common Parenting Issue

Both French and international health authorities have a clear guideline: infants should always be placed on their backs to sleep before the age of one to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), formerly known as crib death. Yet, there’s also a common saying that one should never wake a sleeping baby. This can leave new parents feeling confused if their infant falls asleep on their stomach: should they turn the baby over, even if it means waking them?

We asked Dr. Charlotte Bailly, founder of the pediatric telemedicine platform MedForMom, about this issue, and her advice varies depending on the situation. If a baby falls asleep on their stomach because an adult placed them that way (perhaps during tummy time), then “it is recommended to turn them onto their back as soon as it is noticed, even if it wakes them up. Sleeping on the stomach is a significant risk factor for sudden infant death, especially before six months,” she emphasizes. She adds, “Tummy time is an excellent practice when done during periods of wakefulness under adult supervision. It aids in motor development, helps prevent skull deformities, and strengthens neck and trunk muscles, but should never be used as a sleep position.”

However, if a child rolls onto their stomach by themselves during sleep, the situation is different: “When a baby is capable of rolling from back to front and vice versa on their own, it’s not recommended to routinely reposition them during sleep. At this stage of their motor development, they can maintain the position they choose for themselves. However, it is crucial to always lay them down on their back when putting them to sleep,” Dr. Bailly advises. She notes that “many infants naturally choose this position once they develop the ability,” so parents shouldn’t worry if their child rolls over every night. Consequently, “parents do not need to spend the night flipping them back onto their backs.” She also warns against using wedges to prevent rolling, as these devices “are not recommended for sleep and can actually increase the risk of suffocation or entrapment if the baby gets stuck against the wedge. The best prevention is to adhere to safe sleep guidelines.”

The differing recommendations for these scenarios—whether a baby ends up on their stomach by placement or by their own movement—might be surprising. On this, our expert explains: “It’s important to remember that the risk of sudden infant death is highest between 2 and 4 months, then gradually decreases. This is why back-sleeping recommendations are especially crucial during the first months of life, although they should continue until the age of one year,” she clarifies.

And the guidelines are clear: “always lay the baby on their back from birth until one year old, and in their own crib,” use a firm mattress suitable for the crib, with just a fitted sheet (no blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, crib bumpers, wedges, plush toys…), a sleep sack appropriate for the season, place the crib in the parents’ bedroom for at least the first 6 months, and ideally up to 12 months, keep the room temperature between 18 and 20°C, and “avoid any exposure to tobacco and harmful substances during pregnancy and after birth.”