Front sleeping, is it safe, AND snuffling question!

[Lochie]

Advice wanted re front sleeping and snuffling!!

Front sleeping:

Am sure this has been posted loads of times and have just seen post below re: rolling....but....

Does anyone have advice on front sleeping at 8/9 months? My little boy is waking every hour or two at night as he is adjusting to the novelty of new sleeping positions. He is often drowsy but moany when he wakes, and only seems to want to sleep on his front with his head wedged in the corner of his cot. I get so paranoid and it equals huge lack of sleep for me as I repeatedly turn him onto his back. Is there an official 'cut off' point age when front sleeping becomes ok and nothing to worry about?

Snuffling:

Any remedies for a baby? It is an ongoing problem - baby is not ill and does not have temperature, but does seem to have a permanently snuffly nose at night which leads to lots of grunty snoring then waking to try and clear nose. Have tried saline drops but doesn't seem to work.

Advice much appreciated as I am desperado for a good nights sleep now!!!

[Pickle]

Hi Lochie,

As far as I'm aware if they're able to turn themselves onto their front it's fine for them to sleep that way. My daughter started sleeping on her tummy at about 5 months and still does now (she's 2), it's obviously the most comfortable position for her. I wouldn't worry.

P x

[linzkg]

My son has always slept on his front and he also wedges himself in the top of the cot and we spent some time adjusting him and pulling him to the bottom of the cot to avoid him waking and being uncomfortable etc - but we decided it seemed silly after a while and now leave him and he certainly doesn't wake himself ever with it - yes he grumbles and moans at night sometimes while he's shifting his position but he always settles - and from hearing and seeing him lashing around in the cot him bumping his head at the top is the least of his worries! hehe. i think maybe snuggling his head at the top is some form of security almost - i've got a few friends babies that do exactly the same.

I was also worried about front sleeping and also had a thread on here sometime ago - my son couldn't sleep on his back because of the shape of his head due to trauma at birth - our environment is a safe and healthy one so i'm happy. i was put to sleep on my front and i'm fine - i think most babies eventually find their way onto their fronts to sleep.

i don't know about the snuffling though .. my answer would be to possibly give an osteo (cranial) a go as maybe there's a simple blockage?? but maybe its just something your bub does and he'll outgrow it??

[Lochie]

Thanks Pickle that is really helpful and puts my mind at rest. I'll sleep a bit easier now ;-)

[Lochie]

And thank you linzkg too - that is funny about the sleeping in the corner of the cot thing, quite sweet really ;-)

Hadn't thought about osteo, am seeing health visitor in a few weeks so I'll ask her, maybe its worth a shot...

[plimsoul]

this was a real issue for me. my 1 month old twins slept so much better on their tummies surrounded by muslin squares but all the NHS info screamed the opposite. my mum put me straight, her generation were told that tummy was best and ultimately getting more sleep was best for all. so i went against all advice and did it, we all slept better and they're perfectly healthy nearly 5 year olds!

[GinaG3]

Don't worry about the front sleeping, my daughter did this from 2 months.. Even now I find her curled up in different parts of her bed every 5 minutes. Fidgety sleeper.

Best advice for the snuffling has already been given by linzkg.. Talk to HV if it worries you, but I'm sure its just a phase.

[Smiler]

My daughter was the same, as soon as she could roll over (about 3 months) she slept on her front, often wedged into a corner of the moses / cot with her face down too, we just left her and it was fine.

[charlottep]

Lochie - my son started doing this when he was 5 months and i was freaked out by it as my brother had died of cot death in the 70s before the back to sleep campaign. I actually ended up calling FSID, the cot death charity, to seek reassurance and they told me that once a baby can rollover over properly (back and forth) the risk is no longer significant and i should leave him to find his own comfortable sleep position. As your boy is 8 months you shouldn't worry about it.

Re the snuffling, I agree with Linzkg, my daughter had a blocked tear duct and we tried numerous things to clear it. I took her to see cranial osteopath and after one session it was totally clear. Maybe a coincidence but the osteopath did spend some time working on it so i have faith that she did the trick. I used Elaine who works in the therapy rooms above health matters on lordship lane.

[Lochie]

thanks everyone - so useful x

[linzkg]

Elaine at dulwich therapy rooms is amazing and has been fantastic to my son

[littleEDfamily]

Re, the snuffling - there is an article in the latest 'Baby London' mag about sleeping and the sleep specialist indicated that actually snuffling is completely normal when babies are in certain phases of their sleep cycle. Obviously there is snuffling due to being blocked up or otherwise unwell, but according to ths guru snuffling can also show they are in a deep sleep.