Key takeaways: Always place your baby on their back to sleep. Once your baby can roll from back to tummy and tummy to back on their own, the AAP says you don’t need to turn them back. Stop swaddling when your baby shows signs of trying to roll. Keep the crib bare and give lots of supervised tummy time to build strength.
Rolling is an exciting milestone, but it often raises sleep questions.
When Do Babies Roll?
Many babies roll from tummy to back around 4 months and from back to tummy around 5 to 6 months, though timing varies.
Stop Swaddling
Stop swaddling when your baby shows signs of trying to roll, which can be as early as 2 months. A swaddled baby who rolls onto their tummy may not be able to push up or roll back. Switch to an arms-free sleep sack.
From the author
From First Breath to First Birthday is my month-by-month guide to your baby’s first year, written as a NICU and postpartum nurse. My book covers sleep month by month, alongside feeding, growth and the warning signs that mean it’s time to call the doctor.
What If My Baby Rolls Onto Their Tummy?
- Always place your baby on their back to start every sleep.
- If your baby can roll both ways (back to tummy and tummy to back), the AAP says you can let them stay in the position they choose.
- If your baby rolls onto their tummy but can’t yet roll back, you can gently turn them onto their back. Practice rolling during awake time.
Keep the Crib Safe
- Nothing in the crib except a fitted sheet.
- No positioners or wedges. The FDA and CPSC have warned against sleep positioners.
- Firm, flat mattress.
Help Build Strength
Supervised tummy time while awake helps your baby build the strength to roll and lift their head.
The Bottom Line
Place your baby on their back, stop swaddling when rolling begins, and keep the crib bare. Once your baby rolls both ways, they can choose their sleep position.
Want more support for your baby’s first year? My book, From First Breath to First Birthday, is available on Amazon.
Related Articles
- How to Swaddle Safely, and Exactly When to Stop
- Safe Sleep 101: The ABCs That Protect Your Baby Every Night
- Your Baby at 5 Months
Sources
- Moon RY, Carlin RF, Hand I; Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome; Committee on Fetus and Newborn. Sleep-related infant deaths: updated 2022 recommendations for reducing infant deaths in the sleep environment. Pediatrics. 2022;150(1):e2022057990.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Do not use infant sleep positioners due to the risk of suffocation. https://www.fda.gov
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Safe to Sleep campaign: frequently asked questions. https://safetosleep.nichd.nih.gov
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Always talk with your baby’s health care provider or your own provider about your specific situation. If you think your baby or you may have a medical emergency, call 911.
