The topic of keeping babies safely on their backs during sleep is something I’ve spent years thinking about. I’ve been deeply inspired by Anne Diamond’s Back to Sleep campaign, which played a pivotal role in raising awareness about the importance of back sleeping to prevent cot death—the former term for SIDS. Her mission has always stayed with me, influencing my own work in guiding parents through safer sleep practices.
Over the many years I have helped parents get their babies to sleep, I’ve also heard from families following the Save Our Sleep program for Extended Back Sleep who noticed that their babies—previously content back sleepers—had started flipping onto their tummies. This prompted me to explore why this might be happening.
One common reason I hear about is coldness. Babies, like us, seek warmth during sleep, and if they get too cold, they may flip onto their tummies to conserve heat. I remember working with one family who were very careful about their baby’s sleep setup, yet their little one kept rolling over. After some investigation, we found the baby was becoming cold at night, prompting movement and tummy flipping.
This is where the Save Our Sleep Bedding Guide becomes so essential—it ensures your baby has the correct bedding. Using the right blankets helps keep your baby both warm and secure, reducing their need to change positions. Once this family followed the bedding guide and adjusted the layers, their baby stayed comfortably on their back all night, in the safe sleeping position.
Another possible reason for tummy sleeping is teething—especially when molars start to come through. I’ve heard from many parents whose babies, usually back sleepers, begin flipping during this stage. I remember one particular mummy who was confused by her baby’s sudden change in sleeping habits.
What could you do about teething and tummy sleep?
Continue putting your baby to bed on their back. If they roll onto their tummy, gently roll them back and adjust the bedding. Repeat this process about six times. If they continue to roll onto their tummy, leave them in that position but reduce their blanket layers to two. For babies over 18 months, reduce to four layers. Keep this up each night. Most parents find that one night, their baby will naturally stay on their back again, returning to the safe sleep position.
Sometimes, too much day sleep—or sleep at the wrong times—may also play a role. In the Save Our Sleep program, routines are key to ensuring your baby gets the right amount of sleep during the day, which is crucial for a restful night. When a baby isn’t tired enough, they may have too much energy at bedtime, leading to restlessness and rolling.
The best way to avoid this is by following the routines outlined in the Save Our Sleep books and joining our Happy Baby Sleep and Settling Clinic. If you’re experiencing issues like catnapping and have ruled out causes such as cold or hunger, it may be time to adjust your routine to better suit your baby’s needs.
Finally, some babies flip onto their tummies due to ear pain. I’ve heard from parents whose babies roll to relieve discomfort from ear infections. One mum in particular was at a loss, unable to figure out why her baby kept rolling—until they discovered an ear infection was the cause. Once the infection was treated, her baby returned to sleeping on their back as usual.
Each of these scenarios has shown me that while flipping onto the tummy may be a challenge, understanding the reasons behind it gives us the tools to help our babies stay safely on their backs. At Save Our Sleep, we emphasise the importance of Extended Back Sleeping as the safest position for your baby.
One of the most common causes of tummy sleeping is cold, so if your baby is sleeping on their tummy, please act now and check their sleep environment. Tummy sleeping is not safe, and making simple adjustments—like ensuring your baby is warm enough—could make all the difference.
Save Our Sleep toddlers sleep on their back when they move to a big bed.
You can see my youngest Ciarán sleeping on his back above on My first pillow sleeping in a 2.5 TOG sleep suit at aged 4 and look at Kingsley at at daycare, 18 months and still on her back!
The reason she is sleeping so well is her clever mummy sends all her Save Our Sleep bedding with her.
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