Is it OK for a newborn to sleep on his side?

There are many sleeping positions for newborns. The most common ones are lying on their backs and lying on their sides. Of course, it is also possible for children to sleep on their stomachs. In daily life, parents must understand their children’s sleeping positions and learn how to adjust their children’s sleeping positions, which will help the baby’s good health. It is also beneficial for newborns to sleep on their side, but not for too long, as this can easily put a certain burden on the heart.

Is it OK for a newborn to sleep on his side?

The significance of choosing a sleeping position for a newborn is to create a good-looking head shape and to facilitate digestive function. Generally speaking, it is best for newborns to sleep alternately on their left side, right side, and back. Comparing these three sleeping positions for newborns, if the baby lies on the right side, it is easier to help the baby digest food than on the left side. In addition, if a newborn baby lies on his left side for a long time, it can easily compress the heart and put a burden on it. Of course, it is also beneficial to choose to lie on your left side occasionally. This can put slight pressure on the heart, exercise the heart function, and make you less susceptible to heart disease.

Whether the baby sleeps on the left or right side, he should not sleep on the same side all the time. If you often sleep in the same posture, your head will be uneven. For example, lying flat will cause the left-right diameter to be significantly larger than the front-back diameter. Sleeping on the left side will cause the left side of the head to be flat and the right side to be convex. Lying on the right side will cause the right side to be concave and the left side to be convex.

If your baby no longer spit up milk and can burp after eating, then there is no need to always put him in a side-lying position. He can sleep on his left side, right side, back, or even on his stomach. It is best to try all kinds of sleeping positions, but when sleeping on his stomach, be careful not to press the baby's mouth and nose on the bed to affect his breathing.

How parents adjust the sleeping position of newborns

Babies cannot maintain the same sleeping position for a long time. If the sleeping position of a newborn needs to be adjusted, in order not to wake up the sleeping baby, parents should use two towels to help the baby adjust his sleeping position while dreaming.

1. Roll a towel into a tube.

2. Roll the other towel into a tube in the opposite direction, but leave some space in the middle of the towel and don't roll it up completely.

3. Let the baby lie in the towel rolled up in step 2. The rolled parts on both sides can help the baby's body stay on its side without tilting.

4. Place the rolled towel in step 1 on the baby's back, so that it can fully support the baby's small body.