Tummy Time

Tummy Time Is Important And How It Can Help With Sleep!

I’ve had a couple of conversations this week about tummy time and how it can help with a baby’s sleep, so I thought I would write a quick blog post on it. 

The NHS Start4Life campaign suggests that you start tummy time with your little one as early as possible, starting with them lying on their tummy on your chest and then, when they’re ready, moving them onto the floor to do it. After that, you can gradually increase the length of time you do it each day.  

Tummy time has lots of benefits:

• It helps to strengthen your baby’s neck and back muscles
• It helps to give them a different view of the world!
• It reduces the risks of them developing a flat head
• It helps with future fine motor skills as they use their hands to push up and get stronger
• It helps with sleep! Tummy time really helps with baby’s learning to roll independently – once your baby is able to move around more independently, they are able to find a more comfortable sleeping position and then often sleep more soundly.

What If Your Baby Hates Tummy Time?

Many of my clients tell me that their baby hates tummy time, but it’s worth persevering with, even if it’s just for 5 minutes or so each day. If your baby is grumpy when doing it, there are a few ways you can try and make it a more fun experience!

• Try it with your baby lying on your chest or lap rather than the floor
• Put some toys within easy reach to give your baby something to focus on
• Talking or singing to your baby can make it more fun
• You can always prop your baby up a bit with a small, rolled-up towel if they’re really struggling.