Why Do Babies Sleep With Their Butt In The Air?

You might be wondering, why do babies sleep with their butt in the air? Maybe one day you walked into your kid’s room and found their ass up in the air. This is no cause for alarm.

Kids generally enjoy sleeping with their bum up in the air as it offers comfort, helps relieve gas and is the position they spent nine months assuming in the womb.

This posture could otherwise cause a few risks especially if the child isn’t able to turn on their own. Otherwise, let the young one enjoy sleeping whichever way offers them comfort even if it’s with their booty up in the air. 

Let’s explore the reasons and tips for parents to ensure your little one sleeps safely, frog-like pose or not.

Why Do Babies Sleep With Their Butt In The Air, Answered

Many kids tend to adapt to these sleeping positions as it is a very normal stage of development. With this position, your baby will bring out a “frog” resemblance whereby the hips are flexed and open out to the side so that her inner legs are resting on the floor, which is just adorable. That’s why this pose is also popularly used to capture baby’s monthly milestones in photoshoots.

You might start to notice your baby curled up to resemble an ‘M’ from four or six months, in relation to achieving milestones.

Though truthfully, this sleep position will not affect every toddler. Remember, it’s all about their comfort thus, will vary from one toddler to the next, not forgetting they are unique.

Let us list a few reasons why your little one might decide to mimic the frog butt pose.

Reasons Why Most Babies Sleep In The Frog Position

Mimicking the cuddled-up position while in the womb

Your baby has spent more time in a fetal position in the womb than in the world. Muscle memory plays a huge role which is evident in your snuggly cuddly toddler.

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Trying to be comfortable.

Your young one probably finds this position with the butt in the air very comfy, as it calms and centers the mind helping to relieve stress and tension for your young one as they stretch their muscles. It also helps your kid pass gas, which is a relief for them – you don’t even need to whip out the gripe water or baby oil.

Getting ready to crawl.

In this stage of development, your toddler is slowly learning how to balance, stiffening the neck, arms back, and thighs as they try to flop forward, the end goal being to crawl.

Many babies fall asleep with their butts in the air and hands, offering support enhancing the development of motor skills, allowing core baby’s muscles to grow, similar to tummy time.

Feeling like being held by parents.

Is your baby the cuddly type, and do you love to sit rocking your kid to sleep? If yes, they will mostly take up sleeping on their belly in a bid to replace your touch and warmth as well as self-soothe.

Falling asleep during tummy time or playtime

If you have researched young one’s sleep, you will witness that we need to create tummy time for our babies. As they play, our young ones will happen to fall asleep where it finds them, in their playroom or on the play mat. We can attribute it to laziness or tiredness, and this is perfectly normal.

Is The Baby Bootie Pose A Dangerous Sleep Position?

If your kid often falls asleep face down butt up, it can be considered dangerous as research has found out that babies sleeping on their back are safer. But this will mainly depend on whether your precious one can quickly turn while sleeping.

If they can, then it’s no cause for alarm, but if they still can’t, you might need to keep checking on them as they nap or at night to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which is mainly caused by suffocation.

The rule of thumb is to ensure they lay on their backs until they are old enough to roll over, usually after their first birthday.

Tips To Ensure A Safe Sleep If Your Baby Likes To Sleep Face Down

You have tried flipping your baby over on their back, but they still go back to the booty in the air position. Don’t get frustrated. We can still make this sleeping position safe for our infants, ensuring they get the much-needed rest they deserve when fast asleep.

• Ensure that you have noticed that your baby can easily roll, back to belly and belly to back awake and asleep.
• Keep away the swaddle or any other bedding and blanket that might suffocate the young one during sleep.
• Use a firm sleep surface that will not indent, like a good crib mattress. Ensure the surface your kid sleeps on is baby safe to ensure the kid does not’ ‘re-breathe’ exhaled air.
• Avoid any pillows or stuffed dolls in the baby’s crib as they pose a suffocation risk.

Old Wives’ Tales About Baby Sleeping With Bum In Air

Myths and tales out there are trying to figure out why your young one sleeps with the booty pose. Some of you may have heard of these from your parents, grandparents, friends or relatives:

• Baby is calling for a sibling: Some myths suggest that when our young ones sleep with their butts in the air, they are craving the birth of another sibling.
• Someone nearby is pregnant: Some people believe that with the baby taking up the frog position, there might be a friend or relative who is pregnant or the kid is detecting pregnancy.
• It is a sign of baby fear: According to some beliefs, your baby sleeping curled with their legs underneath is a sign of fear.
• Hinders blood flow: Some old wives tales insist that when your baby tends to sleep with their butt up, blood does not flow as it should in the body.
• May hamper walking: Other myths have it that when babies like to sleep face down, it derails their gross motor skills.
• It causes bowlegs: As false as this could be, some myths persist that when your baby sleeps with their butt in the air, it triggers them to develop bowlegs.

As much as they sound like they could be true, the above myths do not explain any facts therefore if you come across them, enjoy but do not take them seriously. 

FAQ’s

Do I have to keep flipping my baby onto their back every time they roll over in their sleep?

Yes, you will have to keep flipping your baby over IF the young one cannot roll back on their own. Though mostly as you flip them, you are interfering with their sleeping patterns, making them awake. At this point, it is advisable that babies sleep with their parents in bed for easier monitoring.

NO, because once your young one has mastered how to roll over on their own, they will comfortably switch to a position that best suits them.

At what age can babies sleep on their stomachs?

The recommended age by experts is one year old. Your baby has the agility they require to decrease any SIDS occurrence at this stage.

We cannot overlook that some of our little ones from 4-6 months have already developed their core muscles; thus, they can comfortably sleep on their stomachs with their butt in the air and roll over on their backs as they will.

Do babies sleep better in the frog position?

Yes, many babies will sleep better with butt in the air as it is comfortable, and it will help your baby release tension in their hips and pressure on their neck and back.

This pose will only become dangerous if your little one cannot flip on their own, but otherwise, it’s a soothing pose for your little one.

Conclusion

If you’ve ever attended a yoga class, it is more likely that you’ve had to assume the child’s pose position.

This bum in the air pose position is stolen from kids who sleep with their butt in the air. There is a reason why this position is famous in yoga; it has immense benefits for the brain and body. 

I hope this article is helpful as you go through this fun-filled journey of raising your little ones. Next time don’t be alarmed when you see a baby sleep with their butts in the air.

We love hearing your experiences with your young ones as they sleep tush. The comment section is open for you.

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