Bumps SmittenHow many times have you walked into your child’s room and seen him sleeping with his bum in the air? Well, don’t panic just yet! Most of the time, this shouldn’t cause any alarm. But why do toddlers sleep with their bum in the air, then?
Many kids love to sleep with their bum up in the air because the position provides comfort and even helps relieve gas. This is also the same position that they assumed during the 9 months spent inside their mother’s womb.
However, the posture may pose some risks, particularly when your child cannot turn on his own yet. Otherwise, you can just allow your little one to enjoy sleeping any way he wants as long as it makes him comfortable even if it means having his booty up in the air.
Read on below to explore the different reasons why toddlers love this particular sleeping position, also sometimes called the frog position.
They Find the Position Comfortable
Now, you might think that this sleeping position is not comfortable for you as an adult. However, yoga enthusiasts may think otherwise. This pose is also known as the child’s pose, and this has been proven to offer benefits for both your body and your brain. The pose helps your body center and calm itself. It is also considered one of the best poses in yoga that helps relieve stress.
While your baby doesn’t know or understand yet all of its scientific benefits, he knows that this position causes less tension every time he sleeps. It also promotes better blood and oxygen circulation and helps your baby’s body feel rejuvenated and restored.
Your baby feels good when he sleeps in this particular position as part of their innate ability to determine what makes them feel more content and relaxed.
They Just Fell Asleep During Playtime or Tummy Time
If you have already researched how babies sleep, you have probably learned the importance of creating tummy time for your little one.
Tummy time refers to the times when babies are placed on their stomachs while they are awake and there is someone to keep an eye on them. Tummy time is essential for many reasons, such as preventing flat spots behind the head of your baby.
One of the reasons why toddlers sleep with their bum in the air is because they just fell asleep during tummy time. They might also do so in the middle of playing. This is something that you can attribute to tiredness or even laziness and is considered perfectly normal.
It Offers Stress Relief for Toddlers
One more reason why sleeping babies love this specific position is that it provides them stress relief. It is hardcoded into human memories that the fetal position is reminiscent of safety and that it helps relieve the body from muscle tension and stress.
This may sound a bit strange, but it is the very reason why it is among the most common yoga poses. Resting in this pose frees the body from most of the tension that helps in relaxation.
Now, you might think that is nonsense to assume that babies also feel stressed out, but all those cries definitely come from somewhere. If your baby is ever fussy or your little one experiences colic, you surely know how important it is to give him all the help he needs for him to relax.
Sleeping with their bum in the air is his secret weapon. After a long and tiring day of crying, the only thing your baby wants is to lay down and fall into a deep slumber as soon as possible, something that all adults can definitely relate to.
It Makes Toddlers Feel Like Being Held
Toddlers loved to be rocked and cuddled to sleep. If your little one prefers going to sleep this way, it wouldn’t be a surprise to find them sleeping with their bum in the air. This is because it reminds your baby of being held. If you hold your toddler to sleep, their legs slightly press into their stomach and it puts pressure on their bodies, something that they absolutely love.
It Makes the Movements of Toddlers Easier
When your toddler starts moving on his own, he might want to do it all the time. The muscles of babies develop once they come of age.
A toddler’s ligaments tend to lengthen and loosen up. This allows them to sprawl out in certain positions similar to what adults can do.
Sleeping with their booty up in the air ensures that other movements they make while sleeping or even while awake make everything easy and quick for them.
It Reminds Toddlers of the Womb
When your toddler curls up his knees to the chest, this makes him feel like he is inside your womb, and all babies just love to be in the womb! Depending on the age of your baby, chances are he spent more of his life in the womb compared to the real world. This is why it wouldn’t be a surprise that your baby prefers to curl up this way while sleeping.
Although your baby doesn’t remember those times spent in the womb, the muscle memory is quite real. After all, they spent 9 months there, so their body finds the position more comfortable. Every person has a favorite position that they find comfortable and natural and for most babies and toddlers, it is the frog position.
Is It Dangerous for Toddlers to Sleep with Their Bum in the Air?
It is actually safer for babies to sleep on their back because sleeping face down with their bum up in the air may be a bit dangerous.
However, it mainly depends on whether your toddler can quickly turn when sleeping. It is no cause for alarm if they can but if not, it is best to keep an eye on them at night or while napping to prevent any issues, such as SIDS or sudden infant death syndrome that is often the result of suffocation.
