"My baby is flipping in bed now that she is 5 months old, and she can't settle herself back to sleep on her belly. This has become our new "game" during nap time and bedtime, and it’s feeling less and less correct to keep flipping her over. She rolls back again, sometimes for up to an hour at night. I'm losing my marbles, and my baby is not sleeping! Help!"

Sound familiar? You’re not alone, and you're not doing anything wrong. As our babies grow and develop, flipping, sitting up, and standing are natural milestones. While these achievements are exciting, they often come with unexpected sleep challenges — making nights harder not just for your baby but for you, too. Why does this happen, and how can you navigate it without losing your calm? Let’s explore.

On one hand, we celebrate their growing independence and movement. On the other hand, we may find ourselves exhausted and frustrated when these newfound skills become a regular disruption around sleep. The truth is, a significant amount of your baby's physical development happens in their bed during the first year of life.

Babies spend over 50% of their time sleeping during the early months, and even in those moments of waking, their bodies are actively developing. Rolling, kicking, stretching, and practicing new movements are all ways babies build strength and coordination. Cribs serve as a safe space for this physical exploration, and disruptions at night are often signs of developmental progress. When babies are put down already asleep, they miss valuable opportunities to practice these skills. By giving your child the chance to navigate their own movements, you’re supporting their growth in a powerful way.

The Key to Mastering New Skills: Practice and Patience

First, it's essential to recognize that these disruptions are temporary and very natural. Your baby is practicing, learning, and figuring out how to navigate their body. Just like learning to crawl or walk, mastering how to roll back or lie down is a process that takes time.

While there’s no magic solution to speed up the process overnight, you can create an environment that supports learning. One practical approach I recommend is giving your baby practice rounds. Practice rounds give your baby the chance to build strength, coordination, and confidence while experiencing support from you. By offering time instead of immediately flipping them back, you’re providing the space for natural learning. Trust that this temporary phase will pass, and soon your baby will master rolling with ease.

20-Minute Practice Rounds

When your baby flips over or gets stuck in an unfamiliar position, give them 20 minutes to try and find their own way back to comfort before gently helping them return to a familiar position. You’re not leaving them alone; you’re providing time and space to figure things out while offering support and encouragement during the practice round. You will decide how you want to be present for your child during these 20 minutes, depending on the method you decide to work with. You may pop in your head once every few min, stay in the room during the challenge, or just come at the end of practice.

Consistent Intervals

If they flip back again, wait another 20 minutes. This encourages problem-solving without instantly intervening. If you step in, your presence can be a source of confidence for your baby. Show up calmly, encourage their efforts, and let them know you believe in their ability to work through it without rescuing them before the practice round calls for it.

Be Patient

Within a few nights of consistent practice, most babies show significant progress.

This approach isn’t about abandoning your baby to struggle; it’s about empowering them to learn a new skill with your gentle support. We are intervening, yes, but not reducing. That means we may show up to let our child know we are there and believe in them, but without rushing to make them comfortable and "fix" their distress.

Holding Space: A Powerful Concept from D.W. Winnicott

The concept of holding space originates from the psychoanalyst D.W. Winnicott, who described it as the ability to withstand your child's (and your own) difficult emotions without needing them to stop. Supporting your baby through these challenges means staying calm, present, and emotionally available as your child works through their frustration.

Holding space isn’t about fixing the situation. It’s about communicating through your presence that you believe in your child’s ability (and your ability) to handle discomfort. In doing so, you’re teaching them that challenges are a natural part of growth — and that they’re never alone in facing them.

It’s not easy to stay calm when our baby is upset. Your heart might race, and your instinct to intervene may feel overwhelming. But by grounding yourself and offering gentle presence, you are giving your child a powerful gift — the confidence to grow through their frustration. For me, as a mother of four, from young children to a married adult, holding space has remained one of the most impactful parenting tools in my toolkit. Whether it’s a baby flipping in bed or a teenager facing social pressures, the message remains the same:

• You are not too much for me.

• I believe in you.

• I trust you can handle life’s situations.

• I am here with you, centered and supportive, as we navigate discomfort.

A Real-Life Example of Holding Space

Recently, I worked with a young couple and their 5-month-old baby girl. Every time they laid her down to sleep, she immediately flipped over and felt stuck. Night after night, they faced the same challenge — a tough stretch that lasted for two weeks, which can feel like a lifetime when you're sleep-deprived.

Instead of giving up or reducing her back to comfort immediately, they were adamant about supporting her through the challenge. We created a clear plan: allow practice time, provide supportive and encouraging intervention, and stay consistent. I was so proud of these parents for their patience and commitment. Then, I received the best message:

"OMGGGG…GUESS WHO JUST FLIPPED BACK BY HERSELFFFF?!?! 🎉🎉🎉"

That joy? It was earned. Not only did their baby master a new skill, but those parents also grew in confidence. The resilience they practiced during those nights will stay with them, just as their daughter’s newfound independence will.

Shifting Our Perspective as Parents

If holding space is so powerful, why is it so hard? Often, it’s because watching our child struggle triggers our own discomfort. Our instinct may be to jump in and fix things immediately. But when we pause and allow growth to happen, we create space for our child’s confidence to bloom, and for us parents, to become more skillful.

Ask yourself:

• Can I stay centered when my child faces frustration?

• Can I accept the discomfort of watching them struggle without rushing to soothe it away?

• Can I trust that growth is happening, even when it’s not visible yet?

When we shift our focus from "How do I end this?" to "How can I support and believe in my child?", we step into our role as their (and our own) anchor.

Share Your Experience

I’d love to hear from you. Have you faced similar sleep challenges as your baby hit new milestones? What helped you stay calm and hold space through the tough moments? Share your experience in the comments below — your story might be just what another parent needs to hear.