Tummy Time: How and When

Little Route Lab · Updated 2026-08-31 · 12 min read

The short answerTummy time is supervised, awake play on the stomach and can begin from birth in short sessions when a caregiver is fully awake and watching. Increase gradually using chest, lap, floor, or supported positions appropriate for the baby. If the baby falls asleep, move them to a clear, firm, flat sleep surface on their back; any incline over 10 degrees is unsafe for sleep. Call emergency services for breathing difficulty, inability to wake, seizure, or concerning colour change, checking palms and soles on brown or black skin.

The short answer

Tummy time is supervised, awake play with your baby lying on their stomach. The American Academy of Pediatrics says you can start the day your baby gets home from the hospital. The NHS says you can start from birth by lying your baby on your chest, but only when you are wide awake and unlikely to fall asleep. Two rules apply everywhere. Your baby must be awake, and someone must be watching. Tummy time is never a sleep position, and sleep is on the back.

When to get help now

Emergency. Call 999 in the UK, 911 in the US, or your local emergency number. The NHS places all four of these signs in its "call 999 or go to A&E" group, its most urgent tier.

Your baby is breathing very fast or has difficulty breathing. The NHS notes they may make grunting noises or suck in their tummy when they breathe.
Your baby has blue, grey, pale or blotchy (mottled) skin, lips or tongue. The NHS bullet does not stop there: "on black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of their hands or soles of their feet". Check the palms and the soles.
Your baby has fainted, is difficult to wake, or cannot be woken.
Your baby is having a seizure (fit).

Those four are 4 of the 11 signs in that tier. Here are the other 7, so this is not a shortened emergency list. Swollen lips, tongue or throat with difficulty swallowing or talking. Skin that feels cold or damp (clammy) to touch. A rash that does not fade when you press it. A very high temperature, 38C or higher in babies under 3 months old, or 39C or higher in babies 3 to 6 months old. A very low temperature, less than 36C, or feeling cold to touch or shivery. A weak, high-pitched or continuous cry. Not having had a pee in the past 12 hours. All 11 are on the NHS page linked in the Sources.

Not an emergency, but do not leave it.

If your baby falls asleep during tummy time, move them. Writing about lap time, the AAP says to transfer them to the bed, but place them down to sleep on their back.
Never leave your baby alone on their stomach. The NICHD's definition requires that the baby is awake and someone is watching.
The NHS says to see a GP if you are concerned about the shape or size of your baby's head, or if your baby's head is always tilted to one side or they have difficulty turning their head. That is the UK route. Outside the UK, take the same signs to your baby's own doctor.
The AAP gives four reasons to talk to your doctor about a young baby's movement. Your baby stops doing something they used to do, is not using a part or side of the body, seems too floppy, or jitters or shakes too much.
The NHS says that if you are worried your baby is not showing any signs of moving by 12 months, ask your health visitor for advice in the UK, or your baby's own doctor elsewhere.
The NHS says to call 111 if you are worried about any of your child's symptoms or do not know what to do. That is the UK service. Elsewhere, call your baby's own doctor or local equivalent.

If you are worried about your baby right now, you do not need a reason that satisfies anyone. Call your pediatrician, your local out-of-hours service, or your emergency number. Trusting your instinct is the correct response.

What tummy time actually is

The NICHD, which runs the Safe to Sleep campaign, defines it plainly. Tummy time refers to placing a baby on their stomach while they are awake and someone is watching them. Those two conditions are the safety mechanism. A baby asleep on their stomach, or alone in an empty room, is not doing tummy time.

The AAP says healthy babies are safest when sleeping on their backs at nighttime and during naps, and frames the pair as back to sleep, tummy to play.

The NICHD says tummy time helps strengthen a baby's neck, shoulder and arm muscles so the baby can start to sit up, crawl and eventually walk, and helps prevent flat spots on the back of the head. The NHS says it helps strengthen the back, neck and shoulders. On sudden infant death syndrome the NICHD's sentence runs whole: "Although it does not directly reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), tummy time is an important way to help baby grow and develop." Tummy time is a development activity, not a sleep intervention.

When to start, and how much

The AAP says you can start the day your baby gets home from the hospital. The NICHD says most babies can begin a day or two after birth. The NHS says from birth on your chest, only when you are wide awake and unlikely to fall asleep. If your baby was born early, was in intensive care, or has any medical history that makes you hesitate, ask their own clinician first.

On amounts, each body says it differently, so here is each on its own terms.

The AAP says to play with your baby while they are awake and on their tummy 2 to 3 times each day for a short time of 3 to 5 minutes, then work up to 15 to 30 minutes each day by 7 weeks.

The NICHD describes two or three short tummy time sessions of 3 to 5 minutes each day at the start, and 15 to 30 minutes of total tummy time daily by around 2 months.

The World Health Organization's 2019 guidelines say infants under 1 year should be physically active several times a day, and that for those not yet mobile this includes at least 30 minutes in prone position, meaning tummy time, spread through the day while awake. Its wording is at least 30 minutes, not a fixed target.

The NHS does not lead with a number. It says to gradually increase the amount of time day by day, and to try tummy time on the floor when your baby is ready.

Positions, and what to do if your baby hates it

Crying during tummy time is common and not a sign you are doing it wrong. The NHS says of babies who dislike it that this is very normal for lots of babies, and the floor is not the only option. A different thing is a baby breathing very fast or with difficulty breathing, or with blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue, easier to see on the palms or soles on black or brown skin. The NHS puts both in its call 999 group. That is a call now, not after the session.

On your chest. The NHS's wording is lying your baby on your chest, only when you are wide awake and unlikely to fall asleep. The AAP calls its version tummy to tummy, positioning your newborn on your stomach or chest while you are awake and in a reclined position on a chair, bed or floor. The reclined detail is the AAP's, not the NHS's.

Across your lap. The AAP describes positioning your baby tummy down across your lap lengthwise while supporting the head.

Change position often. The AAP says to take care to vary your baby's position every 10 to 15 minutes during playtime.

The NHS does not tell you to stop. It gives four things to try, and all four are here. Lying your baby on your chest, or lap. Putting some toys out within easy reach. Talking, singing, interacting with your baby. Propping your baby up a bit by putting a small, rolled-up towel under their arms. Its words on how often are to try doing this every day, for a short amount of time, and you will gradually build tummy time until your baby is used to it.

Head shape

The AAP says that although it is possible for a baby to develop a flat spot on the head, it usually rounds out as they grow older and sit up.

The NHS says a baby's skull is soft and can easily change shape. It lists exactly two things that can cause flat head syndrome. Spending a lot of time sleeping with the back or side of the head pressed against the mattress, and tight neck muscles, torticollis, which makes a baby always rest their head on the same side.

Being born with a flat head is separate, and the NHS's sentence there has two halves that belong together. Some babies are born with a flat head, and the NHS says this may happen if they are born prematurely and is usually benign. The half that has to travel with it, in the NHS's words: "But rarely it can be a sign of something more serious, such as a condition called craniosynostosis." Prematurity is not on the NHS's list of causes of flat head syndrome. You do not need to be sure it is serious before you take the shape or size of your baby's head to a GP, or to your baby's own doctor outside the UK.

The NHS advises checking the shape of your baby's head for any changes, giving your baby plenty of time on their tummy while they are awake, changing the position of your baby's toys and mobiles when they are lying on their back, and varying the side you feed and carry your baby. It says not to change your baby's sleeping position, because they should always sleep on their back, and not to let your baby spend too much time lying in a pram or sitting in a car seat.

Helmets and headbands are not available on the NHS to treat flat head syndrome because there is not enough evidence to show they work. If helmets come up for your baby, that is a conversation with their own clinician.

The AAP calls congenital torticollis by far the most common cause of head tilt in children under age five, usually detected in the first six to eight weeks after birth when the pediatrician notices tightness in one of the neck muscles. Only a clinician can identify it, and the AAP stresses correcting it early.

What the evidence base looks like

A 2020 systematic review by Hewitt and colleagues in Pediatrics included 16 articles representing 4,237 participants from 8 countries, in healthy infants aged 0 to 12 months. Tummy time was positively associated with gross motor and total development, a reduction in BMI-z score, and prevention of brachycephaly. Associations were indeterminate for social and cognitive domains and for plagiocephaly, and no association was found for fine motor development or communication. On limitations the authors say most studies were observational in design and lacked the robustness of a randomized controlled trial, and that high selection and performance bias were also present.

The AAP says most babies in their second month can lift their head up when lying on their tummies. If yours is not doing that, or has stopped doing something they used to do, tell their doctor.

Sleep is still on the back

Nothing here changes safe sleep. The AAP's safe sleep page carries 14 recommendations. The four below bear directly on tummy time. They are part of that longer list, not the whole of it, and all 14 are on the page linked in the Sources.

Put your baby on their back for all naps and at night. Use a firm, flat sleep surface, and the AAP defines what that means in two sentences that belong together: "A firm surface means that it shouldn't indent when your baby is lying on it. Any surface that inclines more than 10 degrees isn't safe for your baby to sleep on." That rules out propping a congested baby on a slope. Keep your baby's sleep area in the same room, but not the same bed, where you sleep for at least the first 6 months. Keep soft objects and loose bedding out of your baby's sleep area. The AAP applies this to babies up to 1 year of age.

The AAP also sets conditions on swaddling. Make sure that your baby is always on their back when swaddled. The swaddle should not be too tight or make it hard for your baby to breathe or move their hips. When your baby looks like they are trying to roll over, you should stop swaddling them, and rolling over usually happens around 3 to 4 months but it can happen earlier. Do not use weighted swaddle blankets or weighted objects like rice bags inside the swaddle. Rolling changes what a baby does in the cot, not how you put them down, which is on the back.

What this article is

This is general guidance from named national bodies, and each body's routing belongs to its own country. Anything about your own baby is a conversation with their clinician.

Continue with milestone ranges first year and safe sleep for babies.

Sources

Back to Sleep, Tummy to Play - American Academy of Pediatrics, last updated 8 September 2023. Starting the day your baby gets home, the session figures, the 15 to 30 minutes by 7 weeks, back sleeping, and the flat spot rounding out.
A Parent's Guide to Safe Sleep - American Academy of Pediatrics, last updated 8 January 2026. The page carries 14 recommendations. Four are quoted here, plus the firm surface definition with the 10 degree incline sentence, and the full swaddling conditions.
3 Tummy Time Activities to Try With Your Baby - American Academy of Pediatrics, last updated 25 July 2023. Tummy to tummy including the reclined posture, lap time, side lying with the rolled-up towel, and the 10 to 15 minute position change. The instruction to transfer a sleeping baby to the bed and place them down on their back sits under lap time specifically.
Movement: Birth to 3 Months - American Academy of Pediatrics, last updated 12 August 2020. Head lifting in the second month and all four talk to your doctor prompts.
Head Tilt (Torticollis) - American Academy of Pediatrics, last updated 21 August 2020. Torticollis as the most common cause of head tilt under age five, detection in the first six to eight weeks, and early correction.
Benefits of Tummy Time - NICHD Safe to Sleep campaign, United States. The definition, starting a day or two after birth, the session figures, the benefits, and the SIDS sentence quoted whole.
Baby moves - NHS, United Kingdom. Starting from birth on your chest only when wide awake, the back neck and shoulders benefit, increasing time day by day, moving to the floor when ready, that disliking it is very normal, all four things to try, and the health visitor line about no signs of moving by 12 months.
Flat head syndrome (plagiocephaly and brachycephaly) - NHS, United Kingdom, last reviewed 16 January 2026. The soft skull statement, the two listed causes, the separate born-with-a-flat-head sentence including prematurity and craniosynostosis, the four do items and two don't items, the reasons to see a GP, and the helmet position.
When to get urgent medical help for babies and children under 5 - NHS, United Kingdom, last reviewed 6 August 2026. All 11 signs in the call 999 or go to A&E tier, including the skin colour bullet with its brown and black skin clause reproduced verbatim, and the call 111 line.
To grow up healthy, children need to sit less and play more - World Health Organization, 24 April 2019. Physically active several times a day, and at least 30 minutes in prone position while awake for infants not yet mobile.
Tummy Time and Infant Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review - Hewitt L, Kerr E, Stanley RM, Okely AD. Pediatrics, volume 145, issue 6, 2020. The 16 articles, 4,237 participants and 8 countries figures, the healthy infants 0 to 12 months population, the outcome findings, and the limitation wording including high selection and performance bias. The PubMed web page returns a cookie wall, so the abstract was read from the NCBI E-utilities record for this PubMed ID.

Parents also ask

When can I start tummy time?

The American Academy of Pediatrics says you can start the day your baby gets home from the hospital. The NICHD says most babies can begin a day or two after birth. The NHS says you can start from birth by lying your baby on your chest, but only when you are wide awake and unlikely to fall asleep. Your baby must be awake and someone must be watching the whole time. If your baby was born early or has any medical history, ask their own clinician first.

How much tummy time does my baby need each day?

Each body says it differently, so here is each on its own terms rather than an average. The AAP describes 2 to 3 sessions a day of 3 to 5 minutes at first, working up to 15 to 30 minutes each day by 7 weeks. The NICHD gives the same starting figure and 15 to 30 minutes of total daily tummy time by around 2 months of age. The World Health Organization says infants not yet mobile should get at least 30 minutes in the prone position spread through the day while awake, and its wording is at least 30 minutes rather than a fixed target. All of it must be awake and supervised.

My baby cries the whole time. Can I skip it?

The NHS says disliking tummy time is very normal for lots of babies, and it does not tell you to stop. It gives four things to try, and all four are here: lying your baby on your chest, or lap, putting some toys out within easy reach, talking, singing, interacting with your baby, and propping your baby up a bit by putting a small, rolled-up towel under their arms. On how often, its words are to try doing this every day, for a short amount of time, and you will gradually build tummy time until your baby is used to it. The AAP also describes side lying, placing your baby on a blanket on their side and, if needed, propping their back against a rolled-up towel. Crying is common. A baby who is breathing very fast or has difficulty breathing, or who has blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue, is a different thing. The NHS puts both of those in its call 999 group, and on black or brown skin it says the colour change may be easier to see on the palms of their hands or soles of their feet. Check the palms and soles, and if you see it, call 999 or your local emergency number now. All of this is awake and supervised, with you watching the whole time. None of these positions is ever a sleep position. Sleep is on the back, on a firm flat surface, in their own sleep space with nothing else in it.

What if my baby falls asleep during tummy time?

Move them. Writing about lap time, where the baby lies tummy down across your lap, the AAP says that if they fall asleep in that position, transfer them to the bed, but place them down to sleep on their back. Tummy time is defined by two conditions, awake and watched, and a sleeping baby meets neither. Current AAP safe sleep guidance is back sleeping for all naps and at night, on a firm, flat sleep surface, with soft objects and loose bedding kept out of the sleep area, and with your baby's sleep area in your room but not your bed for at least the first 6 months. The AAP defines the surface in two sentences that belong together: a firm surface should not indent when your baby is lying on it, and any surface that inclines more than 10 degrees is not safe for your baby to sleep on, so a propped or sloped surface is not a sleep surface. Those four points are part of a longer list of 14 recommendations on the AAP page, not the whole of it. And if your baby is difficult to wake or cannot be woken, that is not sleep. The NHS puts it in the call 999 or go to A&E group, so call now.

Will tummy time stop my baby getting a flat head?

The NICHD says tummy time helps prevent flat spots on the back of the head. The AAP says that although a flat spot can develop, it usually rounds out as babies grow older and sit up. The NHS lists exactly two causes of flat head syndrome, spending a lot of time sleeping with the back or side of the head pressed against the mattress, and tight neck muscles, torticollis. It advises checking the shape of your baby's head for any changes, varying the side you feed and carry your baby, and not letting your baby spend too much time in a pram or car seat, and it says not to change your baby's sleeping position, because they should always sleep on their back. Being born with a flat head is separate. The NHS says this may happen if a baby is born prematurely and is usually benign, but the next half of that sentence travels with it: rarely it can be a sign of something more serious, such as a condition called craniosynostosis. So if you are concerned about the shape or size of your baby's head, or if their head is always tilted to one side or they have difficulty turning it, the NHS route is to see a GP. Outside the UK, take the same signs to your baby's own doctor. You do not need to be sure it is serious before you ask.

Independent guidance, not medical advice. We do not diagnose or recommend treatments or doses. For any concern about your baby, contact your pediatrician or local emergency service.