In Chinese medicine, the positions your child take when they sleep tells a lot about their state of balance. If your child regularly sleeps curled up in the foetal position, this indicates that they are cold. They may simply need more covering or they may be suffering more from internal cold - too many raw foods such as salads, fruit, fruit juice and food straight out of the fridge can tip the balance towards them feeling the cold. This is true whether you are breastfeeding and you are eating a lot of this type of thing or whether they are eating solids.
 
If they sleep with their arms and legs thrown outwards and the covers are off however, this indicates internal heat. If it is not a simple case of having too many bed clothes on for that time of year, then it may indicate they are eating inappropriately. Foods that generate a lot of heat include chili, ginger, garlic, lamb and deep fried food. Try cutting these out if this is the case, from your diet if you are breast feeding, or from the child's diet if they are eating themselves. 
 
If they don't like sleeping on their back, this is suggestive of a Lung excess condition which can come in the form of some acute infection or an asthma attack for example. This situation will give you a clue that something might be brewing that may turn a little nasty (if they are normally fine to sleep on their back but all of a sudden won't do it) and so you can get onto sorting it out quick smart if they regularly have respiratory problems.
 
Should they have a preference for sleeping on their side, then this is suggestive of Qi (energy) and Blood deficiency on that side of the body with an excess on the opposite side. For example, a child may prefer to sleep on their right side when there is a right Lung deficiency and left Lung excess.
 
If a child likes to lie on their abdomen it can mean they have a Stomach deficiency, which can manifest as poor appetite. Lying a baby down on their abdomen can cause food stagnation however and is not recommended. It is more difficult to digest any food that is in the digestive tract when they're on their abdomen and they are more likely to have regurgitation of stomach contents in this position which they could choke on.
 
Like all things, if your baby or child likes a range of positions then that's a healthy sign. If they are super keen on one position and not real keen on moving or being placed in other positions, then a Chinese medicine practitioner would take this info into consideration when making a diagnosis and forming a treatment strategy.
 
Shonishin is a great technique to help strengthen your child's digestive, respiratory and immune systems. For more info on this method of treatment click here and scroll down to PAEDIATRICS under REBECCA's SERVICES.