Why Babies Shouldn’t Sleep In The Car Seat

Most babies fall asleep while driving, that’s completely normal. But the child seat was not developed to let toddlers sleep in it, but to guarantee their safety. You should therefore be careful when your baby sleeps in the car seat. 

You have tried everything to put your little child to sleep, but to no avail. So you put it in the  car seat  and do a lap around the block. And the miracle happens: your baby sleeps immediately!

You are happy now because you made it. But have you ever wondered whether it is good for the child to sleep in the  car seat  ?

Why do babies fall asleep quickly in the car seat?

The cradle and the extreme silence in the nursery do not remind the baby of the 9 months in the womb. In the uterus, the small abdominal dweller has it very comfortably in the amniotic fluid, even if there is not much space. 

The child hears the heart and digestive noises, as well as the mother’s breathing. Her voice and music from the outside world can also be heard if you place them directly on the mother’s belly. When the mother walks, climbs up and down the stairs, or does sports, the child moves comfortably.

Noises can still be heard while the mother is sleeping. And all these movements and noises make the child fall asleep. One can therefore well imagine that a baby feels lonely in a large cradle and a quiet nursery and cannot find any sleep.

But in the car it’s completely different:  the continuous vibration while driving, the constant engine noise and the pleasant warmth make the child fall asleep quickly. It remembers its time in the womb.

But is it good to sleep in the car seat?

The car seat has been specially developed for children to ensure their safety while they are being transported in the car. In many countries, child seats are required by law in cars. 

It is a basic safety measure for your child that can save their life, for example in a collision. It should therefore actually only be transported in a safe child seat. 

Otherwise the child could be thrown out of the car in an accident. The car seat must therefore always correspond to the age and weight of the child so that it can actually fulfill its protective functions. 

So why not sleep in the car seat?

You can’t prevent your child from sleeping in the car. But to ensure its safety, you should always monitor it and make sure that it is in the right posture. 

Your child is still very sensitive and changes their positions while driving. If possible, it’s best to sit in the back seat next to your baby to accompany them. If you are traveling alone with your child, it is advisable to avoid long car journeys.

You can use it to prevent the following risk situations:

• Since your child does not have sufficient control over his head in the first few weeks of life, the movement of the vehicle often causes it to  fall forward and block the airways. The child could experience shortness of breath as a result.

• The  posture in the car seat must always be checked carefully. Don’t forget to fasten all the straps securely. The child’s body could compress the chest and stomach area from an incorrect position. If the head also falls forward, the child may have more difficulty breathing.
• In particular, as long as the baby is not yet properly controlling its body, the oxygen supply can decrease while driving. Therefore, you should make sure that your child does not stay in the car seat for too long. It still doesn’t have enough strength to hold itself.
• In winter you shouldn’t give your child a too thick coat. The seat belts cannot function properly if the clothing is too thick! 

What to do if my child is still sleeping in the car seat when we get home?

You should still get your baby out of the car seat. It is not recommended to let it sleep in it for longer. The child seats are not intended for sleeping, but for the safety of the child. 

Of course it will be difficult for you because you don’t want to wake your child after all. But you still have to take it out of the seat because it could adopt a harmful posture and inhale too little air.

When they wake up, take them in your arms and calm them down with a lullaby. The warmth and love of his mother will make him fall asleep again!