Can Babies Sleep in Car Seats Safely?

Many parents use car seats as a quick way to help their babies fall asleep, especially on family outings or during busy days. It can feel comforting to see a newborn rest peacefully in a seat designed for safety. The quiet hum of the car or a stroll through a restaurant often seems like the perfect setting for a much-needed nap.

Recent findings, however, suggest that parents need to consider more when it comes to infants sleeping in car seats. Even healthy babies face unexpected risks if parents do not use car seats strictly as intended. Sleep-related deaths in sitting devices, like car seats, often occur when caregivers use the device outside of a moving vehicle or fail to strap in the infant correctly. This highlights the need for greater awareness about the safest environments for infants to sleep.

Why Sleeping in a Car Seat Can Be Risky

A car seat keeps babies safe during a drive, but it does not provide a good place for a baby to sleep for a long time outside of the car. The way a baby sits in the seat can create hazards.

If a baby falls asleep in an upright position, their head might fall forward, blocking their airway. This positional asphyxia happens when the baby’s chin drops to their chest, making it hard for air to flow in and out, and breathing may stop. Such incidents have led to infant deaths when caregivers left babies to sleep in their car seats out of the car.

Reports show that babies can get tangled in or trapped by the harness straps. If caregivers do not buckle the straps correctly or leave some straps unfastened, a baby might slip down in the seat. The baby’s neck can come across a strap, causing strangulation. Caregivers must always secure harnesses and ensure a snug fit for safety.

Car seat manufacturers test seats at a specific angle to protect children in a moving vehicle, but that protection changes when someone places the seat on a flat or uneven surface after removing it from the car. This new angle may not protect the baby’s airway as well as the angle inside the car.

Some stroller systems or shopping carts allow parents to clip in the car seat, letting a child stay in a sitting position for even longer. This increases risks, especially if the child remains unsupervised or spends too much time in that position.

Most experts, like the American Academy of Pediatrics, warn that infants should not sleep for long periods in car seats when not traveling. Infant deaths linked to car seat sleeping often stem from improper use, such as not buckling every strap or leaving a child unsupervised.

Child passenger safety depends on parents always using the safety features as intended. Harness and strap placement play a critical role, and caregivers should fasten every piece, even outside the car. When someone leaves a child alone in a car seat, especially if caregivers are asleep or distracted, the chance of something going wrong increases.

Equipment recalls have also contributed to deaths in car seats, so parents and caregivers should check car seat models for safety updates. Following car seat guidelines and using cribs or bassinets for regular sleep instead of car seats helps protect against SIDS, positional asphyxia, and other dangers.

Steps Parents Can Take

Parents can follow several simple actions to keep their babies safe when using rear-facing car seats and infant car seats, especially if the baby falls asleep during a drive. Limiting the total time a baby spends in a car seat is important, especially for very young infants and those born early.

Take regular breaks on long drives to remove the baby from the car seat, check on their comfort, and let them change positions to help prevent issues that may arise from spending too long in a seated position.

When you reach your destination and the baby is still sleeping in the rear-facing or infant car seat, follow certain steps. If you need to keep the baby in the seat for a short time, give full attention to the baby and keep the seat straps fastened correctly. Never leave the baby alone, even for a brief period, and avoid staying inside a warm car as it poses risks related to temperature and breathing. Ideally, keep the baby in the car seat for only a very brief period unless traveling.

Move a sleeping baby from the car seat to their crib or bassinet carefully, even though it can be stressful to wake them. For a smooth transition, carry the entire infant car seat into a quiet and dark room to create a calm environment. Gently lift the baby from the seat and place them into a safe, flat sleep space like a crib or bassinet. Do not use rear-facing car seats and slings for regular naps, so transfer the baby whenever possible.

Some babies wake up during transfer, making it hard to settle them again. In these cases, try using the naptime routine, such as nursing, reading a short book, or singing softly. If the baby does not settle, adjust the next nap or bedtime a bit earlier to help keep the baby well-rested. Stick to safe sleep practices, even if it means shorter naps sometimes.

Do not use baby slings for sleep, as these are not firm, flat, or secure surfaces for unattended sleep. Keep sleep times and spaces consistent, and always choose a crib or bassinet for longer naps.