Baby sleeping in Car seat

[libby1980]

Is it ok to let your baby (newborn) sleep in a car seat or does she need to be lying down in a cot?

[gleaveyweave]

It isn't recommended to let your baby sleep in their car seat as apparently, it is very bad for their back. A baby's spine is sill very soft anld sleeping in a sitting position can lead to posture problems and all sorts of other things later on. I know this because I used to let my youngest sleep in his car seat as that was where he was happy to nod off. The Health Visitor on her routine visit gave me a ticking off so I had to put my little one in his moses basket/cot from then on!!!

[boobesque]

i have a car seat thats nearly flat and even on the website for that it states that babies shouldnt be left for longer than an hour and a half. Cot or moses basket is definitly best

[yummymummy]

I would say it is OK now and then but shouldn't be a regular thing. Saying that, my little chap had a bit of a breathing/swallowing/reflux issue for a while, and the doctor said sleeping in a more upright position (car seat) for a short while may help. We did this for a few nights and no-one said we shouldn't, and he seems to be OK for it!

[beejaybee]

What happens if your on long car journey & the baby`s sleeping?? All my grandsons fall asleep in the car & have always done it. The older ones are 8 & 5 now, but they always sleep on longish journeys.

[boobesque]

new guidelines suggest you stop every couple of hours on a long journey and get baby out for a little stretch

[Tizzybudd]

Just wanted to say that my daughter was put in a car seat within a cot when she was in hospital aged 4 months, and stayed like that for over a week (she had bronchiolitis and needed oxygen and nebulisers) . She also slept in her car seat occassionally during the night after this time with no obvious effects - so I agree that it is not ideal as a long-term solution but fine for the odd night or two....

thanks, Tizzy

[noxlumos]

Like everything else it's fine in moderation. All of ours have slept in car seats, if they've still been asleep when we take them out of the car. When they wake, obviously take them out.I think they very often sleep better in car seats because it resembles the position of being held and snuggled in someone's arms more closely. It's probably not recommended but I really don't think it'll do too much harm for a short while.

[babybop6379]

my littlun who is 8 now refused to sleep flat in a cot so we put her into her car seat in the cot. then we progressed to propping the cot mattress up slightly with a wedge of foam and if she was swaddled tightly enough she would sleep fine.

[beejaybee]

No 2 children are the same regarding everything from sleeping, feeding, crawling, walking. The trouble with us parents is that we compare kids.

[darkangel06]

it aint recommended for a baby to sleep more than 2 hours in a car seat. when my son was that age my partner and i had problems with him not wanting to sleep in a moses basket or his cot. the only place he would sleep and one i would recommend you try is a rocker chair. he was comfy and was securly strapped in. hope that helps..