On-the-go sleep safety tips
Staying home for every single nap and bedtime just isn’t realistic. What is? Making sure babies sleep safely wherever you happen to be with the tips below.
Get the perfect car seat fit
You’ve probably heard this before, but it’s a big one. “Newborns don't have the neck control to correct themselves, so if they doze off in the car seat, their heads may drop forward,” says Dr. Mona Amin, a general pediatrician. “This can cause them to stop breathing, which is called positional asphyxia.” What helps prevent this from happening is double-checking (and, yes, triple-checking as your child gets older) that the car seat is installed properly and positioned at the correct angle. Keeping the harness straps snug to the body with no slack and the chest clip in line with the armpits will also help make sure that if your baby’s head falls forward or to the side, that all is a-O.K.
"Keeping the harness straps snug to the body with no slack and the chest clip in line with the armpits will also help make sure that if your baby’s head falls forward or to the side, that all is a-O.K."
Use the car seat the right way
Parents love the convenience of travel systems—those infant car seat-stroller hybrids. And it’s obvious why: When your baby falls asleep in the car (as they notoriously do!), you can simply unlatch the car seat from its base and transfer them to a stroller or your house without disrupting Sleeping Beauty. It’s the ultimate hack, but you still must be careful. Potential risk comes into the picture once you bring the car seat carrier into the house and set it down. Firstly, always place the car seat on the ground, not on a table, sofa, or chair where it could easily fall over. Secondly, never put down the car seat and walk away, whether it’s to unload the car or feed the dog for a minute. Once the car seat is out of the car, the child is no longer at the proper recline angle to prevent their head from dropping forward and blocking off their airway. “The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends transferring an infant to a firm, flat surface to sleep on their back,” advises Holly Choi, a certified first-aid instructor and child passenger safety technician. So, yes, moving your baby to a crib may potentially wake them up, but the minor fuss is worth ensuring they sleep safe and sound.
"Firstly, always place the car seat on the ground, not on a table, sofa, or chair where it could easily fall over."
Watch them in their sleep
Look, scenarios may arise when you don’t have access to a crib for your dozing kid—it happens. So, when you release the car seat from the car with the baby still strapped and sleeping, it’s important that you keep an eye on your child at all times. “The problem is when people think, ‘baby is fine,’ then they leave the room to answer a phone call or get a drink, or put a load of laundry in the machine. You can't leave the room or fall asleep,” warns Dr. Mona. “You have to be able to see their chest move and that their neck is not craned down.” And it may be a well-meaning gesture to loosen the harness once they’re out of the car to make your infant more comfortable, but that just opens up the opportunity for the child to roll over, wriggle out, or drop their head. So, stay close as baby is strapped in and secure in the car seat—and marvel at how peaceful they look for once.
"Stay close as baby is strapped in and secure in the car seat—and marvel at how peaceful they look for once."
Embrace the pitstop
When you’re on a road trip, the goal is to hurry up and get there already. But if you’ve got a baby in a car seat, it’s more important than ever to build in time for a break every two hours. Let’s face it, you’ll need to stop for a feeding and a diaper change anyway, and it’s good for everyone to have a chance to get out of the car and stretch their legs and pump up the circulation. But for infants, it is even more crucial because there is a risk of deoxygenation for small children, says Choi. “Their oxygen levels could drop if they're in that position for too long.” So, pull over to the next rest stop, and remove your baby from the car seat, even for a quick five minutes.
"If you’ve got a baby in a car seat, it’s more important than ever to build in time for a break every two hours."
Trick out the stroller for sleep
Ideally, a newborn will nap in a stroller with a bassinet feature, like the Bugaboo Fox 3, so that they can sleep flat on their back while you supervise them. “And if you’re using a car seat-stroller system, then, of course, when they doze off, you're going to be watching them. But you don't want anything blocking your view of their face,” says Dr. Mona. While it may be your first instinct to drape a blanket over the stroller to block out the sun’s rays so your child can get some shut-eye as you walk around, experts strongly advise against this all-too-common practice. Even a thin, muslin blanket will trap heat inside the stroller. “Airflow is so crucial for babies,” says Choi. “They are significantly more prone to overheating because they don't have the same ability to regulate their body temperature as adults do.”
"While it may be your first instinct to drape a blanket over the stroller to block out the sun’s rays so your child can get some shut-eye as you walk around, experts strongly advise against this all-too-common practice."
The best way to create a dark, ZZZ-inducing environment is to look for a canopy that’s made by your stroller’s manufacturer since it has been rigorously tested for safety. The Bugaboo breezy sun canopy offers full-body shade with UPF 50+ protection and see-through mesh panels for optimal stay-cool ventilation. And to really soothe your little one, try a portable white-noise machine, which will help cancel out any city sounds. Just hang it on the stroller’s handle, not near the baby's head. Dr. Mona recommends keeping the volume no louder than the sound of a running shower (about 65 decibels), so it’s safe for your baby’s eardrums. Making sure your baby gets enough sleep throughout the day is crucial to their well-being (not to mention, offers a nice break for parents and caretakers too). But keeping your child safe while they’re getting their much-needed naps should always be the priority. All it takes is a watchful eye and some smart gear.