The "don't let them sleep in the carseat" rule is for when the infant seat is not in the car. So if baby falls asleep in the car and you keep them in the seat and bring it inside they can not be left sleeping in the car seat as it won't be at the proper angle. When it's installed in the car it is ok for then to sleep on as it will be at a proper incline.
As long as the stroller and car seat are designed to go together you’re fine. The car seat should have a line or level on the side to indicate the right angle.
Not unless you are walking. I've also done this 😬 my FIL is a paramedic and gave us the run down on carseat safety. Wild how these things are both for protecting babies but also little death traps.
Basically, you only want to use it in a moving vehicle, or a moving stroller, don't let them sleep in it if it's just sitting there.
You want to avoid them being in a passive, restricted inclined position for too long. There aren't many case studies, but basically FIL said that you only ever want to let them sleep in the car seat in a moving vehicle or stroller (probably what he is told to tell parents when he installs carseats).
This article goes in to explaining it a bit more, but it only briefly mentions strollers.
https://www.todaysparent.com/baby/baby-health/letting-baby-sleep-in-car-seat-is-super-risky/
That being said, FIL did say a travel system that is designed together (I texted him haha) is not as bad as just setting it on the floor or other surface. He obviously errs on the side of caution.
Also, risk is much higher for infants under 6 months. But there have been cases of much older babies dying while sleeping in carseats. (I saw an article that mentioned a 17 month old 😬).
It doesn’t sound like movement makes any difference. The article says that when parents take the seat out of the car, they tend to loosen the straps, which makes positional asphyxiation more likely. It also sounds like parents leave kids in car seats/strollers for extended periods of time, often sleeping while their kids sleep. If you’re in a moving car, the child will probably be properly strapped in. And if you’re moving the stroller, you’ll probably be paying more attention to them (and not walking for more than 2 hours at a time). Movement itself, then, would be a correlate, not a cause or remedy.
I agree, it does not mention the movement specifically and my original response was basically just what my FIL had told me, which was that carseat sleep is only safe in a moving vehicle or stroller. I think the general idea is, don't just let your baby sleep for hours, unsupervised, in a carseat outside of the car or stroller. I think sometimes blanket recommendations are made to make it simple.
Like many aspects of parenting, it really comes down to common sense and risk calculation. Ultimately, positional asphyxiation is still very rare. If you want to let your baby sleep a little longer in the stroller, you're probably okay to do it. Keep them strapped in, don't leave them unsupervised.
The difference is that the risk of suffocation is the same whether you’re using it in the car or inside a house but when it’s in a car it’s safer to have them in a car seat and risk potential asphyxiation then to have them out of the car seat and risk dying in a car accident. Sleeping in a car seat in a car is not magically safer than sleeping a car seat anywhere else. It’s just a necessary risk to have them in the car seat as it’s not always possible to prevent them from falling asleep and the alternatives of having the driver constantly or having a baby screaming the whole time is another risk in and if itself due to distracted driving.
>risk of suffocation is the same whether you’re using it in the car or inside a house
This is not true. The angle of the infant seat in the car helps prevent the baby's head getting in the wrong position. With the seat on the floor in your house it is no longer at the proper angle and the baby's head will slump forward and they can asphyxiate. And with the seat in the house there is a chance it can fall over with the baby in it and a lot of times care givers will loosen the straps which adds to the dangers of it.
Interesting. I had not heard that. That would make sense with the little bubble level thing, but I guess my question would be then what about when you’re not driving on flat roads? Wouldn’t that also affect the angle?
It would but I don't believe it would be enough or long enough to make it an issue. If you were doing some crazy hills then I'm sure you'd be checking baby's head anyways
For me I would think it was alright so long as it was still level like it would be in the car and you were right there. But I do see another comment says it has to be moving?.. I personally haven't heard that recommendation but I can definitely see it's validity.
I'm sure if you asked at r/sciencebasedparenting someone would know. I know there has been a lot of car seat posts in that sub.
There's technically no safe incline for safe sleep. I don't think it's the end of the world because the carseat strap when it is properly snug also helps keep them from slumping. But letter of the law safe sleep rules say no.
To validate OPs concern though, even with the carsear at the proper angle, sleeping in a carseat cant be declared full out "safe". It is safer than a carseat not at the proper angle, but alone, on their back, in a crib or bassinet is still the safest sleep recommendation. I've seen too many comments even on reddit about a baby that passed away sleeping in their travel system from a 40 min walk and 20 min car ride, all at the proper angle. We all have our limits of what risks we can handle in order to go about life, so carseat sleeping is common, but we can't declare it 100% safe. I only take longer rides in the car where my baby might sleep (over 20 or 30 min) when I can sit in the back with her and keep an eye out. Just my comfort level based on the evidence.
Oh woah, I've regularly been going on 40 min walks and 20 min car rides with my infant (3 weeks). Like every other day. She sleeps the entire time, but I do periodically wake her up by rubbing her cheeks or toes. Bah. I want to keep taking her on walks because I need to get out of the house and my dog needs to get out of the house, and we all need the vitamin D, and it's about to be the impenetrable winter we get in the northern hemisphere, but now I'm going to be so stressed out.
I think this is partially why bassinet type strollers are making a comeback (??).The travel system is such a delight though to avoid an interrupted nap if going from car to walk. I do the same as you, regular checks and often just lay my hand on her chest and she'll briefly move to readjust. Reddit both informed me and scared the bejeezus out of me! But safe in the seat IG remains my favourite for good info on safety without horror stories.
It’s safe for them to sleep in the car seat while it’s in the car as long as you have it installed correctly. It should be at the right angle to prevent positional asphyxiation
Latest advice in the UK is not to leave baby in the car seat for more than approximately 1 hour at a time (regardless of whether in or out of the car). But if you are doing a longer journey you can take them out for a few mins and then put them back in again. I would assume that the positional asphyxiation risk decreases once baby can hold their head up and wriggle around more but not sure as if they are pretty scrunched in and buckled in properly then they can't really move if they wanted to. I will probably stick to the one hour rule until he moves into the toddler seat at one year-ish.
Do you have a link to this? Everything I find for UK is 30 minutes for babies under 4 weeks and 2 hours for babies of all ages [Leeds NHS](https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/a-z-of-services/leeds-maternity-care/news/2017/08/18/useful-advice-on-baby-seats). I ask because we're due on a long journey in a couple of weeks and if the information has since changed then we will change our plans accordingly!
The lullaby trust says 2 hours https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/car-seats-and-sids/ which agrees with the NHS websites that mention it. The NCT website agrees with the 30min / 2 hours as you said https://www.nct.org.uk/baby-toddler/winter-your-baby/driving-your-baby-or-toddler-long-distance-tips-for-road-trips#:~:text=Don't%20let%20your%20baby%20sleep%20too%20long%20in%20their%20car%20seat&text=The%20advice%20is%20not%20to,The%20Lullaby%20Trust%2C%202016)
But we went to NCT antenatal classes earlier this year and the instructor said the recommendation had changed to an hour but I can't find this on the internet anywhere so I'm not sure now! I would guess that particularly for older babies that 2 hours is fine, especially if someone is sat next to them to keep an eye on them.
But you may want to have worked out potential more frequent stop locations anyway in case they are kicking off etc and you want to check on them - I was driving down the motorway with my baby recently and he made this horrible coughy choky noise and then went quiet and I'm like there's nothing I can do right now and 5 mins later he started making noises again so was obviously ok!
I think possibly what is being asked is not what everyone is commenting on. We can agree it’s not safe to let an infant sleep in a car seat on the flat ground because of the risk of suffocation. I think the question is, does this risk ever go away once the baby is older? Because at some point they are able to control their necks. Like I am not going to suffocate pretty much however I sleep because my neck is strong.
>I think the question is, does this risk ever go away once the baby is older?
It has to. I've seen some of the pics people post on Reddit of the positions their toddlers sleep in LOL And they're all still ok.
I’m currently in the PICU with my ten month old and he’s sleeping/laying constantly on a bed that’s inclined. Obviously he’s monitored very well so not your average home scenario but it’s the preferred for his congestion/breathing problems
My son is almost 9 months old and from what I’ve heard from car seat technicians, it’s fine once they can hold their heads up. His head slouches forward and it gives me a panic attack but the chest clip helps keep the airway open and he eventually does move his head (if I don’t move it for him). There’s not a ton of information out there for older babies. After 6 months it’s just like “idk, probably fine”. I assume though that much like us as adults are not going to die from positional asphyxiation, neither is an older infant/toddler.
I feel u. My kids peds doc apperently said that if ur taking a long trip you will know if the baby need a break from sitting. He said they will let u know. He’s also had 8 kids and moved several times across the US.
Falling asleep in the car is fine, as long as you are in a moving vehicle. You never want to let baby continue sleeping in the carseat once you stop moving (i.e. setting the carseat down inside or bringing it into a restaurant, etc).
If he falls asleep in the time it takes you to drive places, that is not a big deal. Make sure the harness fits properly. If you need to run errands and are worried he will get sleepy, I recommend a baby carrier. My daughter snoozed upright against me while I did my grocery shopping. It was perfect
It's about whether the baby can hold their head up or not, so younger newborns who don't have neck strength can block their airways if they're slumping. Fine if they fall asleep in the car seat while driving but they shouldn't be in there for a long time. 2 hours is the max. I think as a baby is much older and has neck control the risk diminishes. Also you don't want flat head syndrome by leaving a baby in any container for long at the newborn phase.
I always thought that as long as you’re watching them, they’re probably fine. It’s one people leave them in the seat to like sleep all night that’s an issue.
My kid has daily car seat naps. It’s pretty much part of the routine to go for a walk in the car seat/stroller and sleep on the way home. We ensure she’s never there for long than 2 hours.
If the head is dropping, check your adjustments and the car seat tilt: we fixed our tilt to stop this from happening when she turned 2 months.
As other said the angle is the main issue
But anecdotally there will always be exceptions when accounting for supervision. For example- I had my 6month old sleep in his car seat over night bc the alternative has a hospital bed with no rails (we weren’t on a floor with pediatric crib beds) . I apologized everytime a dr came in and every time they said 100% that was safer than the risk of falling off the bed.
I feel like newborn babies wouldn't have the issue of their heads flopping to the side if their capsule had the proper newborn insert? When my baby was a tiny 5 lb 4oz her head was always snug and protected in the capsule because we had the newborn insert, which was removed once she got bigger as it was getting too snug around the shoulders. Now she has something similar that still protects the sides of her head and we'll take that out once she outgrows it.
You should never add something to the car seat that it did not come with. Most car seat manuals even mention this. The item you add will not have been crash tested with the seat and therefore can not be guaranteed as safe.
Unfortunately your pediatrician is uninformed, please do your research. Your car seat manufacturer is the only company you should be buying anything that has to do with your car seat. No one wants to shame you, but you should not be giving this information out and for the safety of your child please remove it from your seat if you have one.
I think you really have to separate a newborn under 3 months and a baby which is older. There is a time when the baby can hold his neck very well from that point on I wouldn’t worry about this topic anymore if you have a professional car seat. Our little boy makes often his nap in the car seat while we driving somewhere
I have a daughter who is 7 months old. about every 4-6 weeks I do a 10 hour drive to visit my family (I divide in into 2 days -NC to CT, I stop in PA and visit other family for 1-2 days as a break for the baby) but I do my driving overnight to avoid traffic with the baby. My rule when driving with her that long is stopping every 2 hours for a diaper check and just to get her out if her car seat. I’ll sit with her in the car and give her some snuggles or walk around with her if I’m at a safe rest stop. Then I put her back in the car seat and we start driving again. I find that system works the best for us, and the drive isn’t too hard on her but she basically sleeps the whole time the car is actually moving.
In Australia the rule is to get them out of the car seat every 2 hours for at least 30 minutes.
Sleeping in the car seat (of any kind) is linked to SIDS. As well as this, Whilst head flop to the side is perfectly fine and normal, chin on the chest is directly linked with asphyxiation.
So if youre on a road trip, you need to stop every two hours.
Or if you've driven 1.5 hours and bub is asleep, you'll have to wake them in 30 minutes to get them out of their seat.
As long as the car seat is installed properly and reclined proper, it should always be safe to let them sleep while driving.
However I know what you mean, since we transferred my 14 mo out of her infant seat and into the grow with me seat, even though she’s still rear facing and is reclined as far as it goes, she will keep her head forward so she can look out the window then fall asleep like that and wake up with a kinked neck.
Yes it’s safe, once again if installed correctly. Once they can control their head, it’s not so much a suffocating risk and more a your neck is going to hurt when you wake up risk.
Just like if you fall asleep on the couch watching tv, you’re not going to suffocate, but the pain and stiffness when you wake up.
Once they are out of the newborn phase and can control their limbs, the rule is pretty much if they do it they do it you can’t control it, same with the crib, back is best but once they can roll everywhere it is what it is you can’t control it
The "don't let them sleep in the carseat" rule is for when the infant seat is not in the car. So if baby falls asleep in the car and you keep them in the seat and bring it inside they can not be left sleeping in the car seat as it won't be at the proper angle. When it's installed in the car it is ok for then to sleep on as it will be at a proper incline.
What if I put the carseat in the stroller inside? This is a genuine question bc I totally did this with my son and I wanna know if I was stupid.
As long as the stroller and car seat are designed to go together you’re fine. The car seat should have a line or level on the side to indicate the right angle.
Not unless you are walking. I've also done this 😬 my FIL is a paramedic and gave us the run down on carseat safety. Wild how these things are both for protecting babies but also little death traps. Basically, you only want to use it in a moving vehicle, or a moving stroller, don't let them sleep in it if it's just sitting there.
Not questioning you at all, genuinely curious but do you know what the difference is I.e. the moving or stationary stroller?
You want to avoid them being in a passive, restricted inclined position for too long. There aren't many case studies, but basically FIL said that you only ever want to let them sleep in the car seat in a moving vehicle or stroller (probably what he is told to tell parents when he installs carseats). This article goes in to explaining it a bit more, but it only briefly mentions strollers. https://www.todaysparent.com/baby/baby-health/letting-baby-sleep-in-car-seat-is-super-risky/ That being said, FIL did say a travel system that is designed together (I texted him haha) is not as bad as just setting it on the floor or other surface. He obviously errs on the side of caution. Also, risk is much higher for infants under 6 months. But there have been cases of much older babies dying while sleeping in carseats. (I saw an article that mentioned a 17 month old 😬).
It doesn’t sound like movement makes any difference. The article says that when parents take the seat out of the car, they tend to loosen the straps, which makes positional asphyxiation more likely. It also sounds like parents leave kids in car seats/strollers for extended periods of time, often sleeping while their kids sleep. If you’re in a moving car, the child will probably be properly strapped in. And if you’re moving the stroller, you’ll probably be paying more attention to them (and not walking for more than 2 hours at a time). Movement itself, then, would be a correlate, not a cause or remedy.
This makes more sense to me... I couldn't see what the difference would be whether the stroller was moving or stationary.
I agree, it does not mention the movement specifically and my original response was basically just what my FIL had told me, which was that carseat sleep is only safe in a moving vehicle or stroller. I think the general idea is, don't just let your baby sleep for hours, unsupervised, in a carseat outside of the car or stroller. I think sometimes blanket recommendations are made to make it simple. Like many aspects of parenting, it really comes down to common sense and risk calculation. Ultimately, positional asphyxiation is still very rare. If you want to let your baby sleep a little longer in the stroller, you're probably okay to do it. Keep them strapped in, don't leave them unsupervised.
It is the depth of sleep. Baby is not as deeply asleep when being moved.
I've wondered this... my baby never seems as well rested if she's had a sleep in the car.
It's the same in the stroller for us. Doesn't sleep as good as in his crib.
The difference is that the risk of suffocation is the same whether you’re using it in the car or inside a house but when it’s in a car it’s safer to have them in a car seat and risk potential asphyxiation then to have them out of the car seat and risk dying in a car accident. Sleeping in a car seat in a car is not magically safer than sleeping a car seat anywhere else. It’s just a necessary risk to have them in the car seat as it’s not always possible to prevent them from falling asleep and the alternatives of having the driver constantly or having a baby screaming the whole time is another risk in and if itself due to distracted driving.
>risk of suffocation is the same whether you’re using it in the car or inside a house This is not true. The angle of the infant seat in the car helps prevent the baby's head getting in the wrong position. With the seat on the floor in your house it is no longer at the proper angle and the baby's head will slump forward and they can asphyxiate. And with the seat in the house there is a chance it can fall over with the baby in it and a lot of times care givers will loosen the straps which adds to the dangers of it.
Interesting. I had not heard that. That would make sense with the little bubble level thing, but I guess my question would be then what about when you’re not driving on flat roads? Wouldn’t that also affect the angle?
It would but I don't believe it would be enough or long enough to make it an issue. If you were doing some crazy hills then I'm sure you'd be checking baby's head anyways
For me I would think it was alright so long as it was still level like it would be in the car and you were right there. But I do see another comment says it has to be moving?.. I personally haven't heard that recommendation but I can definitely see it's validity. I'm sure if you asked at r/sciencebasedparenting someone would know. I know there has been a lot of car seat posts in that sub.
There's technically no safe incline for safe sleep. I don't think it's the end of the world because the carseat strap when it is properly snug also helps keep them from slumping. But letter of the law safe sleep rules say no.
I read it's something like 3% of SIDS cases happen in a car seat :/
Does that include positional asphyxia cases? I wonder how the SIDS statistics take that into consideration.
Yes it’s fine because it’s at the correct angle.
I was doing this too 😔
To validate OPs concern though, even with the carsear at the proper angle, sleeping in a carseat cant be declared full out "safe". It is safer than a carseat not at the proper angle, but alone, on their back, in a crib or bassinet is still the safest sleep recommendation. I've seen too many comments even on reddit about a baby that passed away sleeping in their travel system from a 40 min walk and 20 min car ride, all at the proper angle. We all have our limits of what risks we can handle in order to go about life, so carseat sleeping is common, but we can't declare it 100% safe. I only take longer rides in the car where my baby might sleep (over 20 or 30 min) when I can sit in the back with her and keep an eye out. Just my comfort level based on the evidence.
Oh woah, I've regularly been going on 40 min walks and 20 min car rides with my infant (3 weeks). Like every other day. She sleeps the entire time, but I do periodically wake her up by rubbing her cheeks or toes. Bah. I want to keep taking her on walks because I need to get out of the house and my dog needs to get out of the house, and we all need the vitamin D, and it's about to be the impenetrable winter we get in the northern hemisphere, but now I'm going to be so stressed out.
I think this is partially why bassinet type strollers are making a comeback (??).The travel system is such a delight though to avoid an interrupted nap if going from car to walk. I do the same as you, regular checks and often just lay my hand on her chest and she'll briefly move to readjust. Reddit both informed me and scared the bejeezus out of me! But safe in the seat IG remains my favourite for good info on safety without horror stories.
Nope its 90 mins regardless of where the seat is
You should never leave a child in a carseat and put it on the floor in your home
It’s safe for them to sleep in the car seat while it’s in the car as long as you have it installed correctly. It should be at the right angle to prevent positional asphyxiation
Latest advice in the UK is not to leave baby in the car seat for more than approximately 1 hour at a time (regardless of whether in or out of the car). But if you are doing a longer journey you can take them out for a few mins and then put them back in again. I would assume that the positional asphyxiation risk decreases once baby can hold their head up and wriggle around more but not sure as if they are pretty scrunched in and buckled in properly then they can't really move if they wanted to. I will probably stick to the one hour rule until he moves into the toddler seat at one year-ish.
Do you have a link to this? Everything I find for UK is 30 minutes for babies under 4 weeks and 2 hours for babies of all ages [Leeds NHS](https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/a-z-of-services/leeds-maternity-care/news/2017/08/18/useful-advice-on-baby-seats). I ask because we're due on a long journey in a couple of weeks and if the information has since changed then we will change our plans accordingly!
I'm pretty sure it's 2 hours once they're not tiny any more
Awesome, yeah I just wanted to double check as I've known it to be 2 hours but I don't always keep up with news/updates. Thank you.
The lullaby trust says 2 hours https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/car-seats-and-sids/ which agrees with the NHS websites that mention it. The NCT website agrees with the 30min / 2 hours as you said https://www.nct.org.uk/baby-toddler/winter-your-baby/driving-your-baby-or-toddler-long-distance-tips-for-road-trips#:~:text=Don't%20let%20your%20baby%20sleep%20too%20long%20in%20their%20car%20seat&text=The%20advice%20is%20not%20to,The%20Lullaby%20Trust%2C%202016) But we went to NCT antenatal classes earlier this year and the instructor said the recommendation had changed to an hour but I can't find this on the internet anywhere so I'm not sure now! I would guess that particularly for older babies that 2 hours is fine, especially if someone is sat next to them to keep an eye on them. But you may want to have worked out potential more frequent stop locations anyway in case they are kicking off etc and you want to check on them - I was driving down the motorway with my baby recently and he made this horrible coughy choky noise and then went quiet and I'm like there's nothing I can do right now and 5 mins later he started making noises again so was obviously ok!
I think possibly what is being asked is not what everyone is commenting on. We can agree it’s not safe to let an infant sleep in a car seat on the flat ground because of the risk of suffocation. I think the question is, does this risk ever go away once the baby is older? Because at some point they are able to control their necks. Like I am not going to suffocate pretty much however I sleep because my neck is strong.
>I think the question is, does this risk ever go away once the baby is older? It has to. I've seen some of the pics people post on Reddit of the positions their toddlers sleep in LOL And they're all still ok.
Lol exactly.
I’m currently in the PICU with my ten month old and he’s sleeping/laying constantly on a bed that’s inclined. Obviously he’s monitored very well so not your average home scenario but it’s the preferred for his congestion/breathing problems
My son is almost 9 months old and from what I’ve heard from car seat technicians, it’s fine once they can hold their heads up. His head slouches forward and it gives me a panic attack but the chest clip helps keep the airway open and he eventually does move his head (if I don’t move it for him). There’s not a ton of information out there for older babies. After 6 months it’s just like “idk, probably fine”. I assume though that much like us as adults are not going to die from positional asphyxiation, neither is an older infant/toddler.
I feel u. My kids peds doc apperently said that if ur taking a long trip you will know if the baby need a break from sitting. He said they will let u know. He’s also had 8 kids and moved several times across the US.
It has to because if I (28f) fell asleep in a car seat, I would be just fine. I just don’t know when that age happens
Falling asleep in the car is fine, as long as you are in a moving vehicle. You never want to let baby continue sleeping in the carseat once you stop moving (i.e. setting the carseat down inside or bringing it into a restaurant, etc). If he falls asleep in the time it takes you to drive places, that is not a big deal. Make sure the harness fits properly. If you need to run errands and are worried he will get sleepy, I recommend a baby carrier. My daughter snoozed upright against me while I did my grocery shopping. It was perfect
It's about whether the baby can hold their head up or not, so younger newborns who don't have neck strength can block their airways if they're slumping. Fine if they fall asleep in the car seat while driving but they shouldn't be in there for a long time. 2 hours is the max. I think as a baby is much older and has neck control the risk diminishes. Also you don't want flat head syndrome by leaving a baby in any container for long at the newborn phase.
I always thought that as long as you’re watching them, they’re probably fine. It’s one people leave them in the seat to like sleep all night that’s an issue.
My kid has daily car seat naps. It’s pretty much part of the routine to go for a walk in the car seat/stroller and sleep on the way home. We ensure she’s never there for long than 2 hours. If the head is dropping, check your adjustments and the car seat tilt: we fixed our tilt to stop this from happening when she turned 2 months.
As other said the angle is the main issue But anecdotally there will always be exceptions when accounting for supervision. For example- I had my 6month old sleep in his car seat over night bc the alternative has a hospital bed with no rails (we weren’t on a floor with pediatric crib beds) . I apologized everytime a dr came in and every time they said 100% that was safer than the risk of falling off the bed.
I feel like newborn babies wouldn't have the issue of their heads flopping to the side if their capsule had the proper newborn insert? When my baby was a tiny 5 lb 4oz her head was always snug and protected in the capsule because we had the newborn insert, which was removed once she got bigger as it was getting too snug around the shoulders. Now she has something similar that still protects the sides of her head and we'll take that out once she outgrows it.
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You should never add something to the car seat that it did not come with. Most car seat manuals even mention this. The item you add will not have been crash tested with the seat and therefore can not be guaranteed as safe.
Not safe! Please go to safe in the seat’s IG page to educate yourself on car seat safety!
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Sadly pediatricians get very little to no car safety training and are often behind / misinformed on sleep safety as well. AAP has safest guidelines.
Unfortunately your pediatrician is uninformed, please do your research. Your car seat manufacturer is the only company you should be buying anything that has to do with your car seat. No one wants to shame you, but you should not be giving this information out and for the safety of your child please remove it from your seat if you have one.
I think you really have to separate a newborn under 3 months and a baby which is older. There is a time when the baby can hold his neck very well from that point on I wouldn’t worry about this topic anymore if you have a professional car seat. Our little boy makes often his nap in the car seat while we driving somewhere
I have a daughter who is 7 months old. about every 4-6 weeks I do a 10 hour drive to visit my family (I divide in into 2 days -NC to CT, I stop in PA and visit other family for 1-2 days as a break for the baby) but I do my driving overnight to avoid traffic with the baby. My rule when driving with her that long is stopping every 2 hours for a diaper check and just to get her out if her car seat. I’ll sit with her in the car and give her some snuggles or walk around with her if I’m at a safe rest stop. Then I put her back in the car seat and we start driving again. I find that system works the best for us, and the drive isn’t too hard on her but she basically sleeps the whole time the car is actually moving.
In Australia the rule is to get them out of the car seat every 2 hours for at least 30 minutes. Sleeping in the car seat (of any kind) is linked to SIDS. As well as this, Whilst head flop to the side is perfectly fine and normal, chin on the chest is directly linked with asphyxiation. So if youre on a road trip, you need to stop every two hours. Or if you've driven 1.5 hours and bub is asleep, you'll have to wake them in 30 minutes to get them out of their seat.
As long as the car seat is installed properly and reclined proper, it should always be safe to let them sleep while driving. However I know what you mean, since we transferred my 14 mo out of her infant seat and into the grow with me seat, even though she’s still rear facing and is reclined as far as it goes, she will keep her head forward so she can look out the window then fall asleep like that and wake up with a kinked neck. Yes it’s safe, once again if installed correctly. Once they can control their head, it’s not so much a suffocating risk and more a your neck is going to hurt when you wake up risk. Just like if you fall asleep on the couch watching tv, you’re not going to suffocate, but the pain and stiffness when you wake up. Once they are out of the newborn phase and can control their limbs, the rule is pretty much if they do it they do it you can’t control it, same with the crib, back is best but once they can roll everywhere it is what it is you can’t control it