Naps on the go: safe sleep in the car seat, pram and carrier

Babies fall asleep on the move all the time, and that's fine. A drive, a pram walk or a sling is often exactly what tips a tired baby into sleep. The safety question is what happens next: a car seat, an upright stroller seat or a carrier isn't a place to finish a long sleep. Once you arrive, or once you stop moving, lay your baby on their back on a firm, flat surface.

This guide covers the rules for each kind of nap on the go, why covering a pram is risky, babywearing safely, and how outings fit around your baby's day. For the full checklist that applies to every sleep, see safe sleep.

Is it OK for my baby to nap on the go?

Yes, falling asleep on the move is normal. The AAP's safe sleep guide says that if your baby falls asleep in a car seat, stroller, swing, infant carrier or sling, you should move them to a firm sleep surface on their back as soon as possible. NICHD Safe to Sleep says not to use sitting devices such as car seats and strollers, or carrying devices such as slings, for regular sleep or naps, and to avoid letting your baby sit slumped over, because that could block their airway.

What are the safe-sleep rules for car seat naps?

It's fine for your baby to fall asleep in the car seat while you're driving. The problem is staying there afterwards.

• Red Nose in Australia explains that a car seat or capsule can leave a baby in a curved position where their chin drops onto their chest, which can block the airway. It doesn't recommend a capsule or car seat as a place to sleep, even when your baby is watched, and says to always take your baby out when you reach your destination, even if this means waking them.
• The Lullaby Trust's car seat advice in the UK says it's OK for your baby to fall asleep in a car seat when travelling, but to take them out as soon as you get to your destination and place them on a firm, flat surface to sleep.
• The NHS SIDS guidance says the same, and not to let your baby stay in a car seat for too long.

The capsule outside the car

A capsule clicked onto a pram frame or carried into a café is still a car seat. The Lullaby Trust's car seat factsheet says car seats should only be used for transport, not as an alternative to cots or high chairs. Red Nose in Australia adds that a child can fall out of a car seat used outside the car, so it's safest never to rest a capsule on a table, bench or bed.

Long drives

Australia's Red Nose's car safety page in Australia suggests resting and stretching every 2 hours, with your baby out of their seat too. The Lullaby Trust says no published evidence sets a time limit, but advises regular breaks, and avoiding long drives with premature and young babies, who may be at risk of breathing difficulties if they sleep upright for too long. Where you can, have a second adult sit in the back with your baby, or use a mirror if you're driving alone. The Lullaby Trust also advises taking off hats and outdoor clothing such as snowsuits and coats once your baby is in the car. See car seat safety for harness fit and what to do if your baby slumps forward.

Can my baby nap in a pram or stroller?

A pram nap is safest when your baby can lie completely flat. The Lullaby Trust's product guide says it advises against babies sleeping in a seated or inclined position, such as in pushchairs or buggies, and that if there are no other options, babies need to be in a completely lie-flat position, not just reclined.

That makes a flat carrycot or bassinet attachment the best choice for younger babies on long walks. The Lullaby Trust's holiday advice says a carrycot on a pram may be usable as a sleep space away from home if you can answer yes to these checks:

• Is the sleep space completely flat?
• Is the mattress firm and waterproof, with no cushioned or raised edges?
• Can the hood be pulled back and the apron removed?
• Does it meet your country's safety standard?
• Does the maker say it's suitable for overnight sleep?

The Lullaby Trust also notes that the sides of a carrycot may trap more heat than a cot, so check your baby's temperature and adjust their layers. Even a flat pram isn't a cot: Australia's Red Nose's pram advice in Australia says a pram is not a substitute for a cot, and the AAP and NICHD both say to move a sleeping baby to their usual sleep space as soon as you can.

Red Nose in Australia also says to always fasten the restraints when your baby is in a pram or stroller, put the brakes on whenever you stop, and never leave your baby unattended in a pram or stroller.

Is it safe to cover a pram with a blanket or muslin?

No. It's tempting to drape a muslin over the pram to block the sun or help your baby nod off, but sources in Australia and the UK both warn against it.

• Red Nose in Australia says covering a pram with wraps, muslin or plastic can dramatically increase the risk of overheating and suffocation, that even lightweight muslin can significantly reduce airflow and trap heat, and that a cover makes it harder to watch for signs of heat stress.
• The Lullaby Trust's hot weather advice says not to cover prams, buggies and travel systems with blankets, cloths or any cover that stops air flowing, because babies who get too hot have a greater risk of SIDS.

What to use instead:

1. A clip-on sunshade or parasol. The Lullaby Trust says this keeps your baby shaded while letting air circulate and giving you a clear view.
2. Natural shade. Red Nose in Australia suggests trees or umbrellas, good airflow around the pram, and avoiding the hottest part of the day.
3. Regular checks. Feel your baby's chest or the back of their neck. The Lullaby Trust says clammy or sweaty skin means they're getting too hot.

In cold weather, the Lullaby Trust's cold weather advice says to take off hats or hoods when you're indoors or in a car, and to remove outdoor clothes when your baby is sleeping indoors. That matters when a pram nap carries on into a warm shop or home. See hot weather for more on heat.

How do I keep my baby safe asleep in a sling or carrier?

Many babies doze off in a sling, and while you're up and about, that's a lovely way to nap. The Lullaby Trust's sling advice says the risk of sling accidents appears to be greatest when a baby's airway is blocked, either by their chin resting on their chest or by their nose and mouth being covered. The Lullaby Trust and Red Nose in Australia both use the TICKS checklist:

• Tight: snug enough to hug your baby close to you.
• In view at all times: you can see your baby's face by glancing down.
• Close enough to kiss: you can kiss the top of their head by tipping your head forward.
• Keep chin off the chest: your baby is never curled with their chin on their chest.
• Supported back: their back is supported in a natural position, tummy and chest against you.

Some babies need extra care. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission urges caution with babies under 4 months, and says many babies who died in slings were born prematurely, were a low birth weight twin, or had breathing problems such as a cold. The AAP's carrier guide warns that slings that curl a baby into a C-shape greatly increase the risk of breathing problems, and says to check on your baby often in any carrier.

A few more rules from these sources:

• Red Nose in Australia says not to use cocoon-like or womb-shaped products.
• The Lullaby Trust says to take your baby out of the sling to feed, and the CPSC says to reposition your baby with their head facing up after a feed.
• If you want to sit down and rest, move your baby to their cot or bassinet first. The AAP says to move a baby who falls asleep in a carrier to a firm sleep surface on their back as soon as possible.

See contact napping for safe naps on a parent.

How do naps on the go affect the rest of the day?

A nap on the move is still sleep, and on busy days it may be the only way a nap happens. Where it can change the day is timing and length. Many babies wake when the car stops or the pram goes still, or when they're moved, so a nap on the go can end up shorter or broken. A short nap isn't a problem on its own if your baby wakes content; see short naps.

Late naps matter most. The Better Health Channel says a young child's night-time sleep can be severely disrupted if they don't get enough sleep during the day, or if their afternoon nap is too close to bedtime. A late-afternoon nap in the car on the way home may mean a slightly later bedtime that day, and a skipped nap may mean an earlier one.

Ways families keep the rhythm steady:

• Protect one nap at home. Many families keep the nap that seems to restore their baby most, often the first one, in the cot, and let others happen on the go.
• Plan errands around sleep. Leaving just before a nap is due often means your baby sleeps during the drive or walk, rather than in the car park.
• Keep the order of the day. Feeding, play and sleep can follow the same loop out and about. See daily rhythm.
• Use bedtime as the anchor. Even on a day of naps on the go, a familiar bedtime routine helps the evening.

Example day with naps on the go — adjust to your baby

How can I make naps on the go easier?

1. Use motion to settle, then move. The NHS guide to soothing a crying baby suggests rocking your baby in the pram or going out for a walk or a drive. If they fall asleep during a drive, it says to take them out of the car seat as soon as possible and put them on a firm, flat surface.
2. Transfer gently. Unclip the harness before you lift, support the head and neck, and lay your baby on their back. If they wake, that's okay; the safe move comes first.
3. Dress in layers. Layers come off easily when you go from cold street to warm shop or car.
4. Feed before you go. A fed baby is more likely to sleep on the way, and you avoid feeding in a sling on the move.
5. Bring a safe place to land. On longer visits, a flat carrycot or portable cot gives your baby somewhere to finish the nap. See baby sleep when travelling.
6. Keep checking. Look at your baby's face, colour and breathing regularly, whatever they're sleeping in.

When should I get help?

Act straight away if you find your baby slumped with their chin on their chest in a car seat, pram, bouncer or sling. Lift them out, lay them on their back on a firm, flat surface and check their breathing and colour.

Call 999 now if your baby:

• is struggling to breathe, breathing very fast, grunting or sucking in at the tummy or ribs
• has blue, grey, very pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue
• is floppy, much sleepier than usual, hard to wake or can't be woken
• has a seizure
• is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38°C (100.4°F) or higher, or is 3 to 6 months old and has a temperature of 39°C (102.2°F) or higher

These come from the NHS urgent-help guide. Follow the call-taker's instructions.

Get medical help today (same-day GP, after-hours doctor or NHS 111) if your baby is refusing feeds or feeding much less than usual, or has fewer wet nappies than usual, for example after a long, hot day out. See hot weather for the signs of heat illness.

Talk to your GP or health visitor if your baby was premature or has a breathing or other health condition and you're unsure whether a car seat, pram or carrier suits them, or if your baby only ever sleeps on the move and you're finding it hard to cope. You can also call your health visitor, or NHS 111.