Sleeping in car seats

Our babies seem to prefer sleeping in their car seats all night. Is this okay, or should we be trying to get them to be sleeping flat in their cradles because eventually they will have to sleep flat in cribs?

 

My babies slept swaddled in a papasan bouncy chair for the first 3 months of their lives. When I transitioned them to the crib, I placed a pillow under their mattress so they could sleep on an incline like in their seats (or you can place something under the feet of your crib on one side if you have those motion sensing baby monitors) and I also used sleep positioners so they felt cozy (but they were still swaddled). The transition was easier than I thought. I still have the crib inclined for my 5 month old daughter, though she is not swaddled.

 

They aren't flat when sleeping inside you so it makes sense to me that most babies prefer sleeping sitting up. I never worried too much about odd sleeping until 2.5 months - 4 for my twins- when I'd start getting my babies transitioned into cribs. Mine slept best in bouncies and swings.

 

I have never heard that to be a problem but....
How old are your LOs and were they preemie? Before we left the hospital we had to do a car seat test. We stayed 2 extra days because dd failed. Something about the up right position can put pressure on their internal organs and make breathing difficult.
We had a 6 hour car ride home and were advised to stop every hour and lay them flat.

Maybe, in the womb gravity is not a problem??

They did sleep on an incline but not as severe as the car seat puts them in. at the very least i would tilt the seats into a more flat position. just my thoughts. i am certainly not an expert, or even knowledgeable on the subject.

 

Both my LOs have reflux and couldn't sleep flat, we had them sleeping in their swings and I talked to my pedi about it, she said she didnt care if they slept in their car seats, if it helped with the reflux. We've moved them to the pnp and they sleep in the boppy loungers, keeps their head elevated and snuggled. After the first of the year hopefully we'll be able to move them to just flat in the crib ... Hopefully!

 

My two are currently getting the most sleep in their swings, so that's what we are going with right now. We hope to transition to their cribs, but it's a slow process for the boys right now. I say, whatever works!

 

My friend is a car seat tech, and she says it's not safe. The angle of the carseat restricts their breathing, plus if they have a torticollis it will excerbate that. If the problem is reflux, roll up a couple of towels and put them under the head of the mattress.

 

The towels, books, mattress wedges, etc never worked for us and they fell down off the incline. I was worried about the swings that why I talked to my pedi about it and thats when she said she didn't care if they slept in their car seats. I think its best to ask the pedi and see what he/she advises.

I do know my niece used the fisher price rock and play ( http://m.target.com/p/fisher-price-snugabunny-newborn-rock-n-play-soother/-/A-13868677) and as I said we now have them in the pnp sleeping on the boppy loungers ( http://m.target.com/p/boppy-upholstered-newborn-lounger-seed-rows/-/A-13464036) and all that being approved by a pedi. Those are a little better bc they keep the babies head inclined however you don't have the risks that were mentioned with the carseats.