Babywearing & Baby Sleep Safety: How Your Carrier Can Help Baby Snooze Safely

If you know that your baby has a safe babywearing fit to begin with, you should feel confident that they can sleep safely in the carrier as well. Remember a safe babywearing fit means baby is: 

• close enough to kiss

• supported upright by a snug carrier

• monitored closely with a focus on a clear airway

Safe sleep is an important consideration for all babies, and baby carrier sleep safety is no exception. Let’s take a closer look at safe sleep practices to make sure our babies can take some worry-free carrier naps.

The first way to make sure your baby is safely sleeping in the carrier is to make sure they are positioned upright. Unlike sleeping on other surfaces when babies should be placed on their back to sleep, babies remain upright in their carriers. Whether your goal is a carrier nap or baby happens to fall asleep mid-snuggle, baby’s position should stay the same: upright, close enough to kiss, and supported by an ergonomic baby carrier. The American Academy of Pediatrics takes a similar stance about positioning in its 2022 safe sleep recommendations: "When infant slings and cloth carriers are used for carrying, it is important to ensure that the infant’s head is up and above the fabric, the face is visible, and the nose and mouth are clear of obstructions" (Moon et al., 2022). For babywearing safety, you can always keep T.I.C.K.S. in mind when positioning baby in your carrier, whether they’re asleep or awake:

You may notice that baby sags a little bit in the carrier when they fall asleep. This is common, especially with older babies. Once babies are strong enough to hold their heads up and explore the world while in their carriers, they can keep themselves more upright. When they fall asleep, their bodies relax and they lose that control. This means they may need more support from the carrier to stay in a safe position once they slip into dreamland.

Although caregivers should never sleep while babywearing, baby snoozing in the carrier can be so helpful. Carriers are great for on-the-go naps or to help a fussy baby, or even toddler, calm down enough to fall into a deep sleep. But, sleeping in the carrier won’t work for every snooze. For those longer night stretches, especially as baby grows, it’s important to get baby to sleep on another safe surface so you can get some rest too! 

While getting a safe babywearing fit is important, safe babywearing doesn’t stop there. Babies, especially newborns and young infants, need frequent check-ins to make sure they stay safe in the carrier. Sleeping caregivers can’t do these check-ins. What’s more, we all completely relax when our bodies are in a deep sleep. In that relaxed state, we can compromise baby’s positioning and safety without even knowing it. 

Staying awake while babywearing sounds easy, but the sleep deprivation when raising kids is real. You can sit and rest while babywearing, but never lie down. This will help prevent you from dozing off, and it’s hard to keep baby in a safe position if you’re laying down anyway. If you feel yourself drifting off, get up and move around or choose an activity that keeps you occupied while sitting and resting. If you can, listen to your body’s need for sleep and hand baby off to another caregiver or place them in a safe place so you can get some sleep too.

Here’s a helpful list of do’s and dont’s for baby sleep safety while babywearing: