You may be wondering that how long can I leave my baby sleeping in swing? The main purpose of a baby swing isn’t to let the baby sleep in it for a long time. Purpose of baby swing is to make baby calm and relax. It also helps to soothe baby, when he is crying. Baby swing helps baby to fall asleep easily. But once the baby fall asleep in a baby swing, then it is recommended to bring him out of a baby swing and lie him on a flat bad or on a flat baby mattress.
Most of the experts recommend that baby swing shouldn’t be used for more than 1 hour a day. As 1 hour a day is enough time to soothe baby or to make him calm. There are various reasons for which experts don’t recommend to use baby swing more than 1 hour a day. As spending more time in a baby swing can become hurdle in developing the motor skills of a baby.
As motor skills help to start cruising, crawling and pulling up. The baby who spends most of the time in a baby swing can’t learn those skills by just sitting in a baby swing for a long time. We understand that sometimes people uses baby swing to soothe the baby suffering from colic or reflux problem. But still they should follow the instructions of experts. 1 hour is enough to tackle problems like colic or reflux.
Always keep an eye on the baby while he is swinging in the baby swing. Different soothing motions of baby swing can fall him asleep easily. So if you don’t want to disturb your baby then still there are few safety steps you can take to let the baby sleep in a swing safely.
Safety steps for a baby sleeping in swing
As swings are not like baby cribs so they are not meant for sleeping. But still some parents don’t want to disturb the sleep of a baby so they can take these steps to let the baby sleep without any fear.
- Don’t fill up the swing with blankets, stuffed animals or loose pillows, as there is a risk of SIDS because of such stuff. Because these type of stuff cause suffocation which leads to SIDS.
- Strap your baby with the safety belts of baby swing and set the position of a seat to the maximum reclined position. Make sure that baby can hold up his head without any support.
- If you have a manual swing then stop moving it and if you have a motorized swing then turn off its movement.
- Always stay nearby to your baby.
- Always follow the instructions given by the manufacturer of a baby swing or baby swing rocker.
- Make sure that your baby is not too small or too big for the swing. So always buy a swing according to the size of your baby. If you have a bigger baby, then you can check baby swings for bigger babies.
- There are some safety standards set by consumer product safety commission for baby swings to keep the babies safe from accidental injuries. CPSC suggests to get a swing with 5-point harness safety, as this level of safety is enough to keep your baby secure in a swing. Before you make a purchase decision for a buying a baby swing, we recommend you to always check the list of product recalls by CPSC.
Conclusion
Babies usually fall asleep in a baby swing due to its soothing motions. So once he falls asleep then it is recommended to bring him out of a baby swing and lie him on a flat bed. But if you don’t want to disturb your baby sleeping in swing, then still you can follow the above mentioned safety guidelines to let the baby sleep in a baby swing safely. Like don’t fill up baby swing with stuff that causes suffocation, set the seat position to maximum recline possible, and strap the safety belt around the baby. So always take care of your baby and follow the safety instructions.
