Sleeping Child in Booster

scoutingbear

New member
Help me decide what to do next.

C has pretty much outgrown the GN. Like, is even with the top slots and we have played with reclining/not reclining. Or I should say, he has outgrown the GN when installed in dh's car. I think the natural recline of his seats makes C loose some room because he still has a bit of room in my Dad's car. But anway... He rides GREAT in his HB turbo. Better than his brother most of the time. We let him ride in the booster for an hour long car trip last weekend and he did well and he did well driving out to our friend's house the other night. However, coming home he fell asleep in the booster. We had locked the seatbelt on him and for about the first 5 minutes he was asleep he was staying in position. Then he was slumped. Way over. Maddie thought it was a great game. She could then reach his hair, pull it, and kick him in the face. It never woke him up but it did get him to sit up again. :p Getting another Frontier isn't an option. Keeping Maddie as C's repositioner isn't exactly going to work as the seats need to be moved around in that car because of a bad install for Maddie's seat that has to be fixed weekly. Taking my car when we know C is going to sleep is only an option some of the time. What do we do?
 
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christineka

New member
You can try reclining the vehicle seat just a tad. The turbo reclines with the seat it sits on. Or, you could get a more supportive booster. I really like the vivo, but the probooster, and monterey are very supportive as well.
 

momtoo3

Well-known member
We are in the same situation with ds2. He is about even with the top slots on his GN and needs a new booster for dh's car. He sleeps awesome in his PWSG and PWSGL but they are hard for dh to buckle in his car. I am trying to decide between the Vivo, Cybex X-Fix, Monterey and Chicco Strada. I have never seen any but the Monterey in person and that was about a year ago when I ordered one for him but he was too narrow. I am considering it again because he has grown. I know the Vivo is highly recommended and the X-Fix has an adjustable head rest that reclines for sleeping. It seems the Strada is either loved or hated. I can't decide.
Do you have a Buy Buy Baby near you that you could go and try C in PWSG? The shoulder belt guides are a little different on the PWSGL than the PWSG and don't fit ds2 as nicely as the PWSG but is still acceptable.
 

mkmama

Active member
Just went through this with DS1...great in Turbo until he falls asleep. For him, not slumping is at least partially a learned thing.

This weekend we had a 4 hour car ride late at night for the first time since he's outgrown the Nautilus. What I did was put him in the middle of the center row of my Sienna, so either I or my passenger could easily reach him. I then reclined the seat a few clicks, and reminded him that since he's in a booster he needs to make sure to lean his head back on the wings before he falls asleep. Every time he slumped forward, my passenger (or I when she was sleeping) would touch his knee to partially wake him up, and I'd tell him to lean back.

By the middle of the 4 hour trip home (it was 4 hours there late Friday night then 4 hours back late Saturday night) he was successfully not slumping any more.

If its not an option to put the new booster rider where an adult passenger can reach...then I'm no help LOL.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Teach him to lean his head back when he sleeps? It's finally worked for Emma. The Cybex X-Fix has a design on the headrest for just that. (But if you want one, get it while you can!)

Other than that, I guess get another Frontier or put him in the RSTV if he's likely to sleep...
 

luckyclov

New member
I taught my oldest to tip his head back if he needs to sleep. Sometimes, his head will rest to the side on a headwing. But we've never had an issue where he falls out of position. He rides in a PWSG or Monterey. He slept well in the Vivo and ProBooster as well (well, when the PB wasn't tipping over, that is:p).
 

sirrahn

Active member
You also might actually want to try not locking the belt. I found when I tried it a few times with my boys that unless they stayed just perfect, it actually made things worse because once they move over a bit, the belt tightens up and then they can't get back under it. In some sense it just sort of squeezes them out of the belt and can force them to slump more. I've never locked it with my girls and they've both eventually learned to sleep just fine in their boosters.
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
a booster with bigger headwings is definitely in order.

Recaro vivo or probooster or the Diono Monterey would be my go-to picks for comfy boosters for sleeping kids.
 

cookie123

New member
Can you use the Nautilus as a booster? It seems fairly supportive for Hannah and Brett. They never sleep in them though.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
I'm in the camp of getting a different booster. I had trouble with Z sleeping on the Pronto, constantly falling out of it; he sleeps well 95% of the time in the Frontier. My Monterey riders always sleep awesomely. Definitely supportive side/head wings make a huge difference.
 

skipspin

New member
I have found the Nauti makes a great booster for sleeping. Its DDs primary seat and she sleeps a lot in the car for an 8 year old.

DS has used it too, and while its not as good on kids who still have plenty of harness room, its much better than the turbo for sleep support imo.
 

Baylor

New member
My son is in the PB and now he never falls over when he sleeps in the car, The seat completely supports his body and the head wings keep him right in place.

He was in a pronto for a minute and I hated it, he kept falling asleep and leaning over completely to get head support.
 

Murphy's Law

New member
I have to say, I love the Vivo. After messaging a bit with Kat, I decided it was the seat for us. I purchased it just for the 2800 mile road trip I was doing this summer. I wanted dd to be able to sleep well in her seat since we were on the road for so long. Her head never slumped once. I'm not sure on her height (small for a 6 year old though) and she's about 46-48 pounds. I do wish the seat came with a greater depth for growth potential, however it hasn't yet been a problem for us. Here is dd, somewhere around Mile 2100 of our trip.

147.jpg
 

arly1983

New member
I REALLY wish I had kept the monterey or vivo for this reason when I figured out it would be a long time before J would be a booster rider. Now C is in a turbo and we LOVE it except for the sleeping.

Sent from my Droid using Car-Seat.Org
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Oh, leg support also helps! Since we gave Emma a rolled-up pillow for her Oobr so her legs and feet rest naturally on it, we've seen the end of sleep-slumping, combined with really working on looking UP if she's sleepy.
 

scoutingbear

New member
Teach him to lean his head back when he sleeps? It's finally worked for Emma. The Cybex X-Fix has a design on the headrest for just that. (But if you want one, get it while you can!)

Other than that, I guess get another Frontier or put him in the RSTV if he's likely to sleep...
I totally forgot that we had an RSTV :eek: and ours is the old style so the shoulder part locks off the belt. I wonder if he would actually fall asleep in it?

Can you use the Nautilus as a booster? It seems fairly supportive for Hannah and Brett. They never sleep in them though.
He has slump in the Nauti too when sleeping. (harness mode) Actually, I can't name any seats that he doesn't slump in!

I can try him in A's Monterey but I don't know what will end up fitting in dh's car 3 across. We have to move the CCO out of the center because it over reclines there and I am tired of reinstalling every week. :mad: Last time it was on the side, C still fit in the Radian in the center.

Oh, leg support also helps! Since we gave Emma a rolled-up pillow for her Oobr so her legs and feet rest naturally on it, we've seen the end of sleep-slumping, combined with really working on looking UP if she's sleepy.
We can try that. When he first falls asleep, he stays in the headwings. For, you know, about 5 minutes.

I just think I need someone to come to BBB to try out boosters in dh's car and still keep one of the Turbos and the CCO. :whistle:
 

scoutingbear

New member
Um...when is good for you? Said child won't be around on Saturday, I have plans for Sunday, said car won't be available the following weekend. That leaves the end of the month. Then said car will be at water polo practice all Saturdays in November! Yikes!
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I can't do the last Saturday as I have a check event to work, followed by a church Halloween party. I don't THINK I have anything this Saturday, but I will have to check with Jeff. He'll want to sleep in and may have to go in Saturday- ooooh! I don't suppose you can come pick up me and the kids while Jeff goes in to finish up extensions? He would LOVE that. Emma uses a booster, and I'm ok with Maggie FF very occasionally; I have 2 RSTVs and a BubbleBum so we can fit in your car with just about anything... And we'd have live models!
 

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