Pros and Cons of a Baby Movement Monitor
Author Name: Heidi Holvoet, PhD
Can a baby movement monitor save your sleeping baby from SIDS or sleep apnea? Or will an angelcare baby monitor give you false peace of mind?
A baby movement monitor, often called an angelcare baby
monitor, consists of a baby unit, one or two sensor pads
and a parent receiver unit.
It works like this: when sleeping, baby lies on the sensor pad(s).
These pads detect baby's movements, even the very very slight
ones during normal sleep.
But if she does not move for 20 seconds or more, an alarm will alert
parents.
Because too long breathing pauses are linked to severe
sleep
apnea
and
SIDS
,
this type of monitor is also called a sids monitor.
And it does sound like the perfect supervisor if you worry about SIDS
or sleep
apnea.
But there are of course pros and cons: some parents can't even imagine
getting one, others only sleep when it is on and have reported saving
their baby's life thanks to an angelcare baby monitor.
Pros and Cons of an Angelcare Baby Monitor
My main concern: these monitors may give you too much peace of mind ... I know, you need peace of mind to get some sleep and this monitor can really help with that.But only if you keep in mind that no monitor can ever replace adult supervision!
Let the monitor help you, but it will always be a thing . so trust it for what it is. Do keep checking on your baby (and the monitor set up) regularly too.
The main complaint we hear from parents who have used a baby
movement monitor, is that it sometimes sounds a false alarm. The alarm
just goes off unnecessarily.
This is usually when baby is older (3 months+) and starts rolling
off the pads. Or if batteries are wearing down.
Nowadays, movement monitors, like the top-brand
Angelcare Baby Audio & Movement Monitor
have improved
this quite a bit.
Sensitivity
can be set and fine tuned - even if it takes some fiddling and trying -
and the
dual-pad monitors have fewer false alarms.
The Angelcare monitor also doubles as a sound monitor, has a
temperature sensor in baby's room with display on the parents unit
(even an alert if the temperature moves out of range).
There is also a built-in night light and the units work with batteries
only - they are rechargeable though.
My conclusion
If you have a healthy baby and feel confident about
supervising her regularly (having her in your room the first months is
recommended anyway), you will most likely be fine without this
kind of monitor.
If your baby, or any of her siblings, have had serious breathing stops,
have (had) sleep apnea or near-SIDS experiences, a baby movement
monitor can be an important tool
to help supervise her. Your doctor may also advise this.
If you're naturally anxious or know that you sleep very deeply and
are afraid you wouldn't hear or feel when your baby is in trouble, then yes you might feel (and sleep) better thanks to one of these.
In any case, always discuss it with your doctor or health advisor.
Article Author: Heidi Holvoet, PhD - Founder, senior sleep consultant
Heidi Holvoet, PhD, is the founder of the Baby Sleep Advice website and movement, an award-winning author, baby & toddler sleep consultant with 15+ years experience as well as a certified lactation counselor.
Over the years, Heidi has received several awards inluding a Mom's Choice Award (MCA) and National Parenting Awards (NAPPA) for her Baby Sleep Advice website, programs and books. Also, Baby Sleep Advice was awarded "Most Trusted Infant's Sleep Solutions Company 2023" in the Benelux Enterprise Awards 2023.
Heidi continually conducts personal research and participates in continued education and in that way stays up to date with current scientific and pyschosocial infant care.
She is also a member of the Association of Professional Sleep Consultants of which she was one of the earliest contributors. She obtained her PhD degree in physics at the University of Ghent in Belgium.
Heidi is passionate about helping babies and their parents sleep more and better, with her trademark approach that has been proven and praised time and again by parents worldwide to be effective and truly no-tears. Respect for you as a parent and your baby, is at the heart of Heidi's warm and kind support. Her approach always keeps in mind a baby's needs and abilities at any given age, is based on pediatric science and the most up to date knowledge in infant care and sleep science.
As well as the award-winning baby sleep programs, Heidi offers popular 1:1 consults and easy-access 30-minute SOS Sleep sessions.
Choose your video monitor wisely

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