When can I stop using a baby monitor?

A baby monitor can be a huge source of comfort for the first few months of your little one’s life. It helps you keep track of their sleeping and alerts you whenever they need you. At first, it might feel like you can’t sleep one wink without it since you’re constantly worried about hearing even the smallest cry. However, there comes a time when it is good to turn it off and to start teaching some independent sleeping – for both of you. If you’re wondering when to stop using baby monitor, we’re going to let you in on that and so much more.

Benefits of using a baby monitor

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• Added safety and security: Using a baby monitor helps parents watch and keep a close eye on their little one, helping to easy worry and anxiety. A baby monitor helps parents peek into their child’s room, even if they’re not in the same room. For most parents, that helps bring an added layer of confidence that they’re aware of any potentially dangerous activity.
• Sleep time for parents: Whilst getting a full nights sleep with a little baby will never be straight forward, knowing that you can hear any problems while your baby is sleeping can make parents feel more comfortable sleeping soundly in their own bed. Especially since they won’t have to check on them constantly. Using a video baby monitor enhances this even more.
• Multi-tasking for busy parents: Parents are always having to juggle a million things, and using a baby monitor is super handy to be able to go about your life while knowing that your little one is safe and secure. It allows for flexibility and creating a balance in their life so that they can do other things. Again, this is even more so the case with a video baby monitor.

When to stop using a baby monitor

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There’s no set age to stop using a baby monitor. Some experts indicate it could be ideal between when your child turns 2-5 years old. It’s really a personal preference, however developmentally it’s recommended to let go of it when your baby no longer needs to feed during the night. If they are able to make it 8-9 hours without any hunger, they are all set for some independence! Some children will get to this stage within three months whereas others can take up to a year or more. It all depends on your little one, but you’ll know the milestone when it comes.

For parents that sleep on separate floors to their kids, their may be more need for baby monitors. And if your little one has more health issues or special needs, then this timeline will also look quite different for you.

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Why is it important to turn off the baby monitor?

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Rushing to the nursery every time you hear a slight whimper will only reinforce their wakings during the night. If you jump at any sound that you wouldn’t hear without the baby monitor they won’t learn how to sleep through it. Ultimately, you want your little one to start their own sleeping pattern.

Using a baby monitor in their room as they grow older could potentially start doing more harm than good if they feel like they’re always being watched. Having their parents keep such a close eye on them could be more anxiety-producing and make it harder to sleep.

If you stop using a baby monitor, you could help teach your kid how to cope without constant monitoring, and be a helpful step in processes like sleep training where they learn to self-soothe.

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Baby Monitors And SIDS Risks

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Many parents feel that by using a baby monitor, they can limit the likelihood of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). However, research studies show that there’s no link between baby monitors preventing SIDS – even the high tech baby breathing monitors. They’re not accurate in monitoring their heart rates or breathing patterns, so flashy monitors can actually cause more anxiety in false alarms than actually use in preventing SIDS.

How to stop obsessing over baby monitor

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It’s not uncommon for parents to obsess over baby monitors – after all, we all want our children to be as safe as possible. Watching your baby sleep and keeping an eye on everything can become an addiction, where we can become anxious and attached to the security of seeing our little one safe. This is where using a baby monitor can do more harm than good. Parents will stay wide awake, eagerly listening and watching, glued to the video monitor to see their baby sleeping. Bottom line, it’s not helpful.

You could start by lowering the volume of the baby monitor, so that you’re not shaken awake with an murmur or mutter. If there’s a major issue, you’d still hear it with lower sound. It just means you’re less in tune with every sound. Another step might be moving the monitor to another side of the room, slowly moving it away in a gradual approach. Especially when you have a little baby, you won’t want to stop using your baby monitor right away. So one step at a time is how we do it.

If you’re worried you might not be able to hear their serious cries, you may be able to look at the settings which might give you the option to tweak the sensitivity levels. Meaning it will only go off for bigger cries. You might also want to keep it just for nap time if you are in a different part of the house or when you are not near the baby’s room.

Ultimately it’s personal preference when you are ready to go without it and there’s really no hard and fast rule.

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