How Baby Monitors Impact Your Baby’s Sleep

Most parents use baby monitors as a way to look over their children when they are not by their side. Although not mandatory to have one (our grandparents got on great without them!), monitors have truly transformed the way people parent. 

How baby monitors impact your baby's sleep

But does it have any impact on our baby and how well they sleep? In this article, we will be exploring this question as well as our general take on the baby monitor itself.

What Do Baby Monitors Do?

A baby monitor is a device used to monitor a baby through audio and/or video. By using a baby monitor, a parent is able to go about their everyday routine (whether that be cooking dinner, sorting out the laundry, working from home, or chatting to a friend) whilst still being able to keep a close eye on their little one. 

The main purpose of a baby monitor is to allow further protection, security, and peace of mind. As parents, it is our duty to love, care for, and protect our children and being apart from them may feel like we are not fulfilling that role. With baby monitors, you are keeping your children safe by always keeping a close eye on them.

The Importance Of A Baby’s Sleep

During the first year of a baby’s lifetime, sleep is vital. Everyone knows how much a baby sleeps (which is a lot) but not everyone understands why it is so important to a child’s growth and development.

Did you know that…

  • Babies in the womb are asleep 80% of the time.
  • Up until the age of 2, children spend more of their time asleep than they do awake.
  • Children spend 40% of their childhood asleep.

From this data alone, it is very evident that sleep plays an important role in a child’s life, but why is this?

The reason why sleep is so important for a baby is because it helps with their growth and development. However, many babies are so restless at night and parents find that difficult to cope with, which is understandable.

More than likely, a newborn baby will sleep more during the day than during the night, not being able to have a full night’s sleep for at least the first year of their life. This amount of sleep is very healthy and it should not be disturbed.

All babies sleep differently and develop different sleeping patterns. They will choose to sleep when they want to and they will wake up when they need to.

Can A Baby Monitor Impact Your Baby’s Sleep?

As we have uncovered previously in the article, baby monitors are a great addition to the family home.

With a monitor, you are able to hear if your baby is distressed or see if they have fallen or need any other kind of help. However, baby monitors can also have an impact on your baby’s sleep.

Positive Impact On Your Baby’s Sleep

The great thing about baby monitors is that you are able to both hear and see your baby all from a small portable device. You may hear them crying from restlessness if they are hungry, or perhaps from getting their hand caught in their crib or a toy that is out of reach. 

Without a monitor, you would hear that cry and rush into their room, disrupting their sleep, but with a monitor, you are able to know beforehand if they truly need you or if it is simply a casual cry. 

More often than not, your baby will let out noise but this doesn’t mean that they are in need of any attention. It may be a moan of sleepiness or a sign that they are finally drifting off.

Instead of opening their bedroom door and waking them up, your child will sleep peacefully thanks to that baby monitor and you knowing what is going on in their room without having to enter it and potentially disturb them.

Negative Impact On Your Baby’s Sleep

However, baby monitors can also have a negative impact on your baby’s sleep. This negative impact is typically induced by first-time parents or those with newborns, but this is nothing to be ashamed of (all parents are the same!). 

A baby monitor quite literally picks up every little sound your baby makes ranging from as loud as their bellowing cries to as quiet as a small hiccup. Whilst this may seem like a good feature of the device, this is the perfect way of getting parents to disrupt their baby’s sleep. 

Upon hearing these noises, no matter if it is day or night, a parent will find themselves constantly checking on their baby and potentially waking them up in the process.

Pros and Cons Of Using A Baby Monitor

Pros and cons of baby monitors

Now we know that using a baby monitor can have an impact on your baby’s sleep, it may lead you to question whether it is worth investing in one altogether. To help you decide, we have put together a helpful pros and cons list.

Pros

Brings Peace of Mind

Being separated from your baby, even if they are only in the other room, can be scary for a parent. You can’t see them and may not even be able to hear them.

You will instinctively have your guard up and worry for their safety. By using a baby monitor, you will have peace of mind knowing that they are safe and protected and you can keep a close eye on them wherever you are.

Less False Alarms

When you hear your baby cry or make any sudden sounds, a lot of the time you are not truly needed. They could be gurgling in their sleep or let out sleepy moans, but this is nothing you should attend to. With a baby monitor, you are reducing those false alarms and allowing your baby and yourself to rest easily.

Good For Parents’ Rest

Becoming a new parent means more stress and less sleep and that is because of the constant worrying and listening out for your baby. With a baby monitor, you will be able to finally rest easy and maybe even catch a short nap now that your baby is right next to you with that monitor.

Cons

Addictive

A negative about using a baby monitor is that it can become addictive. Having your baby virtually by your side can make parents addicted to looking at their monitor, constantly checking, worrying about if their baby will fall or cry. Monitors are supposed to give a helping hand, not act as a stalking device.

Lack of TLC

Every single baby needs and desires attention and it is very important for the parent to meet that requirement. When using a baby monitor, you will know whether or not your child needs you, however this may make you not tend to them enough. 

If your baby is tossing and turning and making some noise, it may be helpful to tend to them. Some motherly or fatherly love may be the answer to getting them to sleep.

Final Thoughts

Do baby monitors impact your baby’s sleep? The answer to that is both yes and no. While the baby monitor itself does nothing to disrupt the baby’s sleep, it is how the parents use the device that can. 

A parent may feel that they have to tend to every sound they hear from their baby, disrupting the baby’s sleep. On the other hand, it may be helpful and give your baby the rest they deserve.

If you are wanting to add a baby monitor to your house, make sure to use it well for the benefit of your child.