Baby monitors give you peace of mind by letting you watch your baby when you’re not in the room.
Babies grow up, and it comes to the point that you should let go of the use of a baby monitor.
How long should you use a baby monitor? The answer depends on the age of your child. If they’re young and have to eat every two hours, you’ll need to check in more often than older. In general, it’s not necessary to use a baby monitor for more than three months after birth.
The following guide will help you decide what type of baby monitor is best for your family:
Infants (up to 12 months)
If you’re using a video monitor, keep it in the nursery. A primary audio-only monitor can be controlled in the child’s room or moved around the house.
Babies (12 months to 24 months)
A video monitor is best for this age group because it allows you to see and hear your child. An audio-only monitor works well if your home isn’t too big or you don’t mind carrying it around.
If you have several rooms in your house, consider getting two video monitors so one parent can stay with the baby while the other talks to the child from another room.
Toddlers (2 years to 5 years)
Again, a video monitor is best because it enables both parents to see and hear their child — although an audio-only monitor might do in a pinch.
For older children, one parent might be able to watch them while doing other things around the house — but only if they’re not sleeping in their room.
How long should you use a baby breathing monitor?
You should use a baby breathing monitor as long as you need to.
Most importantly, you can sleep at night and not worry about your baby’s breathing.
If you feel comfortable using the monitor for a few months, then do so. If you need to use it for longer, that’s OK too. There are no set rules about how long you should use a baby breathing monitor.
If your baby is sleeping in his crib, keeping him in his crib for at least six months is best.
But if your baby sleeps in a bassinet or other place where they can roll over onto their stomach, it’s probably best to use the monitor until they reach 12 months old.
It all depends on how active your child is during the day and whether or not they tend to roll over while sleeping.
When can I stop using a baby monitor?
The short answer is as soon as your baby can communicate that they’re hungry, need a diaper change or want some attention. Once your child walks and talks, it’s time to put away the monitor.
There are many reasons why we use monitors in the first place. One of them is to get things done around the house while keeping an eye on our little ones.
But once they can communicate with us verbally and physically, it’s no longer necessary to use a monitor because they’ll let us know when they need something.
If you want to keep using the monitor after your child starts talking, that’s fine too! It’s still lovely to hear their voice from another room, but there’s no need for it once they’re verbal.
If you use a standard analog baby monitor, you can stop using it as soon as your children become mobile and start crawling around the house.
If you use a digital baby monitor, you may want to keep using it until your child becomes a teenager.
Many teenagers tend to sneak out of their rooms at night and go for late-night walks or talk with friends that may not be appropriate for younger children to hear.
Another reason you might want to keep using a baby monitor until your child is older is if they are in special education classes or therapy sessions after school. They need to be monitored by a teacher or therapist who cannot see them directly.
How long should you keep a baby monitor at night?
The answer is different for every family. Some people may find that they need to keep the monitor on all night long, while others might be able to get by with just a couple of hours of monitoring before going to bed.
If you are worried about your baby’s safety, you should use the monitor as much as possible.
If you have older children who may be up in the middle of the night and who can check on their little brother or sister, it might be a good idea to keep the monitor off at night to get a good night’s sleep.
It all comes down to personal preference. You should also consider how long your baby will stay in this stage of development before moving on to another phase.
Some parents keep their monitors on until they crawl or walk around independently.
Others decide when they want their children out of diapers and underwear that no longer need changing every few hours.
FAQs
At what age can you stop using a baby breathing monitor? This question is simple: as soon as your child can roll over and move around enough to be out of harm’s way.
Most experts recommend you stop using a breathing monitor for your baby once they have turned six months old.
At this point, your baby should be able to roll over and sit up on his own, which reduces the chances of suffocation significantly.
How long do baby monitors last? Baby monitors can last anywhere from three to 10 years, depending on the model. It’s important to note that this is an estimate, not a warranty.
If you’ve had your monitor for over two years, it might be time to upgrade. If you have an older model, check its battery life: if the battery doesn’t last long enough for naps and overnight, it’s probably time for a new monitor.
If you have a video monitor with a screen that displays color, it will probably last five years or longer. Monitors without screens may only last three years or less if used frequently.
How long should you use the video baby monitor? Most parents use a video baby monitor for at least a year. The longer you use it, the more you’ll get out of it.
A video monitor may be helpful even after your first child is out of the crib if you have older kids in another room. You can watch them while they play or sleep or ensure they’re safe