In the past few years, the baby monitor industry has exploded. In fact, there have been more baby monitors being sold in a single year than people have been born in that same year. Baby monitors are very popular among new parents as they offer true peace of mind.
Despite their great advantages, you should not use baby monitors forever. At some point, you have to stop using this device in order to ensure a healthy and functional lifestyle.
It is not always easy to determine when to stop using a baby monitor. It depends on the parents’ preferences and daily routine whether they want to stop or continue using it. There is no hard and fast rule.
But, experts suggest parents to stop using a baby monitor when their baby is old enough to sleep through the whole night with less frequent night feedings. Therefore, most parents prefer to stop using a baby monitor when their baby reaches 6 months of age.
However, stopping using a baby monitor doesn’t mean your baby monitor is useless since it will still be helpful in certain situations. In this article, I will eliminate all your confusion and comprehensively answer the question.
As I mentioned earlier, there is no fixed rule regarding the right time to stop using a baby monitor. Many parents use a baby monitor until their baby reaches 2 years of age.
You should keep one thing in mind that using baby monitors is not a necessity, but they simplify your job in the first weeks and months of your baby. When we were babies, our parents didn’t even know what a baby monitor is, and still, we are alive. So, when you feel like you don’t need a baby monitor anymore then you can stop using it.
However, I did some research on this topic to give you a better answer to this question. The following guidelines will help you know when to stop using baby monitor.
1. Babies under 6 months
If your baby is younger than 6 months then using a baby monitor can help you check if your baby is safe. In fact, pediatricians recommend parents to use a baby monitor for the first few weeks and months to avoid risks. A baby monitor keeps the parents assure that their baby is okay.
Also, most of the video baby monitors come with a two-way communication system that lets the parents communicate with their baby without rushing to the room every time he/she makes a peep, which improves the baby’s sleeping habit.
Additionally, baby monitors allow you to monitor your baby’s breathing without waking your baby up even from afar, which is very important in the first few days of your baby. In fact, you can also allow your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles to access your baby monitor and keep an eye on your baby while you are out for work.
So, it is very handy to use a baby monitor when your baby is not older than 6 months.
2. Children Over 6 months
When your child is 6 months old, he or she will start sleeping more consistently without waking up. Also, at this age, a baby becomes old enough to call for help loudly for parents to understand. If you have a baby older than 6 months then chances are that he is able to make sounds that can be clearly heard across the bedrooms. So, now you don’t require to use the baby monitor as frequently.
However, I don’t recommend parents to stop using the baby monitor at once. At first, you should be absolutely sure that your baby sleeps throughout the night without waking. To confirm it, place the baby monitor in your baby’s room lowering the volume way down so you will only hear his screaming. After observing your baby’s behavior for a series of a week or two, if you find out that your baby sleeps throughout the night then you can stop using the baby monitor.
By stopping the baby monitor, you are helping your child to develop a better sleeping pattern. Also, it will allow you to enjoy a full sleep cycle.
3. Toddlers sleeping in a regular bed
When your kid is grown-up enough to sleep in a regular bed, then it is a good idea to stop using the baby monitor. Because toddlers are old enough to come to your room if he needs something. Also, a toddler at this age can sleep nine or ten hours a day, so you don’t have to pay a visit frequently.
Is it okay to use a baby monitor after baby turns a year old?
Well, using a baby monitor or not completely depends on your preferences. However, most parents suggested that when your baby gets a year old, you should avoid using the baby monitor. Because, if you continue using a baby monitor all the time then you might become so much attached to it and your kid won’t get the privacy. Also, when parents start observing their baby continuously, they don’t get adequate sleep at night which affects their health.
On the other hand, some parents prefer using a baby monitor even the child is two years old. They claim that using a baby monitor helps them to keep an eye on their kid and ensure safety. So, if you are concerned about your baby’s safety as he learns to crawl and walk then you can use it.
Why should you stop using your baby monitor?
Monitoring a grown-up baby is completely unnecessary. However, here are few genuine reasons to avoid using a baby monitor.
Unnecessary Visiting
Sleeping babies are naturally noisy and this is normal. There are different types of sounds that babies make including breathing, sneezing, coughing, and more.
Also, babies who are six months or above cries continuously to get their parents’ attention. However, many babies cry for a short period of time and then continue sleeping. And if you start checking your baby every 10 seconds then you won’t be able to do your daily works properly.
Therefore, you should avoid using a baby monitor. If you rush every time you hear any noise in your baby’s room then you will wake him/her up. And of course, since you are also a parent you know how hard it is to put a baby to sleep.
Bad Sleeping Pattern & Anxiety
Visiting your baby every time you hear any sound will not only disturb your baby’s sleep but also will lead to anxiety and sleeping problems. Parents have reported that, due to overusing the baby monitor, their sleep became lighter and they become obsessed with every sound coming out of it.
Also, if you keep watching your baby on the monitor the whole day then you will get tired and may end up getting depressed. And depression can lead to some sleep problems for you.
So, if you don’t want to develop intense anxiety by watching your baby all the time then the solution is to stop using your baby monitor.
It becomes an addiction
Baby monitors are proven to be very helpful when it comes to observing your kid through the video monitor. They give you the ability to keep an eye on your baby from anywhere without disturbing your baby’s sleep.
However, the problem is, after a couple of months you will start to feel addicted to checking on your kids. And since you don’t require anyone’s permission to peek inside the bedroom of your baby, you will find yourself rushing to your baby’s room every 15 minutes.
It’s more like scrolling through your Facebook feed to check if there’s something new happening. If you are also going through this situation then you should stop using your baby monitor.
you will start acting like a spy
Every parent loves to see their baby playing. I know, it feels really great to you to observe your baby’s behavior when you are not around. But if you keep watching your baby on the monitor the whole day then it seems like you are spying on your baby.
The worst thing is, when your child is aware that you are watching him, he may change his behavior. And no parent wants their kid to change his personality. It will prevent him from behaving naturally.
So, if it feels like you are using the baby monitor to spy over your baby’s activities then you should stop using it as it can backfire really fast.
Reasons to keep your baby monitor:
With baby monitors, you always have the option to use them or not. Here I am mentioning few reasons to keep the baby monitor.
1. To train your child to sleep
Over the past few years, baby monitors are proven to be very helpful when it comes to monitoring the baby in his/her room. Although you should avoid using a baby monitor when your baby is grown-up, there are certain situations that will demand you to continue using it. You can train your child how to sleep.
Children might not understand the concept of sleeping. In this case, a baby monitor can help you train your children to sleep and improve their sleeping habits.
2. If your kid has nightmares
If your kid is grown enough then he/she can experience nightmares. In this situation, using a baby monitor will give you the ability to hear your kid correctly. You will be able to reach your baby fast and assure him/her that everything is well. But, if your rooms are very close then you can hear your baby without using a baby monitor.
3. When your baby is sick
Many parents continue using a baby monitor to keep an eye on their child when he/she is sick. Thanks to the clear audio quality of baby monitors, parents can hear their kids without being in the room all day long. Also, there are some baby monitors that are able to monitor the breathing and movement of the kid and inform the parent.
4. Sleepwalking kid
Sleepwalking is a quite rare habit among children but it can be dangerous when your child’s footsteps are not loud enough to wake you up. If you realize that your baby sleepwalks at night then a baby monitor can be really helpful. It will alert you as soon as any motion is detected in the room so that you can react fast.
Conclusion
It should be now clear to you that there are no established rules that define when to stop using a baby monitor. You know your baby more than anyone. So, if you feel like your baby has grown enough, it might be the right time to get rid of your baby monitor if you haven’t already.
However, this doesn’t mean you should trash your baby monitor as there’s is always a situation where it can be helpful to you.
We hope that you now have all the answers you need regarding this topic. For further assistance and suggestion, feel free to leave a comment or email us. Also, make sure you read our other articles related to baby monitors for better knowledge. Recently we have reviewed top camping baby monitors. If you are a frequent traveler then you should check out the list.
Thanks for being with us 🙂
