Hi Mamas,
So my son is almost 2. We still have a video monitor on him which is super helpful sometimes to tell whether he's making noise in his sleep or whether he's standing up ready to go. But the problem is he's a loud sleeper and I don't sleep well either when I hear every noise he makes,and then I have trouble sometimes going back to sleep. Like this morning at around 5 he started "singing" as we call it in his sleep. He was still out cold but I heard it on the monitor and couldn't go back to sleep myself. We tried for a couple weeks turning off the sound and just setting our alarm for 7am (around his typical wake-up time), then we'd immediately check to see what he was up to and if he was still out we'd lay around, if he was up we'd go get him. But he got a little cold during that time and one night my in-laws who were staying with us had to go to him because we didn't hear him crying - he's upstairs, we're down. What should we do? If we're not sure we will hear him if he really needs us, we don't feel comfortable turning off the monitor, but when its on I don't sleep well even when he is! Any suggestions?
THANK YOU in advance!
Is there another room close to you that you can put the monitor in but could still hear him on it if he needed you? That may work and would also give you much needed rest!
Can you just turn the monitor way down? That's what we do. My daughter is almost 2 and we still have a baby monitor - we were having the same problem. We did a few things - we put the monitor on the floor, not on our bedside table. It seems to make a huge difference if it's not right at your head. We also turned the volume down. It took a few nights to get it right, but if you turn it down enough you won't hear every little squeak, but you can hear if he's calling for you or crying. We also have a fan going in our room AND her room - white noise drowns out a lot of the little noises and rustling around, but doesn't cut down any of the screaming or crying noise.
We have the same upstairs/downstairs issue. Both kids have a camera and one monitor is in our room, the other in the kitchen. I keep the volume of the monitor down due to interferance that was keeping me up. We have an audio monitor in the hallway between both kids rooms. It minimizes the little sounds but picks up and alerts me if one of them is crying or calling our name. When I here one of them I flip the monitor to their room so I can see what's going on. Since I started doing this I get a much better nights sleep. Our kids are 3 1/2 and 1 1/2 and I wouldn't be comfortable downstairs without being able to see what they are doing in their room.
I can't sleep either but I need to have it on my bedroom is upstairs my 2 older kids are down stairs so I need to be able to hear when something is going on if its a bad dream, potty, or the most horrible thing somebody trying to break in,or a fire.
Is there a volume control? I still have the monitor for my 3 year old, and because I'm such a light sleeper all her little nighttime noises would wake me, too. So I set the volume on close to the lowest settings. Pretty much the "normal" sounds can't be heard anymore, but if she is crying in the night it is loud enough to wake me right up. You sound like me as far as your sensitivity to nighttime noises, so this trick might work for you. Also, how close is the monitor to you? If it's next to you on your nightstand, then maybe you should move it to a further location in your bedroom.
I have 2 babies with video monitors in there rooms. My son is 2 and daughter is 1. I run sound machines in their room set to the ocean pretty loud. It helps keep them from waking each other up but it also helps us. We just hear the sweet sound of waves that reminds us of your honeymoon before we had kids. uhhhhhh... lol anyway we do not hear them in less it is really something that we need to get up. If one of them does wake me up the waves help me go back to sleep. oh we keep the monitors low in our room.
My daughter is 2 as well. I'm not ready to turn off the monitor either, so what I have done is move the baby monitor across the room and turn the volume down low in my room. We have a one story home. She wakes up every once in awhile when she is wet, cold, or just wants a snack. We can hear her talk in her sleep and call out "mommy" or "daddy," and sometime she will fall back asleep on her on. Hope this helps ya!
I can't sleep with a baby monitor on either. I never get in a deep sleep as I am just waiting for the next sound. If you move the monitor out of his room and into the hallway, you won't hear any sounds from your son unless he is crying or calling out for you. I would just move the monitor further away from him and from you so you aren't picking up every little sound. Good Luck
Maybe a different type of monitor that has a quieter setting, or putting your receiver in a connected bathroom, and maybe farther from him in his room? Does it have a sensitivity setting? If they are farther away, just slightly muted, you might be able to hear him, and it will wake you if necessary, but not for every little squeak. Sorry, that's all I have.
this is vey common in little kids, we are designed as babies to be close to our parents untill 3 or 4 years old. The seperation in this ok, but he is probally waking up and is cold or has kicked his blankets off... He needs a sence of security and the ability to put himself in a deeper sleep. (first and foremost, when he makes these noises it could be a sign that he is under atack in his dreams, I would suggest praying over him) It really works! its amazing how you can speak the Name of our God and his angels will surround our children.
Secondly, lavender and Valor is another great tool. Essential oils are great for children. It tends to unwind them and calm their souls in their sleep.
Lastly, try some dark curtains, and small radiator heater and a white noise machine or air pureifer. My kids have slept with these since they were born and its worked like magic! (radiator heaters are great because they dont get too hot and emit heat to a max temp in the room.) Safe for babies room. Oh, and a humidifier is good to so they dont dry our too much with the heater.
Good luck, hope this helps! This too shall pass...
Have you talked to your pediatrician about your childs sleeping habits? When we had our last baby and finally put her in her sisters room to sleep, we used a monitor too. The baby slept pretty good, but we noticed her older sister made horrible sounds,along with periods she wasn't breathing in her sleep that alarmed us. Her tonsils and adnoids were huge, but her dr had insisted they were "just big" but healthy, so we accepted that. We changed MD's and new doc insisted we get in for counciltation with surgeon and within two weeks she had the tonsils pulled. Shes been sleeping like a baby since! It may be some kind of nasal or ?? causing the "singing". We all need our rest, its when we reset our clocks, your little one needs it as well as you two. It may sound tough, but if he cant get out of his crib, he'll stay safe there. Keep on the video and off with the audio, You sound like great caring parents, hang in there!
we also have 2, 2 and 1 with monitors, but the sound is super low...the lights are enough to wake us up, and our 2 year old will yell loud enough if he NEEDS anything...but he is also in a toddler bed now and will get up on his own if we don't come in there.
Do whatever you need to do to get some sleep. He is probably fine with out one too. BUT I am more comfortable with one in there still...as a matter of fact, i think i may leave it in until he leaves home...i think it would be great covert eavesdropping on a teenager! :0) just kidding.
What about moving the monitor out of his room. I know that defeats the purpose of the video monitor, so maybe you could just get a second monitor for sound only, although I'll warn you that they may interfere with each other. Anyway, what I'm getting at is if the monitor is in the hallway, or at the top of the stairs, you know your house, maybe you won't hear every little noise, but if he started crying pretty loudly, you'd hear it on the monitor. It's worth a shot!
I say keep the monitor and receiver where they are, but only use them if he's sick. We have a 5yo that, when he's sick, he wakes a lot coughing, retching, sometimes vomiting (even from just a cold). We keep the monitor turned on during those times because we can't hear him in his room if we're downstairs.
That's the only time we turn it on. Just a thought.
