Baby in pink striped outfit lying in a white crib, reaching for colourful hanging toys

It's normal and natural to worry about your baby at night, especially if you're a brand new parent and every pause in breathing or unusual noise can be terrifying. Luckily, this is why baby monitors exist, to give you peace of mind that everything is as it should be and alert you to any issues. Baby monitors come in many shapes and forms, but most are in the form of devices that let you listen to your baby wherever you are in the home.

You place one part in the babys room, and the other where you are, or you can carry one around. Any crying or unusual noises, and you'll be alerted right away. You can even get temperature monitors, movement sensors and talk-back devices. However, more parents than ever before are using different kinds of baby monitors, allowing them to see and hear their tot.

Saving time and stress with video monitoring

Video cameras can help you to keep an even closer eye on your baby as he or she sleeps while you get on with your day. When connected to a monitor or even via remote access on your smartphone, tablet, laptop or TV, a camera will show you live, real-time footage of the babys room, which you can glance at whenever you need to check on your little one.

This means no more running up and down the stairs, which can be very tiring and potentially wake your baby up if you step on a creaky floorboard or trip over a pile of toys on your way. Using a camera, you can easily see the following:

  • * How is your baby sleeping, and what is their breathing like
  • * If there is a change in sleeping position, you will need to adjust
  • * If your baby hasn't moved in a while and you'll need to pop up and check on them

Many parents also report that monitoring through video, rather than audio alone, makes them feel far more connected to their baby. It can be very hard to leave your young child alone in a room while they sleep, even though you know its an important step and is crucial for their development. This is in addition to the peace of mind you enjoy from checking on your baby simply by clicking on the video feed on your tablet screen - he or she will get more sleep, and you may even find some spare time for yourself!

You can, of course, find many video monitoring systems on the market that are specially designed for keeping an eye on babies as they sleep. However, some families find that ordinary indoor and Wi-Fi surveillance cameras can do the job as well and can be more reliable and produce better quality footage due to being more technologically advanced.