How to monitor baby breathing motion safely

Uncover essential tips on monitoring your baby's breathing motion during sleep. Ensure their safety and your peace of mind with our expert guidance.

How to use the Nanit Breathing Band Reading How to monitor baby breathing motion safely 6 minutes Next Breathing Motion Monitoring for Newborns and Babies

By Mackenzie Sangster

How do sensor-free breathing motion monitors work?

Sensor-free baby monitors like Nanit detect your baby’s breathing motion through pattern recognition, without disrupting their sleep or making them wear uncomfortable gear.

These monitors alert you if they detect a cessation of breathing motion, allowing you to respond quickly and ensure your baby’s wellbeing. Breathing Wear from Nanit tracks your baby’s breathing motion in real-time without any cords or sensors needed in the crib. Plus, it’s HSA/FSA-eligible, reducing your costs.

Nanit’s Breathing Wear works intuitively with the Nanit Pro Camera. The camera gathers data and insight on your child’s breathing motion and sends it straight to your phone. The technology works with virtually any sleeping position, so you can remain informed all night (or nap) long.

Are baby breathing motion monitors safe?

Sensor-free monitoring is the best way to monitor your baby’s breathing motion while they sleep. That’s why Nanit employs the technology in our ultra-comfortable Breathing Wear. Nanit Breathing Wear comes in cozy swaddles, pajamas, and sleeping bags that feel as soft and plush as regular pjs—with no sensors or electronics inhibiting your baby’s comfort or sleep.

Of course, there is no replacement for your attention when it comes to your newborn’s safety. So, remember that tools like these are meant to enhance, rather than replace, your care.

Also, if you’re considering a breathing motion monitor for your baby, keep in mind that while breathing motion monitors can alert you if your baby needs you during the night, there is currently not evidence that breathing monitors can prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or other health conditions.

Consult your baby’s doctor

Before purchasing a sensor-free baby monitor, you may want to talk to your child’s pediatrician. They may have recommendations based on your child’s unique needs, help you know what to do if an alarm goes off, and be able to walk you through the benefits or considerations of using a breathing motion monitor for your baby.

The benefits of sensor-free breathing motion monitors

At Nanit, we know that powerful tools are only as powerful as the data gained from them. That’s why we designed our Breathing Wear to not only monitor your baby’s breathing motion, but to deliver the information you need to know in real-time.

The result? Peace of mind and a better night’s sleep for parents and caregivers, confident that should your baby need you, you’ll be alerted so that you can quickly respond.

Choosing the right Breathing Wear for your baby’s needs

Nanit offers many Breathing Wear styles for your baby, making it easy to choose what best fits your needs. Is your child a restless sleeper? Picky about PJs? We’ve got you covered.

For newborn comfort seekers. Babies who need a little extra soothing will love the ultimate comfort that our Breathing Wear Swaddle provides. This option is for back-sleeping newborns. Once your child starts to roll, switch to another Nanit option for continued healthy baby sleep.
For movers and shakers. Our Breathing Wear Pajamas come with our exclusive Breathing Wear pattern printed on the fabric (easy to find in the laundry basket!). They keep your kiddo comfortable and snuggly while providing you with invaluable data during the night.
For snugglers. The Breathing Wear Sleeping Bag will work well to keep your little one cozy through the night without the danger of loose blankets in the crib.
For the layer-lovers. Our Nanit Breathing Band fits over pajamas and bodysuits in most children up to 24 months. How does the Breathing Band work? It rests gently around the child’s chest and abdomen and under their arms, tracking their breathing motion and still allowing plenty of room to move.

A sensor-free breathing motion monitor your baby can wear

Easily keep an eye on your little one’s breathing motion with the help of Nanit Breathing Wear. From pajamas and bands to sleeping bags and swaddles, we’ve thought of everything you’ll need to monitor your baby’s breathing motion during the night.

Pair your baby’s Breathing Wear with our Nanit Pro Camera to unlock a 360-degree view of your baby’s wellness, year-round peace of mind, and confident parenting. Please note, the powerful data of an Insights Plan is needed to use the Breathing Motion Monitoring function.

Key takeaways

Sensor-free breathing monitors can help ease your anxiety and let you keep an eye on your child while they sleep.
Consult with your doctor if you have concerns about using a sensor-free baby monitor for your child.
Choose the proper Nanit Breathing Wear for your baby now and prepare for transitions down the line.

Nanit is not a medical device. Nanit is a connected product designed and intended to continuously learn from the data it collects to help you understand your baby's sleep patterns. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or other condition, including but not limited to, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). False positive or false negative readings about your baby’s breathing patterns are a potential risk of Nanit. Height measurements are assessed using computer vision algorithms and are estimated - Nanit makes no guarantee that they are 100% accurate. Medical decisions should never be made using Nanit growth data. Nanit should not substitute for the care and oversight of an adult or consultation with medical professionals.

Sources:

Parents. Does Your Baby Need a SIDS Monitor? https://www.parents.com/baby/health/sids/does-your-baby-need-a-sids-monitor/

NIH. A real-time camera-based adaptive breathing monitoring system. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8185321/

Hopkins Medicine. Do Sleep Trackers Really Work? https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/do-sleep-trackers-really-work

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CONTRIBUTORS

Natalie Barnett, PhD serves as VP of Clinical Research at Nanit. Natalie initiated sleep research collaborations at Nanit and in her current role, Natalie oversees collaborations with researchers at hospitals and universities around the world who use the Nanit camera to better understand pediatric sleep and leads the internal sleep and development research programs at Nanit. Natalie holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of New England in Australia and a Postgraduate Certificate in Pediatric Sleep Science from the University of Western Australia. Natalie was an Assistant Professor in the Neurogenetics Unit at NYU School of Medicine prior to joining Nanit. Natalie is also the voice of Nanit's science-backed, personalized sleep tips delivered to users throughout their baby's first few years.

Kristy Ojala is Nanit’s Digital Content Director. She spends way too much time looking at maps and weather forecasts and pictures of Devon Rex cats and no-cook dinners. A former sleep champion, she strives to share trustworthy somnabulism tips with other parents—praying for that one fine day when no tiny humans wake her up while it’s still dark out. Her kids highly recommend 3 books, approximately 600 stuffies, Chopin’s “Nocturnes,” and the Nanit Sound + Light for bedtime success.

Mackenzie Sangster is on the Brand and Community team at Nanit. She supports content development and editing for Nanit’s Parent Confidently blog as well as other marketing initiatives. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her friends, cooking, being active, and using the Pro + Flex Duo to keep an eye on her fur-baby, Poppy!

Holly Hays is a contributor and writer for Nanit, channeling her years as a mama and former magazine editor to create fun, useful content for fellow busy, trying-to-do-their-best parents and caregivers. Holly has written for a wide range of brands and media outlets (Ergobaby, HGTV, Manhattan Toy Company, OXO), loves to cook and read mystery novels, and leans heavily on her two daughters to keep her up to date on all the latest slang.