Baby breathing monitors: frequently asked questions

Baby breathing monitors alert you if your baby stops breathing.

If you use a baby breathing monitor, make sure you know what to do and who to call if the alarm goes off.

Follow safe sleeping guidelines even if you use a baby breathing monitor.

What is a baby breathing monitor?

A baby breathing monitor is a piece of equipment that tracks a baby’s breathing while they’re asleep. If a baby stops breathing, an alarm goes off.

Do baby breathing monitors prevent SIDS and SUDI?

There’s no evidence that baby breathing monitors protect babies from sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and fatal sleeping accidents.

It’s essential to follow safe sleeping guidelines, even if you use a baby breathing monitor.

Do you need a baby breathing monitor?

Your doctor might recommend a baby breathing monitor if your baby was born prematurely or has breathing problems.

Here’s what to do if your doctor has recommended a monitor:

Follow your doctor’s instructions for using it.

Keep information about the monitor where you can find it.

Share information about monitor use with anyone who looks after your baby.

Doctors usually don’t recommend breathing monitors for healthy babies born at term.

If you choose to have a breathing monitor for your healthy baby, it’s important to know that babies don’t breathe in the same regular rhythm as older children and adults. Sometimes babies have pauses in their breathing. These pauses are normal and can be very frequent or close together.

Sometimes these normal breathing pauses can cause the alarm on baby breathing monitors to sound.

False alarms can be very stressful if you think that your baby has stopped breathing. When false alarms happen during the night, it can also be hard to rest.

If you need help deciding whether a baby breathing monitor is right for your situation, talk about it with your child and family health nurse, GP or paediatrician.

What should you do if the alarm on the monitor goes off?

If you have a baby breathing monitor or plan to get one, make sure you know who to call and what to do if the alarm goes off.

For example, you might want to ensure your CPR skills are up to date. If other people look after your baby, make sure they also know what to do.

Our content is regularly reviewed for quality and currency. The last review of this article was by Di Halloran, registered nurse (RN). Scientific Advisory Board review was provided by Dr Bronwyn Gould AM.

Dosso, J.A., Teng, K.A., Roy, K.T., & Robillard, J.M. (2025). The quantified baby: Real-world use of infant sleep monitoring technologies and its impact on parent mental health and medical decision making, BMJ Paediatrics Open, 9(1), Article e003700. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2025-003700.

Moon, R.Y., Carlin, R.F., Hand, I., AAP Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, & AAP Committee on Fetus and Newborn. (2022). Sleep-related infant deaths: Updated 2022 recommendations for reducing infant deaths in the sleep environment. Pediatrics, 150(1), Article e2022057990. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-057990.

Red Nose. (2025). Monitors are not needed for healthy babies and toddlers. Red Nose. Retrieved 30 September 2025 from https://rednose.org.au/safe-sleep-and-safer-pregnancy/newborn-to-1-year/home-monitors/.