If you need to be able to hear your baby when he or she wakes up from naps, but you don’t want to keep constant watch by the nursery door, a baby breathing monitor may be your answer. These small devices work like radios, transmitting noises from your baby’s room to the receiver, wherever you choose to put it. This gives you the freedom to be downstairs, in the yard, or sometimes as far as 1500 feet away without losing contact with your baby.

Although all baby breathing monitors come with a sender and a receiver, you may be interested in purchasing a monitor with a few extra frills. Some come with two separate receivers, one for plugging into the wall and another that works on batteries for greater mobility. The mobile unit will often have a belt clip attached so that your hands can be free. The higher end baby breathing monitor receivers even have video capabilities so you can see as well as hear your sleeping baby.

The nursery units can also be equipped with extras that might help your baby sleep better. Some play lullabies, or entertain your baby by projecting a light show on the ceiling while your baby falls asleep. Although these features are not necessary, some parents enjoy getting more function from their baby breathing monitors.