Weaning from the baby monitor

I've slept with the baby monitor on since our boys came home. Their room is down the hall from ours and with both doors shut I'm not sure I'd hear them even if they got really upset. I generally don't go to them at night unless they do get really upset.

Even though I get a reasonable number of hours of sleep, my fatigue level has gotten so bad, with no other medical explanation, that my doctor today referred me to a sleep specialist. She's wondering if I have a sleep disorder but I should probably try turning off the monitor first ...

How do I do it? I'd worry all night, straining to see if I was hearing something or not. It's pretty dumb because I don't usually get up to do anything, just listen to them fuss.

 

Maybe try weaning yourself slowly. My two sleep in separate rooms side by side with their doors closed, I have my door open. Our upper level is not that large though, so I do hear them if they cry for me, but I don't hear the small noises they make. You have to trust yourself that you will wake if they really cry out and need you, can you leave your bedroom door open for a time, and maybe theirs too, and then see how it goes? You are a twin mama you have to have rest!!!

 

i was also going to suggest leaving the doors open - yours at least. i expect you'd hear them no problem then. :hug:

 

I have had the same problem since mine were born.....I still have the monitors on but like this: kids doors closed, mine open, we're in a townhouse so instead of putting the monitors in my room they are down on the middle level kitchen counter and up all the way, I hear them when they cry but not the little noises, is there a way to do that? not have the monitors in your room?
Our two still sleep with white noise to keep from waking each other up or hearing us do dishes or whatever so I feel the need to still have the monitors.

 

How loud is your monitor turned up? When mine is too loud, I can hear the ambient hissing and I don't sleep very well. We turn it down just enough that we can't hear the monitor (or white noise in their room), but still can hear a cry through the monitor. Or does your baby monitor have a "voice activation" feature? Mine does, but DH doesn't like it for some reason. ardon: It's kind of cool because it only turns on when there is a cry, but you don't hear any rustlings/ambient room noises.

Otherwise, I would suggest that you have DH take night duty at least one night per week and go sleep somewhere you *can't* hear the boys. Occasionally I will sleep in our finished basement; it's cool, black as pitch, and quiet as the grave. I sleep like a rock down there! If you can do this, then maybe you could catch up on a little bit of sleep and start to feel better. It might also wean you off the habit of listening for the boys.

 

That's our problem too - white noise. We always have a fan on in our bedroom and the boys have a white noise generator plus music playing all night. I'm not sure that we'd hear much even with both bedroom doors open.

I tried last night putting the monitor across the room from the bed, as opposed to on the headboard. I slept terribly, waking up every other minute practically, but that might just be getting used to it. I'll probably try that again tonight. Thanks all!

 

I'm not much help, I still have a monitor in my big kids room. They are across the house from us, we both have fans in our rooms, and I know I wouldn't hear them if they cried. Also, all my kids, when they get a stomach virus, they start puking around 12-1am. Never fails. I would never hear them getting sick if I didn't have the monitor on.

I have mine turned down super low, so I don't hear the night rustlings either, but I can hear them if they are coughing or getting sick, as well as crying out. My oldest 2 both talk in their sleep when they are really tired, and I can hear that too in case it turns into a nightmare or night terror.