Newborn, Parenting, Settling, Sleep

Why turn the monitor off (sometimes)? 

I receive so many calls from mums feeling stressed because their baby “isn’t sleeping”… simply because they can see movement on the monitor.

They describe babies moving, opening and closing their eyes, making noises or seeming easily disturbed — but not crying or distressed… just active.

So let me explain what’s actually happening.

✨ Babies move through sleep cycles — just like adults.
These are called:

• REM (Rapid Eye Movement / Active Sleep)
• NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement / Deep Sleep)

REM sleep is a lighter, more active stage and makes up a large part of a baby’s sleep. During REM you may see:
• Twitching or body movements
• Grimacing or funny facial expressions
• Eyes fluttering under eyelids
• Chewing or sucking motions
• Little noises or brief cries

This phase often lasts around 10–20 minutes.

NREM sleep is the deeper, restful stage.
Eyes stay closed, breathing is steady and babies are much less affected by outside noise.

Here’s where monitors can make things tricky…

When parents watch the monitor without understanding sleep cycles, it can look like baby isn’t sleeping — so they step in to “help” or pick baby up. But your little one may simply be transitioning through REM.

Intervening too early can actually stop them from linking sleep cycles and settling back into deeper sleep on their own.

✨ A gentle reminder:
If your baby isn’t distressed, try watching less and listening more. Your baby will absolutely let you know when they truly need you — I promise you’ll hear them