Owlet Dream Sock

Thread: "Not everyone can fork out 300 for a Owlet sock "

I share this opinion and whenever I post about how my therapist, our NICU doctors, and our paediatrician specifically recommended *not* getting something like the owlet, I get downvoted.

Thread: "Doctor says Owlet belongs in the trash"

Owlets aren’t actually proven to reduce SIDS rates, the AAP recommends against them because they believe they increase parental anxiety and that some parents use them as an excuse to engage in unsafe sleep practices. It sounds like you have a lot of anxiety happening, you shouldn’t be getting up every fifteen minutes all night to check on your baby. If you follow safe sleep recommendations the odds of anything happening are extremely low. Is your baby sleeping alone, on their back, in a crib or bassinet? Have you talked to your OB or another professional about your anxiety? I don’t think that the owlet is inherently harmful if you are following safe sleep recommendations but it is not actually addressing your anxiety if you are still up every 15 minutes.

Thread: "Not everyone can fork out 300 for a Owlet sock "

Yep our NICU team also warned us not to get the sock. They pointed out that monitors in the NICU would give out false alarms all the time and they are really expensive medical equipment, so of course a product you can just buy for yourself is going to be prone to even more of those errors. I don’t think my nerves could have handled any more beeping after weeks in the NICU and hospital.

Thread: "The Owlet Dream Sock saved my daughters life last night "

Honestly I think the owlet gave me more anxiety than it did to alleviate any, but I still did it for both kids lol

Thread: "Why would a pulse oximeter/apnea monitor NOT prevent SIDS?"

Well if they stop breathing then yes, their SpO2 and subsequently heart rate would drop and the alarm would go off. However the prevailing belief is that true SIDS cannot be prevented even if it is witnessed in real time. So the monitor could alert you to SIDS but doesn’t allow you to prevent it. That being said, the studies that people quote to support the statement that “apnoea monitors don’t reduce SIDS” are mostly old studies (some decades old) and NONE of them studied modern pulse oximetry type monitors, so the honest truth is that we simply don’t know if these specific devices can help to reduce SIDS risk. I did use an Owlet with my daughter, and on one occasion it alerted me to an alarmingly low SpO2 that I had not recognised from her appearance/behaviour alone, and allowed her to receive urgent medical attention before she deteriorated. But that was a chest infection, not SIDS.

Thread: "Owlet??"

I am a nicu nurse and we tell our parents not to buy these. If your baby needs monitoring by the time they are discharged, you will be sent home with one and taught how to use it. Then I had my baby and was unable to sleep, because whenever he was in a deep sleep I was worried he stopped breathing. Even though he was sleeping in a bassinet right next to me. I bought the owlet and it was 100% worth the peace of mind and being able to just peek at my phone and see his HR/O2 sat vs getting out of bed to stare at his chest. It sounds like you are similar to me in that you know it’s not 100% accurate but you are looking more for peace of mind vs actual vital sign statistics. If so, it is MORE than worth the money. Even when you are done using it regularly, it can be hugely helpful in relieving anxiety when they get sick.

Thread: "The Owlet might have saved my baby’s life yesterday"

My husband and I were able to sleep better with the owlet. We loved it. Also glad your LO is okay.

Thread: "The Owlet might have saved my baby’s life yesterday"

I will always stand by my owlet. I don’t care about the opinions of others. And if people say it’s giving “false alarms” they’re only hearing the lullaby not the actual alarm.

Thread: "Not everyone can fork out 300 for a Owlet sock "

I’m glad you’re venting! Sometimes that’s all you need. But I wouldn’t stress too much about the Owlet sock… we have the Nanit body wrap to monitor breathing… we haven’t used it since week 1.. Looking around the house… we have so much crap that people said we needed but we haven’t actually used.. what works for one baby/family may not work for another. Keep doing what’s best for you and your baby!

Thread: "Not everyone can fork out 300 for a Owlet sock "

I bought it and returned it. It isn't very accurate and causes more anxiety. My OB and pediatrician told me not to get it.

Thread: "Owlet??"

You already know it isn't medical-grade equipment. And that if your baby's physicians felt she needed monitoring, she'd go home with medical-grade monitoring, not an owlet. So that aside... As a nurse who cares for critically ill neonates, my biggest piece of advice to parents is *KEEP YOUR GOAL IN MIND*. Your goal is the same as theirs. >It's honestly more for peace of mind for me. So keep that goal in mind and ask yourself: Does it *actually* bring you **peace** of any kind, including peace of mind? For some, the answer is yes. For others, it's a no but they ignore that and keep using it. Don't be in that second group! Does it *actually* reduce your stress? Or does it perpetuate apocalyptic/anxious thinking? Does it *actually* make you feel more peaceful? Or does your little one cricket-feet it off and set off alarms that cause you to have mini stress-panic reactions multiple times a day/night? Does it *actually* provide accurate data you can monitor and/or act on? Or is it often inaccurate and not actually helping you monitor your daughter? Just keep assessing if the owlet is living up to your goal. Because peace of mind is a great goal!!!

Thread: "The Owlet Dream Sock saved my daughters life last night "

I don't mean to discount what may have happened; hell, I have been right where you were a few times. We religiously used the Owlet with our first child, and that first night it went off and lit up red was one of the worst nights of my life; we were using 3 different O2 monitors for the next 6 hours and got no sleep, completely jacked on adrenaline and fear. But, it turns out, it was a false positive. So was the next one, and the next one. Our children never did have any such problems despite a few alarms. After it happened a handful of times we were entirely fatigued by the device, and the false positives only came more and more often as time went on. I believe the sensor simply gets dirty and in certain conditions is able to read O2 levels but read them incorrectly rather than the usual issue of losing alignment and having no signal at all. The truth is, if your child really was reading 78% O2, they would have likely already been unresponsive and turning colors, and it sounds like that was not the case her. Again, I do not mean to discount what you went through, and I am not telling you to stop using it, as I have been right there with you before, but there's a reason why the Owlet was pulled from the market originally and there's a reason why everyone says not to place all of your trust in this thing. It can be just as likely that the sensor *doesn't* pick up on an actual health emergency. Also, we had the same issue with the lack of push notifications that really really really frustrated me. I tell new parents that show interest in it not to bother.

Thread: "Not everyone can fork out 300 for a Owlet sock "

For what it’s worth, we spent a month in the NICU. We had had no intentions of buying it (also not in our price range and kinda felt like a gimmick), but after spending a month on oxygen, we wondered if maybe it’d be worth it. We asked our NICU team and they strongly recommended against it. They said that the false alarms will increase anxiety, and that parents can become overly dependent on the technology instead of just looking at their baby for obvious signs of distress. That was good enough for us to know we didn’t need it.

Thread: "Doctor says Owlet belongs in the trash"

This!!! My full term baby spent time in the NICU because she almost died during delivery. We didn’t use the owlet the first few nights and I slept even worse than I should have. As soon as we started using it I was able to sleep when she slept and it was life changing. If OP still isn’t able to get sleep while using it she needs to seek medical help for anxiety

Thread: "The Owlet Dream Sock saved my daughters life last night "

Hey just wanted to say, check your mattress. With a proper infant mattress and with a tight fitting sheet and nothing else in the crib… i don’t think this should happen.

Thread: "FDA takes action against Owlet Sock"

Oh this is interesting! I never wanted one of these because I already have a bit of anxiety so I didn't want to rely on the owlet and become dependent on it. same reason i also chose to have a sound monitor and not a video one. i didnt want to be glued to the monitor and watching my baby like a hawk and make me paranoid for nothing. when someone asked if they can buy me the owlet as a baby shower gift i politely declined as i knew someone whos baby kciked the sock off in the middle of the night and she said that the alarm ringing alterting them of baby heart drop sent her into a full blown panic attack. no thank you

Thread: "I officially HATE the Owlet Dream Sock."

The pediatrician at the hospital asked us not to get one. He said in his experience with new parents, it causes WAY more stress and anxiety compared to any benefit. He said if they actually did anything to prevent or lessen rates of SIDS, he would recommend one for every child before they leave the hospital but they don't, so he doesn't

Thread: "Not everyone can fork out 300 for a Owlet sock "

I’m an incredibly anxious person, so I bought an Owlet when I was pregnant because I was certain it would help. Then my baby was in the NICU for the first few days and I found that I would just sit and stare at the beeping monitors the entire time I was sitting with her. It was like I was hypnotized, I couldn’t look away. She was in the safest place she could possibly be, but my anxiety was through the *roof* looking at those monitors and hearing all of the false alarms. It was horrendous. Anyways, I never took the Owlet sock out of the box, I only used the camera because we already had it set up. I think the sock could potentially help certain people with their anxiety, but I’m glad that I found out from the NICU that being able to monitor her every heartbeat and every breath so closely just made my anxiety hyperfocus. I would’ve lost it if we got a false alarm at home.

Thread: "Doctor says Owlet belongs in the trash"

Just coming here to say I was also told by a doctor and a nurse not to use the free Owlet I'd been given because of my anxiety. They said my son was a healthy, full-term kid and my anxiety would be worse with all the false positives/alarms etc. I never used it. NO shade at all if it makes a parent feel better. It just wasn't for me.

Thread: "FDA takes action against Owlet Sock"

See I really love my owlet. I didn’t buy one until LO was about 3 months because I was not expecting to be hit with a freight train of PPA. Once we moved LO to his own crib at 4months I knew I’d be glued to the monitor all night waiting to see that little rise and fall of his breath … and would 100% be creeping in when he started sleeping on his side/stomach. Now, I wake up, see that little green ring go round, and fall blissfully back to sleep. I definitely don’t think it’s a “must have” for every parent, and I too was of the thought pre-baby that it was a ridiculously ‘extra’ product . But, it gives me peace of mind and helps me sleep, so worth its weight in gold.

Thread: "FDA takes action against Owlet Sock"

if the baby does have a medical need for a monitor, they will get a hospital issued medical device. people put these on healthy babies for no reason.

Thread: "Ped said he doesn’t recommend owlet/eufy but refuses to prescribe apnea monitor despite 2x family history of SIDS"

I would 100% keep using the owlet. Based on your personal history, you’re clearly not going to screw around with safe sleep just because of the monitor.

Thread: "Owlet products fail more than they actually work"

I'm half wondering if maybe you guys had faulty ones? I've had one for a year (no camera just the sock) and we've had no issues. I'm sorry you guys had an awful experience though. These devices are supposed to take a weight off your shoulders, not put one on them.

Thread: "FDA takes action against Owlet Sock"

I do think they charge too much for the device considering they're intentionally skirting FDA clearance by marketing it NOT as a medical device...when it clearly is trying to be one. I did use one for the first 6 months of life. I liked it. Never had a false alarm. (We did have placement alarms, but those are different than the red alerts). Never had any trouble at all with it. However we bought ours used. I don't know if I'd get one full price. The marketing is money grabby. The company should be seeking to register the product for what it is. But I do see value in the product itself, and I found it helpful.

Thread: "I officially HATE the Owlet Dream Sock."

I hated that effing sock. It has a home and a real purpose for some families. Its purpose was being burned at the stake in mine.

Thread: "Owlet receives FDA clearance for its “Dream Sock” – curious what skeptics think."

The owlet possibly saved my child’s life. She had rsv and pneumonia. Her O2 was in the high 70s when we got to the ER. I’ll listen with obvious annoyance to the naysayers, the ones who say it causes more stress, the doctors who make fun of it. But I’ll listen with my child on my lap and be grateful I bought this. Side note: I didn’t know that the alerts for low battery, no wifi, etc are WAY FECKING DIFFERENT than your child is in distress. Low pleasant lullaby vs. WAR SIREN WITH LIGHTS.

Thread: "The Owlet might have saved my baby’s life yesterday"

I agree with this! The lullaby goes off quite a bit for us because I’m terrible at putting it on her foot properly. But actual red light alarms? Zero.

Thread: "Ped said he doesn’t recommend owlet/eufy but refuses to prescribe apnea monitor despite 2x family history of SIDS"

There is no such thing as a validated device or therapy to prevent SIDS at home. I understand why the pediatrician wouldn’t prescribe something that isn’t evidence based, that’s what doctors do generally. Use your Owlet if you want, or don’t use it if it causes false alarms and lots of anxiety. Your baby will be fine.

Thread: "Doctor says Owlet belongs in the trash"

This is it. OP the main reason clinicians warn against them is that for people who are REALLY anxious it can make them feel worse and drive an obsession with monitoring to the point that it is harmful. In your case, if you're still waking up every 15 minutes, then the alarm isn't actually helping much as it's not giving you peace of mind to sleep through. You need to be able to trust that the alarm will wake you if something happens. As long as you are engaging in all the safe sleep practices the alarm is not harmful, but your anxiety needs to be addressed urgently, and i say that as someone who also struggles with anxiety. I use a snuzaheroMD (which is licensed as a medical device), and that helps me sleep - so I'm not judging you using a monitor at all. We're more at risk of harming our kids if we're very sleep deprived, so working on getting more consistent sleep is very important.

Thread: "Ped said he doesn’t recommend owlet/eufy but refuses to prescribe apnea monitor despite 2x family history of SIDS"

I agree. We didn't use the sock until about 3 months in, and I wish we just did from the start and not listen to all the hate on it. I woke up the next morning the first night we used it and cried because I didn't wake myself up terrified she'd stopped breathing and I was so relieved. I genuinely only had one false alarm with it, while the baby was awake, so we knew she was okay.

Thread: "FDA takes action against Owlet Sock"

Good. I'm sure many parents use this responsibly, but I worry that their marketing makes it seem like this will prevent he SIDS, which can cause some parents to be lax about actual safe sleep practices.

Thread: "FDA takes action against Owlet Sock"

Ugh yep I hate that too. I also worry about parents who do have medically fragile infants and use the owlet for peace of mind because I do not feel at all confident in the testing the product has undergone and it seems borderline dangerous to give these parents a false sense of reliance on the product.

Thread: "Doctor says Owlet belongs in the trash"

I mean…hospital grade pulse ox monitors have false positives all the time. My first was a preemie, I was well acquainted with false alarms. I got the Owlet when he came him from the NICU. There were less false alarms with the Owlet honestly but that’s likely because the threshold before it alarms is lower than a hospital grade monitor. I think people should learn the signs of distress if they are going to use any devices like the Owlet. I learned these in my time in the NICU and it really helped me whenever I’d get an alarm. But I slept a lot better with the Owlet once he was home For what it is worth, my NICU team didnt have a problem with the Owlet, providing I didn’t use the Owlet as a substitute for safe sleep environments

Thread: "The Owlet Dream Sock saved my daughters life last night "

Oh man, one of my kids would somehow kick his sock off once every two weeks or so, no matter how we positioned it or how tight it was. He just has a little ninja foot, I guess. It's a good thing he was a good sleeper, because I needed the extra rest after being jump-scared awake every so often.

Thread: "Owlet Dream Sock"

I used the owlet for the same reason and it absolutely helped me. It’s always so controversial, there are always people who warn you that it can just make anxiety worse and maybe that’s true for some people, but for me it definitely gave me peace of mind and a time when my anxiety was absolutely through the roof. Being a new parent is terrifying. My baby wasn’t NICU but She was super tiny and her tiny size was so scary, I felt like she was going to break! I didn’t expect it to prevent anything unpreventable, but what it did to is allow me to check on her from my phone instead of getting up and hovering over her bassinet, risking waking her up and waking myself up more than just checking my phone. For me, it was absolutely worth it and a game changer.

Thread: "Owlet Dream Sock, thumbs up or thumbs down?"

I love it, never had any false alarms. Still using at 7 months

Thread: "If you used the Owlet sock, what was your experience? "

I currently use it! Like others said, it can be anxiety inducing…but for me it actually lets me fall asleep. I was way more anxious without it. I haven’t really dealt too much with my baby kicking it off or false alarms.

Thread: "Anybody use the owlet dream sock?"

The owlet sock violates the “Alone” part of ABCs of infant sleep. Research shows the Owlet actually increases caregiver anxiety. The readings are very inaccurate and this failed the application for FDA approval for a medical device. The scary thing is how inaccurate it is. The heart rate is also set to go off at 60 which in a hospital setting would be resuscitation level and NICU admission. Also, SIDS while scary, is a one time event. Not one infant has come back after an episode. It is irreversible, unstoppable and fatal. True SIDS is rare. Suffocation, positional asphyxiation etc can be prevented by following safe sleep guidelines and general infant safety.

Thread: "Not everyone can fork out 300 for a Owlet sock "

Not an unpopular opinion! This is one of the main criticisms about these things.

Thread: "Owlet sock - Not a gimmick - Saved babies life"

This is actually all really good advice and accurate. In her case she wasn't showing retraction until that night it just all went south so fast. On that note though... Everyone should buy a powered nasal aspirator. They're amazing. Way better then the one you suck on.

Thread: "The Owlet might have saved my baby’s life yesterday"

As a mom to a preemie with lung issues, I will always 100% stand by my owlet 🫶🏻

Thread: "Not everyone can fork out 300 for a Owlet sock "

So much crap like wipe warmers? This was recommended to us by another parent 🙃 But maybe we'll use it this winter if it gets too cold. Maybe 🤣

Thread: "The Owlet might have saved my baby’s life yesterday"

After working in the PICU (before I got pregnant) I had an extreme amount of postpartum anxiety and the owlet was the only reason I was able to get any sleep at night. The urge to watch her sleep to make sure she was okay was so real. I’m so glad it worked as intended and your LO is okay!

Thread: "Ped said he doesn’t recommend owlet/eufy but refuses to prescribe apnea monitor despite 2x family history of SIDS"

Your pediatrician isn’t going to know if you use owlet or not. The pediatrician isn’t going to recommend something like owlet for their patients though as it’s not a routine recommendation or something truly needed. If your child needs a hospital grade monitor they would be prescribed one a pediatrician wouldn’t recommend Owlet it’s out of their scope. It is true that Owlet can cause not only unnecessary relaxation by parents for safe sleep, but it also has lots of false alarms and can increase anxiety. I say this as nicely as possible, you may want to reach out to a psychiatrist for your anxiety. 30+ years ago babies were placed on their stomachs to sleep, with blankets, crib bumpers, pillows, inclined bassinets etc.

Thread: "FDA takes action against Owlet Sock"

Exactly this. I would also assume it's safe if it's sold in stores! Fortunately I know otherwise but damn, it's so misleading.

Thread: "Anybody use the owlet dream sock?"

They are not recommended by the AAP and violate safe sleep guidelines. Babies have also been burned by the sock. Just some food for thought. If you’re following safe sleep, there’s no reason to monitor baby’s oxygen. If your baby has a medical condition which requires monitoring, a healthcare professional will send you home with a hospital grade monitor.

Thread: "I officially HATE the Owlet Dream Sock."

Ours has been brilliant, one false alarm in about 7 months, which was because we hadn't put it on properly.

Thread: "Does anyone know which Owlet Dream sock is the best to get?"

In my experience, it caused more problems than it solved. It would constantly get out of position, sounding the alarm and waking everyone up when the baby was actually fine. Our pediatrician confirmed that they aren’t all they’re cracked out to be, but to each their own

Thread: "FDA takes action against Owlet Sock"

And people who put their babies to sleep in unsafe spaces but think it’s ok because they have one of these.

Thread: "Owlet sock worth it?"

The only reason I sleep at all