While taking home a newborn baby will be one of the most joyous occasions of any parents' life, it can also be a time of heightened anxiety and sleepless nights.

With many baby monitors on the market, it can be hard to know which one to pick. The Owlet Smart Sock is the first device of its kind to use pulse oximetry technology to track the well-being of babies. Pulse oximetry is the same technology used in hospitals to monitor a patient’s heart rate and oxygen saturation levels, but has been modified and miniaturized to fit comfortably into the Owlet Smart Sock. This allows parents to track their baby’s oxygen saturation levels and heart rate in real time through an app on their phone.

Here are five reasons how this health sensing technology can help you through the newborn stage:

It helps you know your baby is truly okay

Video monitors allow you to see your baby, audio allows you to hear them and movement devices lets you track just that. Pulse oximetry is the only alternative that gives a real-time look into your baby’s heart rate and oxygen saturation levels, which is a more thorough way to track your baby’s well-being than what other baby monitors are able to offer. The sock has been extensively tested to validate the accuracy of the device against other oxygen and pulse monitors, meeting international pulse oximetry standards for accuracy.

It’s been proven to improve sleep and reduce anxiety

To date, Owlet has tracked more than 400 billion infant heartbeats and has received hundreds of stories from parents who were able to help their infants in a time of need while simultaneously improving their own sleep quality. This fact is confirmed by research that found 94% of parents using the Smart Sock report better sleep, and 96% feel less anxious. Aussie parents have already shared how much they love the Smart Sock. 

It proactively communicates the wellbeing of your baby

The app allows parents to view their baby’s heart rate in real-time (BPM) and provides real-time oxygen saturation levels. However, for those who would like further insight into their baby’s health, there is Owlet’s Connected Care.

Connected Care provides parents with more benefits, such sleep tracking, which shows a break down between light and deep sleep, and historical data of your baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels, including trends, averages, highs and lows in a 24 hour or 1-week window. Parents can also look at their notification history and review insights that led to red notifications. Better still, all of this data can easily be shared with your family doctor and friends. Parent will also receive daily facts and education about raising healthy infants.

It has a great battery life and range

Parents can have peace of mind in knowing that the Owlet Smart Sock comes with an 18-hour battery life, which can be easily recharged on the Smart Sock’s Base Station. The sock works by connecting via Bluetooth with the Base Station, with a range of up to 100ft. From there the Base Station connects to the app on your phone via Wi-Fi, meaning you are able to keep track of your baby whether you are in the house or away from home.

It has a comprehensive notification system

One of the negatives of traditional pulse oximeters is false alarms. For example, a pulse oximeter may sound an alert for low oxygen when the patient is actually doing just fine. Owlet went to great lengths to reduce these false readings through custom algorithms and a system to detect when the infant is moving and to only provide readings while the baby is in a rested state. Owlet also uses a number of notifications to differentiate between a displaced sensor and a significant decrease/increase in a baby’s heart rate. As a result, the majority of Owlet Smart Sock users use the device without ever receiving a false notification.

If you are feeling anxious about taking your newborn baby home, investing in an Owlet Smart Sock can help to alleviate your worries.