Babies spend up to 70% of their time sleeping. As a parent—whether it’s your first or third child—you might be unable to resist the urge to watch over your child round-the-clock, especially while they’re asleep.

But monitoring your baby while they’re asleep goes beyond staring at that cute little face and keeping a watchful eye. Today’s smart monitors go beyond just audio and video monitoring.

The truth is that children need lots of sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that newborns sleep for 14 and 17 hours, infants for 12 and 15 hours, and toddlers for 11 and 14 hours per day. Children who don’t get enough sleep may be prone to poor physical and mental health.

Unfortunately, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one-third of children between 4 months and 17 years don’t get enough sleep.

Let’s dive into why monitoring your child’s sleep and breathing trends is so important.

Why do sleep and breathing trends matter in children?

Your child’s sleep and breathing patterns say a lot about their health and wellbeing.

Healthy sleep hygiene is indispensable to a growing child, supporting proper physical and mental development.

Children who sleep well feel refreshed when they’re awake. Sleep helps with learning, memory, creative thinking, emotion regulation, and language formation. On the flip side, poor sleep is tied to thinking, behavioral, emotional, and physical health problems, which can have a lasting impact on their wellbeing.

If you don’t monitor your child’s sleep, you might only know if they’re sleep deprived through daytime signs. When babies and toddlers don’t sleep well, they may:

Act clingy
Throw tantrums
Look tired
Cry a lot
Yawn excessively
Rub their eyes
Have no interest in playing

Generally, children who lack sleep show signs like:

Difficulty getting up in the morning
Poor attention
Restlessness
Dark eye circles
Mood swings
Impulsiveness
Aggression
Irritability
Problems concentrating
Tiredness

Your child’s breathing pattern matters as much as their sleep health. Children breathe faster than adults. The average respiratory rate, which is the number of breaths per minute in newborns, is about 40 to 60 breaths per minute while awake and about 30 to 40 breaths per minute while asleep. If your child’s breathing is outside the typical range, it might indicate a general wellness change like stress from a change in sleeping conditions or potentially respiratory problems like bronchiolitis or asthma. Your child’s breathing may also be unusual when they have a fever or are generally unwell.

When you’re aware of your child’s sleeping habits and breathing patterns, you can tell when something changes or variates from their trends and determine when you need to speak with your provider. The first signs that your child is unwell or that there has been a disruption to their routine might appear in how they’ve been sleeping and breathing.

What to do if your child’s sleep and breathing trends indicate a problem

If you monitor your child’s sleep and breathing, and the trends show there has been a change in their usual sleeping and breathing patterns, consider paying attention to how your child is doing. Have there been any other changes in their overall wellbeing? With this information you may choose to speak with your provider to gain a greater understanding of what’s going on.

If you notice your child’s sleep quality has been poor for an extended period of time, it maybe be helpful to revisit some sleep hygiene practices like:

Create a consistent bedtime schedule: A bedtime schedule can prime your child for sleep at the appropriate time. Ensure you prepare your child for sleep at fixed times every day; before you know it, they fall asleep quickly once it’s bedtime.
Make their room a sleep haven: Keep your child’s room conducive to relaxation and sleep by keeping it cool, dark, quiet, and tidy.
Teach your child to fall asleep on their own: Research suggests that babies who can’t fall asleep on their own or require rocking or patting to fall asleep may be prone to waking up at night. Train them to sleep independently by putting them to bed when they’re still awake but are starting to doze off.
Keep electronic devices outside the room: Electronic gadgets like TVs, tablets, or phones can stimulate your child and keep them alert even when it’s bedtime. Keep these gadgets out of their room to limit their screen time in the evenings and keep them from distracting themselves with it when they should be winding down.
Create a bedtime routine: Your child can get used to falling asleep at a specific time when they have a routine that preps them for bedtime. This routine might involve turning off the tv or tablet about an hour before bedtime, giving them a warm bath, brushing their teeth, putting them in their pajamas, reading them a bedtime story, and singing lullabies until they fall asleep.
Adjust daily habits: Spend time outdoors with your child. Play fun outdoor games, exercise, take walks, etc., to ensure they get their daily sunlight to keep them awake and alert during the day so their mind is ready to recover and rest at night.

Along the way, remember: healthy sleep is a lifelong journey. Changes may not immediately occur, and that’s ok! It will be a gradual process, and like a newborn sleep regression, you may find yourself wondering ‘What is going on!’. Be gentle with yourself and mindful of the pressures you put on your child, your family, and you too!

Finally, you know your child best. No monitoring device is a substitute for your own best judgment and care. If you feel that something is off, always speak with your provider or a qualified professional.

Care+ is a new wellness tool from Miku to help you stay aware of important changes in your little one’s sleep and breathing patterns over time using trend graphs and trend notifications on a comprehensive wellness dashboard within your Miku App. With a better understanding of the factors that impact your child’s sleep and wellness, you can adjust daily habits and nightly routines or discuss any inconsistencies with your provider. Read more about Care+ here.

Benefits of Monitoring Your Child’s Sleep and Breathing Trends

All

Daylight savings impacts more than just our clocks. It also impacts the precious sleep schedule your little one has been slowly developing. Read on to learn what Courtney Palm, Pediatric Sleep Therapist, Miku Medical & Science Advisory Board has to say about how to swiftly get your child back to their typical routine.

ADJUSTING TO A FALL BACK SCHEDULE

Infant Sleep (DLS)

Babies 0-4 months of age are less impacted by DLS because they’re still taking several naps throughout the day with multiple night awakenings to eat. If your infant was starting to develop a consistent bedtime at night then try adding a catnap in the evening to help your baby stretch back to that bedtime. After daylight savings time it’s important to resume the routine according to the current time. For example, if your baby’s bedtime was 9pm then continue to work towards having your baby going to bed around that same time. It’s also important to try to extend the feed time associated with morning wake up to keep from reinforcing that as the new wake-up time. For example, if your baby was previously starting the day at 6am but is currently waking at 5am then try to comfort/cuddle your baby until 5:30am before offering a feed. If your baby cannot make it for thirty minutes then wait as long as is comfortable for your baby then offer the feed.

Baby Sleep (DLS)

Babies 5 months of age and older are at the stage of neurodevelopment where sleep is starting or currently organizing into consistent bedtime and naptimes. Parents will notice that their babies are waking an hour earlier, ready to start the day, which then moves up the nap schedule and bedtime. The goal during the first week of adjusting to DLS is to adjust the nap schedule towards the typical schedule by 15-20 minutes each day. Babies are also sensitive to becoming over-tired while stretching the times between naps so parents can use a catnap in the evening (20-30 min) to help their babies make it to typical bedtime without them becoming over-tired. If/when your baby wakes an hour early in the morning, try to wait 30 minutes before offering a feed to avoid reinforcing an earlier wake-time with food. Food is a primary reinforcer for creating habits and patterns in the brain so extending the first feed time can keep the morning wake-up from becoming a new pattern.

Toddler Sleep (DLS)

Children who are still taking one nap during the day are typically awake 5-6hrs between sleep events. If your toddler is waking an hour earlier in the morning then your child will likely show drowsy signs an hour earlier for nap. It’s important during the first week of DLS to extend the wake-window by at least 30 minutes to keep your child as close to the typical nap and bedtime as possible. If your toddler is able to make it to the typical nap and bedtime, don’t be alarmed if he/she takes a shorter nap or continues to wake an hour earlier in the morning. It takes 7-10 days for the circadian rhythm to adjust to the time change so by the end of the second week most children will be back on schedule.

Preschool/School-Age Sleep (DLS)

Children who are no longer taking a nap are typically awake for 12-13hrs between morning wake-up and bedtime. During the first week of DLS parents may notice their children seeming tired an hour earlier than the typical schedule. It’s important to try to stick to the typical bedtime by at least 30 minutes that first week so that your child’s schedule doesn’t permanently adjust back by an hour. After the first week of DLS try to have your child go to bed at the typical time, he/she may still wake 30-60 minutes early in the morning but the circadian rhythm fully adjusts after 7-10 days.

ADJUSTING TO A SPRING FORWARD SCHEDULE

Infant Sleep (DLS)

Babies 0-4 months of age are less impacted by DLS because they’re still taking several naps throughout the day with multiple night awakenings to eat. If your infant was starting to develop a consistent bedtime at night then try shortening or removing an evening nap to help your baby move back up to that bedtime. After daylight savings time it’s important to resume the routine according to the current time. For example, if your baby’s bedtime was 9pm then continue to work towards having your baby going to bed around that same time.

Baby Sleep (DLS)

Babies 5 months of age and older are at the stage of neurodevelopment where sleep is starting or currently organizing into consistent bedtime and naptimes. Parents will notice that their babies are waking an hour later which can moves down the nap schedule and bedtime. The goal during the first week of adjusting to DLS is to adjust the nap times up towards the typical schedule by 15-20 minutes each day. Babies may take longer to fall asleep for their naps during that first week but it’s also important to wake them up from the nap if it starts to go too long. For example, if your child was typically napping from 1pm-3pm (prior to DLS) but is now napping from 2pm-4pm then put your child down for nap around 1:30pm but wake your baby by 3pm to keep your baby on track for typical bedtime.

Toddler Sleep (DLS)

Children who are still taking one nap during the day are typically awake 5-6hrs between sleep events. If your toddler is waking an hour later in the morning then your child will likely show drowsy signs an hour later for nap. It’s important during the first week of DLS to shorten the wake-window by at least 30 minutes to keep your child as close to the typical nap and bedtime as possible. If your toddler is able to make it to the typical nap and bedtime, don’t be alarmed if he/she takes a shorter nap or continues to wake an 30-60 minutes later in the morning. It takes 7-10 days for the circadian rhythm to adjust to the time change so by the end of the second week most children will be back on schedule.

Preschool/School-Age Sleep (DLS)

Children who are no longer taking a nap are typically awake for 12-13hrs between morning wake-up and bedtime. During the first week of DLS parents may notice their children seeming tired an hour later at night than the typical schedule. It’s important to try to stick to the typical bedtime by at least 30 minutes that first week so that your child’s schedule doesn’t permanently adjust later by an hour. After the first week of DLS try to have your child go to bed at the typical time, he/she may still wake 30-60 minutes later in the morning but the circadian rhythm should fully adjust after 7-10 days. Parents whose children are 3 years of age or older can also talk to their pediatrician about using children’s melatonin to help support a consistent bedtime the first few nights of DLS.

Daylight Savings Time Sleep Tips

(source: pinterest.com)

Write in a Children’s Book

A cute, sentimental, and creative way to announce your pregnancy to your parents is through a children’s book. Select your favorite book and then write on the inside cover something like “Can’t wait for you to read to me on [Due Date]! Love, [Baby Name]”.

(source: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle)

Say it with Sweets

This one can get really fun and creative. Maybe you’ll invite everyone over for some donuts and tape the announcement inside the lid of a donut box. Our personal favorite is “Eat up! [Mama’s name] shouldn’t be the only one with a full belly!” And then watch as everyone figures out the surprise.

(source: etsy.com)

Put Together a Puzzle

For those who like to work to get the message across, a puzzle is a fun, challenging way to tell parents that they are soon-to-be grandparents. Here’s where you can get creative with the messaging and the overall ‘picture’ you want them to solve. Look for companies who make customizable puzzles and start creating. Who doesn’t like a good ol’ puzzle to share good news? We do!

(source: etsy.com)

Label It

For the family who likes to share a beverage every now and again, this can be a celebratory way to announce a new one is arriving. From wine labels to beer or even a keepsake engraved bottle, labeling can be a cute and very customizable way to make an announcement.

(source: etsy.com)

Unboxing Event

This fun idea can come in different shapes and sizes. We love the idea of turning it into a present filled with baby-inspired goodies that your soon-to-be grandparents will love to unwrap and unbox.

(source: etsy.com)

Game Night

For the gaming families, acting out “bun in the oven” in charades or writing out “we’re expecting” while playing Scrabble are classic (and fun!) ideas to let the whole family know a little one is on the way. Points to whoever figures it out first.

(source: Pinterest.com)

A Card

A simple and sentimental way to announce that you’re pregnant to your parents is to write a sweet card and have them open it. A card addressed to ‘the grandparents’ for the very first time can be a touching keepsake.

(source: PoppyForrest.com)

“Countdown” Blocks

There are two ways you can use counting blocks with your baby’s due date to drop the hint to your parents and let them figure out the surprise. Either place in your home, invite your parents, and wait for them to notice, or sneak them into a place in their own home when they’re not looking and wait for them to spot it! Once they do, let the countdown begin!

(source: etsy.com)

Onesies and T-Shirts and Bandanas OH MY!

Nothing like a printed shirt to let everyone know what’s going on. Print something like “We’re expecting” or “Soon to be mom” on a shirt you wear to your parent’s house and wait for the realization. Or print something unique for them and give it as a gift. Our favorite? Customize a bandana for your pet and let your beloved furry friend share the news!

One thing is for sure. No matter how you choose to tell your family that you’re expecting, get the camera ready… This could be a memorable reaction you’ll want to capture!

(source: etsy.com)

10 Fun Ways to Tell Your Family You’re Pregnant

baby monitors | parenting

Fathercraft + Miku Pro: Best Baby Monitors of 2021

babies | baby monitors | parenting All

Meet Ali, a mom of two sassy daughters and Miku Pro user. We sat down with her to talk about her experience with our newest smart baby monitor. Hear from her on why she finds that it “makes her life easier as a parent”.

Hi, I'm Ali, I'm from California, I have two sassy daughters, Mara and Ella, when we had our second daughter, it was really important for us to figure out a new solution for sleep in the family. My first daughter co-slept with us and it was OK for a while, but it really started to not work out. And I knew that when we had Mara, we had to figure out something that was going to get everybody's sleep on a regimen and a routine so that we were all sleeping. When we researched what was in the market, it was not that many options and a couple options required Wearables.

I love that the Miku Pro is completely contactless, super easy to use and there is no wearable. We went through a period of time where Mara had pretty fragile sleep and it was important that we kept one sleep sac, one lovey, and that was it in the bed. If we had to put a wearable on her and charge it, make sure it works, I knew that her sleep would be disrupted. When your little one gets to a certain age, they're capable of taking off a swaddle or any type of wearable that's required for some of this other technology to work. So I just knew that was not an option. My little one's not going to keep a swaddle on and I just needed her to be able to sleep and me, get the analytics. I need to know that she is getting restful restorative sleep.

Miku Pro really allowed us to get her on a rigid sleep routine. So when I see that she's fallen asleep at a certain time and then I can see exactly when she wakes up, I know that she's gotten the proper amount of night's sleep and then I can measure the appropriate wake window for her age and determine what time naps going to be every day.

That reliability and the analytics allowed me to set a routine that works for her every day. When I was looking and researching the options, it was super important for me to limit tech in the nursery. I think that people have the tendency of just putting all these gadgets in and it really can be overwhelming. I like to keep sleep as organic as possible. The Miku really packs all these different technologies into one. So I have my baby monitor, my respiratory tracking, the sound machine, all the analytics. It got rid of the need for all these extra things. And the best part is there are no wearables. It's completely contactless.

It allows us to have really organic sleep for Mara. So right now we can see she's asleep. She's been asleep for an hour and 32 minutes, and she's breathing at a rate of about twenty-six respirations per minute. I can be anywhere in my house and get this information, but even better, I can really be anywhere in the world when I travel for business, I can pull this up, check her out, make sure she's sleeping and rest peacefully knowing that she's getting a great restful night, And I can too.

Sitting here, I just got a notification. It says movement detected. So I take a look and I can see she's rolling around. It looks like she's starting to wake up from her nap. I recommend the Miku pro to all of my friends. It's more than just a monitor, It's a technology that works hard for you and makes my life easier as a parent.

For more #MikuParents, visit our YouTube page where we share their stories of how the Miku Pro Smart Baby Monitor has helped them on their parenting journey.

Baby Mara & Her Miku Pro

app update | babies | baby monitors | parenting

Analytics Update: New Design, “Away” State, and Light Level Graph

baby monitors | design | parenting All Parents gain a whole new level of real-time peace of mind with the new, upgraded, and unique features found in the Miku Pro Smart Baby Monitor. At Miku, our mission has always been to empower parents and caregivers with greater awareness and confidence to support their child’s sleep, health, and development. Now, with the Miku Pro Smart Baby Monitor, we’ve elevated the experience with even more accuracy and reliability. There’s a whole lot more to love about this next generation monitor.

What’s included with the Miku Pro Smart Baby Monitor?

SensorFusion Technology

Our proprietary SensorFusion technology is now paired with an 8-core Qualcomm processor, so the Miku Pro Smart Baby Monitor delivers even faster, crystal clear 1080p HD video of your precious sleeping bundle. This upgrade enables you to see your baby breathing in real-time with no lag time at a whole new level of video quality.

Camera Updates: Sensor, Wider Field of View, and Pinch-to-Zoom

When it comes to baby, seeing more means everything, and with the Miku Pro Smart Baby Monitor, you can see more of your baby in three ways. First, this new smart baby monitor comes with a larger sensor that lets in more light to deliver crystal clear night video. Plus, with 140 degrees of visibility, you see more of your baby and their surroundings. And with the new pinch-to-zoom feature you can get up close to see every smile, snooze, and giggle.

Connect to 5 GHz Wi-Fi

Now, the Miku Pro is compatible with 5 GHz Wi-Fi, delivering a faster connection. Video is streamed with little to no lag time for instant reassurance. Typically, the 2.4 GHz spectrum can be crowded, which can cause connection issues when Wi-Fi performance is low. It’s important to note, however, even though 5 GHz has a faster connection, it will have a shorter range than 2.4 GHz. So, when you’re further away from a Wi-Fi monitor, we suggest still considering the 2.4 GHz connection.

Adjust the LED Light

Want to increase or decrease the LED light on your Miku? Now you can. The Miku Pro Smart Baby Monitor offers the ability to easily adjust the LED button brightness through the Miku app using a slider control.

Nursery & Surrounding Environment Conditions

Miku Pro's digital light sensor can do more than just tell the camera to switch to night vision mode. The Miku Pro Smart Baby Monitor measures the temperature, humidity, sound, and light in its surroundings, capturing data translated by analytics to provide a comprehensive picture of how the environment in the room is affecting your baby's sleep.

This is Modern Parenting: The Two Features We Continue to Love

Nothing to Wear

Life as a parent is busy; there’s no denying that. We know how important it is that your essential parenting tools to care for your little one fit seamlessly into both your lives. That’s why it remained important to us that the Miku Pro Smart Baby Monitor was contact-free, which means there are still no wires, wearables, or anything to wash. Miku’s technology works with any swaddle, outfit, or bed. There’s nothing to charge or anything your baby must wear. Once you set up your Miku Pro, it’s set it and forget it. Everything from here on out is done via your smartphone device.

Grows With Your Child

Because the Miku Pro Smart Baby Monitor works without any need for wires or wearables, you can keep tracking their breathing and sleep patterns even after they graduate from the crib life.

Welcoming the Next Generation

Beyond all the new and upgraded features, the Miku Pro Smart Baby Monitor delivers something more valuable: real-time peace of mind to parents and caregivers looking to have the greatest awareness of how their newest family member is breathing, sleeping, and developing. The accuracy and the reliability of the technology we built into our smart baby monitors are really about delivering instant reassurance and real-time peace of mind. We know parenting is the toughest job; Miku is here to make it just a little easier. Have questions or need to reach out to us? Visit support@mikucare.com for some helpful resources.

Meet the Miku Pro Smart Baby Monitor

babies | parenting All Ah, parenthood. When you hear "it's Sleep Awareness Week", it may spark the awareness of the lack of sleep you’re getting. We feel you, but that’s for a different blog post. (Or is it!?) In this post, we reached out to our medical advisor, parent, and friend, Dr. Jacq, and had her give us her advice and insight on how to make baby’s sleep safe and productive.

Keep it safe

The most important sleep tip: safety comes first! Make sure to follow the ABCs of safe sleeping:

A for ALONE

Your baby should sleep alone, in a separate space, for EVERY sleep (naps and night-time). This could be a crib, pack and play, or a bassinet

B for BACK

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends all babies sleep on their backs. Sleeping on the back has been shown to decrease risk.

C for CRIB

Babies should sleep in their own cribs (or bassinet or safety-approved pack and play) The crib should have a firm mattress with a tight-fitting sheet. There should be nothing else in the crib- no blankets, stuffed animals, toys, bumper pads, or pillows

It’s never too early to start a routine

We know newborns’ brains are still immature and might not be able to differentiate between day and night, but it is never too early to start a sleep routine. The order might vary but it usually includes a bath, reading a book, and a feeding before bed. Starting early will help develop those routines and make it easier when baby is older and ready for more structure.

Baby’s room is best kept cool and cozy

Keeping baby’s sleep environment comfortable will not only help baby sleep better, but it is also safer. Studies show a room that is too warm might overheat baby and increase risk. Experts recommend a room temperature of 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit.

If babies could read textbooks

How many hours of sleep does your baby need? The National Sleep Foundation has recommendations for hours of sleep by age. In general, they are as follows:

Age Range		Hours of Sleep
Newborn	0-3 mos.	14-17 hrs
Infant	4-11 mos.	12-15 hrs
Toddler	1-2 yrs.	11-14 hrs
Preschool	3-5 yrs.	10-13 hrs
School-age	6-13 yrs.	9-11 hrs

Sleep is for everyone- including YOU!

For a good part of the early months of parenthood, we worry, sometimes obsess, over our baby’s sleep. But make sure you get your rest too! Everyone says: “sleep while the baby sleeps,” and while this is not possible for many parents, look for ways to ensure each parent has time to “catch up” every day. Try splitting the night feedings or having a helper watch the baby while you take a nap. A well-rested parent is a better parent!

Dr. Jacq’s 5 Tips for Sleep Awareness Week

baby monitors | parenting All When you begin looking for smart baby monitors, there’s no shortage of options. So how do you know which one is the best one for your baby? The Miku Smart Baby Monitor has some amazing features and is truly the best smart baby monitor for millennial parents. Let’s talk about 5 things you’ll love about Miku, recommended and written by a fellow millennial parent!

Big tech in a little package

As a millennial parent, chances are you know a thing or two about technology. And when it comes to technology for your baby, you want the best of the best. Miku’s proprietary SensorFusion technology has been validated in a 3rd party IRB-approved clinical study where it was compared against worn, medical-grade equipment. You can even check out this white paper published by Miku. The technology you’ll find in your Miku Smart Baby Monitor tracks your baby’s breathing and movement without any wearables - it’s all tracked through the monitor's internal, contact-free sensors! And when it comes to security, Miku makes safety a top priority. Miku houses a tamper-proof Crypto Chip to keep your data safe and secure! They even have some of the best technology when it comes to sound. Miku has custom dual Ole Wolff speakers with two-way talk so you can whisper "goodnight" to your little one. One of the best things about Miku’s technology is it’s constantly being tested in NICUs and home environments to improve their algorithm’s powerful artificial intelligence capabilities.

Easy-to-use app

When it comes to apps, the Miku app has it all. From the in-depth analytics of your baby’s sleep patterns to the live-stream video, you have everything you need right on your phone. Wondering if the nursery is too cold? Find it on the app. Your Miku app will help you learn your nursery’s environment to help your little one get the best sleep possible. Is your baby fussy and you want to play some lullabies to help them sleep? Open up your app! There are tons of great lullabies you can choose from or you can talk to them to help calm them down. You can even use the app when you’re miles away so you can always feel connected with your baby.

No wearables necessary

Unlike many of the other smart baby monitors out there, Miku doesn’t require wearables to track breathing and sleep. With a Miku Smart Baby Monitor, there’s no risk of a wearable getting mispositioned or soiled or even running out of battery. Plus it’s much easier to transfer your little one to their crib when they fall asleep while you cuddle them. The incredible SensorFusion technology detects breathing, sounds and sleep patterns - everything you need - without the added hassle of wearables.

Upgrade automatically

We all know how annoying it is when you splurge on a top-of-the-line product only to have it be out of date the next day. This will never happen with your Miku! As your baby grows and learns new things, Miku is doing the same! Miku will always be ahead of the curve with software versions that upgrade automatically.

Design, design, design

There’s nothing worse than putting the finishing touches on a Pinterest-worthy nursery only to clutter it up with a clunky, old-school baby monitor with annoying wires and an ugly interface. The Miku Smart Baby Monitor is about as sleek as your iPhone (and the packaging is too!). The clean, minimalist look of the monitor coupled with easy set-up and added safety features like cord covers and a baseplate lock make it an easy pick. The Miku Smart Baby Monitor seamlessly fits into your baby's nursery and your new parent lifestyle, making it the perfect solution for millennial parents!

Why Miku Is The Best Smart Baby Monitor for Millennial Parents

baby monitors | parenting All Pregnant and looking for the best smart baby monitor out there? Have a newborn and want some peace of mind knowing that they’re sleeping safely? There are many benefits of using a smart baby monitor like the Miku Smart Baby Monitor. From tracking your baby’s sleep habits to checking in on your baby anywhere in the world, here are 6 of our favorite features.

6 Benefits of Using a Smart Baby Monitor

Live Breathing Monitoring

This is one of the best benefits of using a smart baby monitor. Your Miku device shows you your baby’s RPMs (respirations per minute) in real-time which offers incredible peace of mind. There are few things more valuable than having peace of mind while your baby is sleeping. There’s no need to sneak into their room to ensure they’re breathing – all you need to do is open up your Miku app to see their breathing rate right on the screen!

High quality visual and audio capabilities

Being able to check in and see what your baby is doing in their crib is a huge benefit of smart baby monitors. Are they crying because they’re no longer swaddled? Did they lose their pacifier? Is your newly potty-trained toddler telling you they have to use the potty? Having a good quality camera and speakers with your baby monitor makes a huge difference with kids both newborn to toddler! The video is also saved in the cloud so you can reference back to it. Maybe your baby is consistently waking up early (Is the sun waking them up? Maybe you need black out curtains!) or maybe they just had an adorable laugh or coo when you walked in the room that you can’t resist watching over and over! Open up your app and take a look!

Check on your child anywhere in the world

Are you on a work trip and want to peek in at your baby? On your first date night since having your child and want to ensure she’s sleeping peacefully in her crib? With a Miku you can do just that!

Talk to your baby or turn on a lullaby without going into their room

We all know walking into your baby’s room as they're going to sleep can only have the opposite effect that you want – waking them up more because they want you to hold them! With a smart baby monitor like the Miku, you can easily talk to your baby to soothe them or turn on calming music to lull them to sleep without going into their room. This is beneficial even as they grow up to remind them to stay in their bed or turn on white noise as a thunderstorm rolls in to drown out the sound of thunder.

Sleep Analytics

One huge perk of the Miku Smart Baby Monitor is the daily snapshots of your baby’s sleep patterns. As your baby begins to nap regularly and sleep through the night, you can know they’re getting the quality sleep they need. Sleep summaries can also show you when they fell asleep, how long they slept, and the quality of their sleep. Having this data can also help you with knowing if you need to adjust naps and bedtimes. You can also see things like the room’s temperature and humidity! This will help you easily correlate the data to see if an environmental factor is affecting your baby’s sleep.

One less device that you need!

With so many baby products, your kitchen counter (and just about every nook of your home) will be invaded! Bottles, burp cloths, diaper stations, toys and more seem to take over everything. With a smart baby monitor like a Miku Smart Baby Monitor, you don’t need another device to keep track of since it’s all on your phone! Most of us keep our phones on or near us throughout the day so you won’t even need to get in the habit of checking another device.

There's even more to love

There are tons of other amazing benefits of using smart baby monitors like the Miku Smart Baby Monitor. These are just some of the top features. Overall, these smart devices can give you peace of mind and also help your baby get the quality sleep they need. It could be one of the best investments you make!

6 Benefits of Using a Smart Baby Monitor

Baby in crib with smart baby monitor on wall

baby monitors | design | parenting All

At Miku, our mission is to empower parents and caregivers with higher awareness of their baby’s wellness and safety. That’s why we decided to take a deep dive into the safety features of the Miku Smart Baby Monitor for Baby Safety Month!

From easy, baby-safe installation to the live breathing waveform on your smartphone, and even the ability to show Miku analytics to your doctor to make more informed decisions…. We want you to know that the Miku Smart Baby Monitor has your back. Our team works every day to ensure that Miku is the safest, most trusted monitoring system on the market. This is safety by design.

Baby-Safe Installation

As you install your Miku Smart Baby Monitor, every element is designed to keep the environment around your baby safe, including conduits that keep little hands away from cords and a locking baseplate that keeps the monitor stable and fastened to the wall. Unless you have a superhuman on your hands, even the most curious little ones will struggle to wiggle their tiny fingers under secure cable guides or achieve the 50+ pounds of pressure needed to release the Miku baseplate.

Real-Time Breathing

For true peace of mind, monitor your little one’s breathing on the Miku App where you can track their respirations per minute (RPM) and see their breathing waveform in real time. According to substantiated medical research, respiratory rate can be one of the earliest indicators of illness.

This is all possible with Miku’s proprietary SensorFusion technology, which uses radar, motion, and audio sensing and image and video processing combined with AI to capture and analyze breathing patterns. SensorFusion is named for how it combines multiple sensor modalities, each one supporting and validating the others as opposed to using just one modality. And our algorithm has been developed from a robust set of captured data: 15 billion breaths and counting! SensorFusion has also been validated in a 5,000 hour IRB-approved study, and we published the results in a Miku White Paper.

True Contact-Free Monitoring

One of the many benefits of Miku’s SensorFusion technology is that it is contact-free, eliminating the need for wires or wearables that require washing, securing, charging, or replacing. Plus, Miku works for any age! Contact-free monitoring also eliminates the risk of any potential uncomfortable marks or irritation that can be caused by wearable devices and gives littles ones the space and freedom they need.

See Beyond

Because SensorFusion uses multiple sensor modalities, your ability to monitor your little one’s breathing is unconditional. Your Miku Smart Baby Monitor can see breathing in a much wider range of conditions from light glares to total darkness, under a thick swaddle, and in any body position or location in the crib. And for sleepy parents, the Miku app now offers dark mode for easy reading, visibility in low-light conditions, and battery saving perks.

Local Processing

Our Qualcomm quad-core processor is the cherry on top. Miku’s local processor analyzes breathing data and delivers real-time alerts to a parent’s smart device, eliminating the need for cloud processing. These alerts are customizable to notify parents or caregivers of a range of events from movement to audio and sleep alerts. Your Miku can even continuously monitor and capture data with or without an internet connection.

Safe and Secure Technology

Last but certainly not least, Miku is built with tamper-resistant Crypto Chip technology that is completely unique to this Smart Baby Monitor. This technology takes your security to the next level by protecting your data on your device. Combined with 256-bit encryption, 2-factor authentication, and the ability to share access with grandparents or babysitters, Miku makes sure your data is secure.

It’s safe to say that the Miku Team takes your family’s safety and security very seriously. At every step of the design - and believe us it was a lot of steps - we kept safety top of mind!

Baby Safety Month: Miku Celebrates Safety by Design

babies | baby monitors | parenting All Today’s baby monitors have changed the way parents tend to their children. They have extended our eyes and ears beyond the nursery, and now, beyond what we are natively able to detect. Newer versions of more advanced smart baby monitor can measure vital signs such as heart rate, oxygen levels, and breathing. But not all monitors are created equal, and it’s important to know as a parent that you’re paying for quality, reliability and safety.

WHY PARENTS WANT A SMART BABY MONITOR

Let’s face it, a sleeping baby is the most beautiful thing to watch as a parent. While the days of sneaking or crawling into a baby’s room to make sure they are safe might be waning, checking in on your little one will never fade. Parents need what is best for their baby, starting when they’re in the womb until the day they can no longer tend to their children. We instinctively want them to be safe, healthy and happy, and monitors help parents be present, available and reassured.

WHY PEDIATRICIANS DISLIKE THEM

As a pediatrician in practice for almost 20 years, I can attest to the fact that, in general, pediatricians dislike these new-generation baby monitors that measure vital signs for several, valid reasons. Up until now most have been unreliable, producing lots of false alarms, with many contact lead issues (babies wiggle a lot!) and unnecessary visits to the ER. This includes hospital grade monitors as well. But luckily, technology has caught up dramatically to parental needs in the past decade, and I now feel much better about the practicality of some monitors.

WHY BREATHING

Let’s back up and talk about what’s important to measure. Newer smart baby monitors measure different vital signs— some measure heart rate, others monitor oxygen levels. Personally, I would choose one that measures breathing, and here’s why. Normal respiratory rates in newborns and infants range anywhere from 30-60 rpm (respirations per minute) while awake, and between 20-40 rpm while asleep. Respiratory rate is an important vital sign in infants and children because changes in respiratory rate can often be a first indicator of apnea and many other concerns. Measuring breathing in contrast to many other vital signs, allows a baby monitor to be useful later on, helping you make decisions about your child well into childhood.

WHY MIKU

I’ll be honest, until recently, I was one of those skeptical pediatricians who thought smart baby monitors were a waste of money and created more anxiety than reassurance for parents. But then I met with the Miku team. The technology, testing, and overall philosophy convinced me otherwise and made me a believer of this spectacular device! Let’s discuss why it sold me.

Technology

Miku Smart Baby Monitor is the most sophisticated and technologically advanced monitor on the market. Its SensorFusion technology, Qualcomm processor and HD night vision optics deliver clear, immediate and understandable results. And Miku requires no belts, clips or socks of any kind. Nothing in contact with your baby. How cool and soothing is this as a parent? Their local-processing approach decreases lag time to give you real-time breathing waves and, in the end, sleep tracking as well. Other monitors on the market send their signals to a cloud and then back to the smartphone, creating lag time and potential security problems—and if you’re tracking a breath, this can be a serious issue. Miku provides higher real-time accuracy, period. The mom in me loves the high-def speakers playing custom sleep sounds and the two-way talk, and the pragmatist side of me knows the temperature and humidity sensors can really help parents understand the daily conditions of the nursery to adjust accordingly. Those detailed sleep analytics provided in the easy-to-use app help to see your baby’s quality and consistency of sleep. One of my favorite features as a working mom is having the ability to connect with and see your baby where ever you get an internet signal.

Extensively tested

As a doctor and a scientist, this is probably most important to me. Miku has been extensively tested not just in homes, but in a NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) against medical grade equipment with excellent results and the highest degree of reliability. Miku has gone above and beyond what the standard of testing requires for a consumer product, and as a pediatrician and parent, this means the world to me regarding safety, reliability and reassurance.

Miku's Philosophy

Miku is focused on raising parental awareness. They aim to help parents establish a safe and ideal sleeping environment from infancy through childhood. Research has shown time and time again how important healthy sleep is to developing brains and to the overall health of people of all ages, therefore Miku allows parents to support early healthy sleeping patterns that endure. Miku also believes that knowledge is power, and as a parent, knowing your baby’s normal breathing patterns, sleep cycles and nursery conditions will empower you to seek medical advice when things don’t look right. It also gives you the comfort of knowing your baby is immediately ok and provides the data to spot ongoing events and patterns. I hope to have shed some light on the subject of measuring breathing as an important tool for you in your quest to keep your child safe and healthy. I also hope my belief that the Miku Smart Baby Monitor can serve as an ally and resource to you by helping to provide your child with safe, quality sleep now and for the developmental years ahead. Jacqueline Winkelmann, MD, FAAP (Doctor Jacq) Board-Certified Pediatrician and Former Chief-of-Staff CHOC Children’s and CHOC Children’s at Mission Hospital Chairman, Medical Advisory Board, Miku

Dr. Jacq Answers Your Breathing Monitor Questions

travel All Traveling with a baby can be a whole new challenge to navigate as a new parent. It's hard to believe one tiny human can need so much stuff…and believing it is the easy part! It’s getting your little one’s essentials to your final destination that can be the real work if not planned accordingly. Have no fear though because the best gear for traveling with your little one will work well both at home and on the road so you can stretch your dollars and minimize the amount of "stuff" you accumulate. Whether you're piling into your car or braving a trans-continental flight, here are the most baby-friendly travel pieces of baby gear for all of your family outings:

Best Baby Wrap for traveling: Mobi Wrap

Wraps come in handy just about anywhere. Restaurants, sight-seeing, walks, you name it. One of the easiest ways to get through airport security with a baby is by wearing your baby while you pile everything else on the belt. This way, your hands are free, all necessary items can be run through the scanner, and your baby stays close and safe. Why not a carrier? Wraps are more compact than baby carriers. They are much easier to stick in a bag and throw in the washing machine. They fit just about anyone, they're easy to use, and they're super comfortable. The Mobi wrap is super soft and doesn't lose its shape from frequent use. Definitely a traveling essential.

Best Travel Crib: BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light

The keyword in that name is light. Most airlines will allow you to check a travel crib with your luggage. But you still have to tote that thing around. At 13 pounds, this pack-and-play style crib is lighter than most. It has all the expected features like easy folding, breathable mesh sides, machine washable fabric, and a carrying case to name a few. Even if you co-sleep or use something different for bedtime, you'll be glad you have a travel crib set up when you need it. The travel crib is the safe place you can set your baby when you need to step into the restroom or have your hands free (especially if your baby is mobile!).

Best Bassinet for Traveling: DockATot

As far as snuggly sleeping spots go, it's hard to beat a DockATot. It’s not really a bassinet, but it functions like one. There's a version for baby’s that are newborn-8 months old and another version for 9-36 months old. You can slip it in its carrying case or pack it in your luggage. Use it as a bassinet for sleep and as a clean place for tummy time. Add the toy bar and Cabana Kit (canopy), and you're set to tote it wherever the family wants to hang out -- poolside, grandma's living room, the park, or the hotel. It's a familiar space your baby will take comfort in as you travel to new environments.

Best Baby Monitor for Traveling: Miku Smart Baby Monitor

The Miku Smart Baby Monitor is the best baby monitor for traveling, and not just because it's easy to tuck into your luggage (or because it's our clear favorite). It's so much more than your typical baby monitor. This single device monitors your baby's breathing, sleep cycles and nursery conditions without any booties, wires, mattress pads, or other pieces for your, and your little one, to fiddle with. Along with the invaluable analytics, the Miku Smart Baby Monitor provides you with a clear HD image of your baby on your mobile device in real-time without worrying about going out of range. It can also play sleep noises and lullabies to soothe your little one in times of need. With the travel stand and travel case releasing in December 2019, you can now set up your Miku quickly, easily and wherever your travels may take you. *Miku Stand and Travel Case available in the US while supplies last

Best White Noise for Traveling: Marpac Hushh Portable White Noise Machine

If the Miku Smart Baby Monitor has a sleep noise feature, why recommend a white noise machine you ask? Because this portable white noise machine is for the journey! Charge it up to get a full 12+ hours of use. Its safety clip lets you hang it just about anywhere you need to: like on the stroller, the car seat, the diaper bag strap, or a doorknob. Use it in the car, the plane, or anywhere else your path takes you, to keep your babe fast sleep.

Best Travel Stroller: The Mountain Buggy Nano Stroller

Travel strollers are a perfect middle ground between a full-sized stroller and an umbrella stroller. You want a travel stroller that is:

Comfortable for your baby (lets be real, uncomfortable babies’ kind of rain on the parade)
Easy to fold (wrestling a stroller kind of takes away from the fun)
Easy to clean (because blow-outs happen anywhere)
Easy to carry (lightweight and comes with a carrying bag or shoulder strap)

The Mountain Buggy Nano Stroller checks off those boxes and then some. It folds up in two easy steps making it compact enough to fit a plane's overhead compartment. And at only 13 pounds, it comes with a carrying case and shoulder strap. Here's the kicker, though: this is one of the rare travel strollers that actually holds a young baby! This travel stroller works for newborns up through age 4. Typically, travel strollers don't work with infant car seats or accommodate newborns, so they're not very use-able until your baby is about 6 months old. The Mountain Buggy Nano Stroller comes infant car seat ready, straight out of the box. It also has an optional Cocoon Carrycot that enables newborns to ride without a car seat.

Best Travel Highchair: My Little Seat Travel Highchair

If your baby can sit up unassisted (usually around 6 months old), then this piece of gear is indispensable for travel. With a 5-point safety harness and cute, comfy fabric, it's machine washable and fits perfectly in a purse, diaper bag, or carry-on. It fits on most chairs, which is especially important when traveling to visit family who may not have a highchair in their home. Remember though, not all baby gear fits every situation (ask any parent lugging their super-safe 28-pound car seat through the airport). As you plan your next trip, you want to find pieces that will help make things go smoothly. By looking for pieces that are lightweight, compact, reliable, and easy to clean, it is a breeze to set yourself up for a successful trip before you walk out the door.

Best Baby-Friendly Travel Gear for 2020

baby monitors | parenting

Never Miss a Moment: Miku Smart Baby Monitor Adds Sound Alerts

Cry Detection (Sound Alert) Feature from Miku Smart Baby Monitor

baby monitors All Great news for Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account holders: The Miku Smart Baby Monitor is now eligible for purchase utilizing HSA/FSA dollars! So we thought we would take the chance to ask some of your most important HSA/FSA baby monitor questions!

What is the Miku Smart Baby Monitor?

At Miku, we empower parents and caregivers to live better through higher awareness. Our Miku Smart Baby Monitor allows parents to track their little one’s sleep, breathing, and nursery conditions completely contact-free and from anywhere in the world. Best of all, there are no subscription fees or added costs! We are thrilled to have the ability to provide peace of mind to new parents and to offer the Miku Smart Baby Monitor to those looking for an HSA/FSA accepted breathing monitor.

Why should I use my HSA/FSA funds for a baby breathing and movement monitor?

Even if your family never sees a doctor’s office outside of your baby's regular appointments, parents always need to be prepared for their little one's health needs before and after their arrival. With the ability to use HSA and FSA funds to purchase top baby products, parents are provided with a unique opportunity for tax benefits and savings. Miku's features are perfect for parents who are looking for an HSA/FSA approved baby monitor to: - Monitor and track breathing patterns - Monitor and track sleeping patterns - Monitor movement - HD video and audio monitoring

How is Miku different from other baby breathing monitors?

Unlike Miku, other baby breathing and movement monitors use sensors and wearables either placed under the mattress or wrapped around the baby. These wearables require charging, washing, resizing, and recalibrating. But we couldn't ask that of new parents with enough on their hands already! The Miku Smart Baby Monitor is completely contact-free, meaning absolutely no wires or wearables. Miku's unique technology also allows you to monitor your baby in any clothing, in any location in the crib, and under any lighting conditions, all in real time. Please note that while no device should be expected to replace parental supervision, Miku is the safest and most reliable monitor to help you watch over your little one.

Ok, I'm sold. How do I purchase the Miku Smart Baby Monitor?

HSA and FSA approved products, including the Miku Smart Baby Monitor, are available for purchase using: 1) Your HSA or FSA debit card on Mikucare.com or on the HSA/FSA Amazon Store 2) Another credit/debit card. Remember to submit a receipt to your plan administrator for reimbursement To learn more about which baby-related products and services are eligible for purchase for those expected (and unexpected) child health expenses, visit the HSA and FSA stores for more information. A lot more items are HSA/FSA approved than one might think -- over 4,000 items available, including the Miku Smart Baby Monitor!

HSA Eligible Products FSA Eligible Products

HSA/FSA Approved: Miku Smart Baby Monitor Now Eligible

babies | parenting

Baby Nika & Her Miku

babies | parenting All Helping your newborn sleep is definitely one of the more stressful parts of being a new parent. And, while all the advice moms receive about newborns and sleeping is certainly well-intentioned, it doesn’t always make things easier. Find out which of the common baby sleep suggestions you don’t need to listen to.

Newborn Sleep Myth #1: You have control over how your baby sleeps

Reality: In the first few months of a baby’s life, their circadian rhythm (the instincts that tell a person when to sleep and when to wake) aren’t yet totally developed. This means that they can’t necessarily tell whether it’s daytime or nighttime. “Some babies’ sleep cycles will be short and some longer,” says Jacqueline Winkelmann, MD, board-certified pediatrician and chief medical board advisor of Miku. “Babies, especially newborn babies, will sleep when they are ready and will wake up because they need to be fed, changed, or even because they’re upset and just want company.” It’s OK if your newborn doesn’t seem to be on any sort of sleeping schedule. It’s still important to have a bedtime routine, but don’t worry if it’s not resulting in predictability right away.

Myth #2: Adding rice cereal to your baby’s bottle will help them sleep

Reality: No matter who’s told you this one ... don’t believe it. No studies have shown that putting rice cereal in your baby’s bottle will help them get to or stay asleep. In fact, “Introducing solids, including cereal, before four months of age can cause digestive problems in young babies and is not recommended,” says Dr. Winkelmann.

Myth #3: Keep your baby awake in the day and they’ll sleep better at night

Reality: It might sound logical that keeping your baby awake in the day will help them get to sleep at nighttime – after all, don’t people sleep better when they’re tired? – but this myth is false. “Sleep begets sleep,” says Dr. Winkelmann. "A baby who doesn’t sleep well during the day will be overtired, grumpy, miserable, and fighting sleep!”

Myth #4: Babies Only Sleep in Silence

Reality: Babies actually don’t need perfect quiet to fall asleep. Just think about where they started from – your womb, which is a pretty noisy place! “Complete noise deprivation can actually be counterproductive,” says Dr. Winkelmann. “Noise machines and natural noises will create a more natural environment for baby to sleep.”

Myth #5: At 3 months old, babies should be able to sleep through the night

Reality: The good news is, nothing’s wrong with your baby if they aren’t sleeping through the night by 3 months old. The bad news is, your baby won’t necessarily be sleeping through the night by 3 months old. They’ll likely be sleeping in longer stretches by this age, but don’t expect eight hours from your infant. “Sleeping through the night is not the adult version,” pediatrician Andrew Adesman, MD, author of BabyFacts: The Truth About Your Child’s Health From Newborn Through Preschool told WebMD. A more reasonable expectation might be five or six hours a night, which is still a major upgrade from just a couple hours at a time!

Myth #6: You'll know exactly what to expect

Reality: We’ll let some real moms take on the myth that anyone can tell you exactly what to expect with your own baby’s sleep. “I’ll hear people say, 'Cry it out' or, 'This or that is the answer for every kid.' But I’ve learned that all babies are different,” says Carrie Steenlage, mom to a 5-year-old and a 2-year-old. “Our first never could have cried it out because she was too strong-willed. My second really needed to cry to get to sleep – it was how she calmed herself down. Figure out what works for your baby, and don’t get wrapped up in what other people tell you to do.” Rebecca Kruge, mom to a 1-year-old boy, agrees that you don’t need to get too caught up in what other moms tell you is going to happen. “People overhyped that every baby will be a terrible sleeper, and that it takes all this work to teach them to sleep,” she says. “Maybe I got lucky, but he’s a good sleeper. I didn’t need to worry as much as everyone told me.” This article was originally shared by Mom.com here.

Common Newborn Sleep Myths Feat. Miku Medical Advisor Dr. Jacq

baby monitors | parenting All

How it all Started

A lot of people ask me “What prompted you to make Miku?” To be honest, when I began working on the Miku Smart Baby Monitor, starting another business was the furthest thing from my mind. Rewinding 5 years back, I was employed working for the Department of Defense and had an engineering consulting business on the side that was really starting to take off. On top of all that, my wife and I had just welcomed our first child into our lives, our daughter Madilyn. Our hands were full! When my daughter was 3 months old we decided to transition her from the bassinet in our room to the crib in her nursery. We had registered for the best baby monitor on the market at the time. The monitor had video, audio and advertised that it even worked with my smartphone. I was really excited to use it the first night. Right off the bat our experience was extremely disappointing. The video quality was so low I could hardly make out Madilyn. The audio sounded like garbled static. And most problematic issue, I couldn’t tell if my daughter was actually OK. The night vision video basically looked like a motionless, black and white blob. After a few minutes of staring at this blob on the screen and holding the static-filled speaker to my ear to try and determine if my daughter was breathing, I put it down and went into her room to check on her. Thankfully she was fine, but I woke her up in the process. Over the course of the next few months, this became a pattern. Whether my wife and I were sitting on the couch watching TV, or woke up randomly in the middle of the night, we would check the monitor. Not being able to tell if she was OK, we would run into the room and check on her. This was exhausting. We could never fully fall into a deep sleep at night. We needed something that we could quickly check and see if she was OK and breathing. Something that would alert us if she needed our help. So we turned to Google.

Developing Miku

We found these motion pads that you can place under the mattress to monitor movement and different types of wearables, but they had accuracy issues, warnings, and loose cords. They required special clothing or clips, nightly charging, washing and maintenance. Some required purchasing new sizes from newborns to 18 months to insure fit. My wife was completely against it and didn’t like the idea of attaching an electronic device to our kid. After all, these are the same type of batteries you hear of every day catching fire in phones, laptops and electric cars. We had suddenly become those scared, sleepless, helicopter parents we never thought we would be. As an engineer, I knew better technology existed to solve the problem, but why hadn’t anyone else done it yet? After some research, the answer became clear. There are very few companies that innovate in the baby monitoring space. The incumbents had carved out their niche developing low-cost solutions and there was little to no competition forcing them to spend research and development dollars to innovate. The big tech-giants certainly could have developed something better, however the baby monitoring market is just too small to move the needle for these large corporations to justify innovating in this space.

Our Proprietary Technology

The only way to get the monitor I was looking for was to build it myself. I studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Central Florida, and I worked in one of the top computer vision research groups in the world, so I took on the challenge. After that, I spent the next 10 years of my career working for the Department of Defense. I helped build sensors that allowed soldiers and law enforcement to “see” through walls so they knew if someone was there inside before they entered a building and sensors that could detect landmines buried in the ground. I helped design backpacks that were worn by soldiers that prevented Improvised Explosive Devices (IED’s) from detonating when they walked around dangerous areas. Most related, I developed sensors for a DARPA project that could remotely detect vital signs of a fallen soldier in a battlefield. It was the combination of these two life experiences of being a first-time parent and developing sensor systems for the military that enabled me to truly bring Miku to life. I began working on Miku when Madilyn was only a few months old and over the next three years my daughter’s nursery looked a bit like an engineering laboratory. All kinds of sensors and cameras were hanging on the wall and a long data cable that ran under her door and into laptop in the hallway outside of her room. Every night, I would get home from work and help put my daughter to bed. Once she went to sleep, I would sit on the floor in the hallway outside of her room and developed our initial algorithms on my laptop.

The 'Final' Product

Over the course of months and then years, the prototype came to life. My wife and I would constantly crack open my laptop to see if my daughter was safe and breathing. It worked like a charm and gave us the peace of mind we were yearning for. We showed other parents and they were were astounded at what they saw and asked if I could build one for them. By the summer of 2017, I gathered some funding, thanks to our angel investors and a National Science Foundation grant. Finally, I was able to take my rough prototype and turn it into a product and, the Miku Smart Baby Monitor was officially born. Naturally, Miku had some growing to do. It took another two years of prototyping, testing and programming to get to the product you see today which launched in January of 2019 at the Consumer Electronics Show. Miku was founded on a personal pain point that was shared with parents and caretakers all around the world. We will continue to dream and discover applications for Miku in our ever-advancing world.

Our Founder Shares Why He Built the Miku Smart Baby Monitor

baby monitors All Discovering the perfect brands for your little one can take hours of your time, so the Miku Smart Baby Monitor was designed to make your decision easy. From sleep tracking and contact-free monitoring to baby-proof safety features and two-way audio, you can trust your baby is in good hands. Discover why the Miku Smart Baby Monitor is the right choice for your family:

1. Breathing You Can See

Breathing is a key indicator of a baby’s health and can provide insight into the early stages of their overall and developing wellness. The Miku Smart Baby Monitor was created to give parents awareness of their baby’s respiratory patterns and was designed to seamlessly fit into a new parent's life, easing anxieties and providing immediate reassurance. Imagine knowing each time your baby takes a breath, and not only knowing but seeing. Miku’s real-time breathing waveform makes this possible.

2. Wire and Wearable Free

Miku’s founders developed our technology to provide a safer, contact-free alternative to old-school baby monitors. Our proprietary SensorFusion technology sees beyond and can track breathing even when a baby is sleeping in total darkness, under a thick swaddle, or on their side in the corner of the crib. With no wires or wearables, parents can give their little one the space they need to grow without strapping, charging, or connecting… only hugs and kisses for this babe.

3. Sleep Insights

Miku’s internal processor translates breathing and movement patterns into sleep cycle data and communicates directly with your Miku smartphone app. From there, you can view key insights into your baby’s breathing and sleeping patterns including what time your baby fell asleep and woke up as well as their sleep quality. Quickly scan the week’s daily summaries to track how long your baby is napping and how often. Or take note of how long it takes your little one to fall asleep each night. Miku’s above-crib view and mobile dashboard help parents know how their babe’s sleep habits are developing during their first months. So no more ‘nap logs’ from the nanny!

4. Local Processing

Every Miku smart baby monitor was created to have its own processing hardware for two reasons: - Real-Time Data: Information is instantly pushed to your Miku app, removing lag time from cloud processing. - Information Safety: Local processing eliminates the need for your personal data to travel outside your home to a cloud before being delivered to your smartphone. When it comes to real-time breathing monitoring, the most responsive system means the most accurate.

5. Crypto Chip Security

Miku has gone to great lengths to create the safest system on the market. The Miku Smart Baby Monitor uses AES 256 bit encryption and takes safety to the next level by installing a tamper-proof chip in the device that protects your monitor’s data processing and security functions. This Crypto Chip is unique to Miku and keeps your data safe, so any tampering with a Miku resets all the keys and erases the data. Plus the two-step verification and sharing settings allow you to know who sees your baby or has access to app features (like your babysitter or the grandparents). Complete control of your Miku is in your hands.

6. Smart Alerts

Miku created a system that seamlessly integrates into a new parent’s lifestyle within a mobile device they already use. For parents who chose to use them, alerts can be sent directly to your phone with a simple push notification and alert tone. And if you lose an internet signal, your Miku monitor’s local processor will continue to function and sound an alert through its internal speakers.

7. Nursery Conditions

The Miku smart baby monitor also tracks live humidity and temperature levels. Throughout the day, parents can find easy-to-read graphs of this data that can be compared alongside sleep cycle patterns. Sensors have been placed within the base of each device to maximize accuracy, so your data and safety is never compromised by excess heat. By providing parents with clear instances of an ever-evolving environment, the Miku smart baby monitor can help parents improve their little one’s snooze quality and provide parents peace of mind that their baby is achieving the right sleep.

8. Cable Lock Base Plate

Miku specifically engineered the smart monitor’s base plate to utilize a locking mechanism that keeps the power cord in place and out of your baby’s grasp. With 50 lbs of pressure needed for release, you should never need to worry about them pulling the monitor down… unless your baby is a miniature Super Man or Woman!

9. Cable Guide Covers

To further discourage courageous and curious babe’s who may believe they have superhuman strength, Miku created a sleek self-locking system that covers cords and adheres to the wall with matte fingerprint resistant finishes. This feature allows your baby to explore their crib without abandon and sleep soundly in your line of sight.

10. Two-Way Live Audio

The Two-Way Talk feature takes baby monitoring to the next level. Yeah, it can be utilized when the Miku app is running in your phone’s background, when other apps are open, or even in “sleep” mode. And sure, it’s super cute to sing a lullaby and whisper goodnight to your little babe, but the Miku smart baby monitor’s two-way talk system doubles as an intercom system, which introduces several functional choices. The finely tuned microphones and speakers allow you to communicate to your baby for comfort, for fun, or even can allow communication from parent-to-parent while one is in the nursery and another is away… be fair-warned this may be fun but it was not intended as an adult walkie-talkie system!

10 Features that Make the Miku Smart Baby Monitor Extra Safe

baby monitors All

As you are preparing for your new baby, you have already spent countless hours setting up your nursery, choosing the safest car seat, and reading up on all the latest parenting advice to make sure you are ready. One of the most important decisions a new parent can make is choosing a baby monitor. This is your eyes and ears when you cannot be there in person. With so many options to choose from, here are 10 reasons why we believe our Miku Smart Baby Monitor is the best choice for your family and your baby.

1. Revolutionary real-time breathing

The tech in our device is unmatched. Our baby monitor goes beyond what other monitors can do by collecting the data from an array of different sources. Using our proprietary SensorFusion technology, that data becomes real-time breathing waveforms. Anticipate instant gratification with the convenient view of your baby’s breathing right on your smart device.

2. It’s contact-free

We can’t stress this one enough. Miku works without wires, pads, clips, or wearables coming in contact with your baby or the crib. We designed Miku with your baby’s safety and comfort in mind, and our contact-free approach to monitoring is a game changer for our Miku parents.

3. Sleep tracking

That breathing waveform Miku creates is translated into sleep data. Keep track of naps, nighttime sleep and and wake ups to introduce a consistent sleeping schedule. Let’s be real, the only time you get rest is when they do—so allow our app to help you know the best times to put them down and wake them up for the most consistent sleep patterns for everyone in the house.

4. Peace of mind

This one is obvious. When you see your baby breathing, you know they’re sleeping, and you’re not anxious to run into the nursery. Where video-only monitors can really leave you guessing, we prefer the comfort of modern technology.

5. Top of the line security

As a new parent, the safety of your baby is your number one priority, and it’s Miku’s number one priority too. An embedded Crypto Chip in the hardware means no one can access your monitor. If the chip senses it’s being tampered with, everything resets. Advanced encryption and two-step authentication is a complicated way of saying that you are totally in control of who sees your baby. No other monitor offers this kind of security, and in today’s world we think that is incredibly important.

6. Your Miku Smart Baby Monitor is anywhere you are. Just check your phone.

There’s no need to be tethered to a separate video monitor with the Miku Smart Baby Monitor. Simply log in to the app on your phone and see your baby sleeping safe and sound. Whether you’re running errands, traveling overseas, or just down the hall, Miku is at the ready, all the time.

7. Sweet sound

The fact that the Miku Smart Baby Monitor doubles as a sound machine is a big bonus. With custom sleep sounds and lullabies, your baby gets the ideal sleeping ambiance. And with crystal clear audio and dual speakers for two-way talk, you can soothe your baby to sleep with the sound of your voice.

8. Set-up is a breeze

Everything you need to install the Miku Smart Baby Monitor comes in the box and is accompanied by step-by-step instructions and a convenient installation video for setting up your device. We considered everything from a custom tape measure and a leveling-wall mount to cable guides that keep loose cords out of your baby’s reach.

9. Thoughtfully designed

You’ve spent countless hours designing and planning the perfect nursery, and the last thing you want is a cheap, shiny plastic monitor cluttering the space. In fact, Miku’s sleek design with finger-print resistant matte finish is aesthetically pleasing in any nursery. Plus, the included compact cord covers blend into your wall and cover unsightly and dangerous exposed cords busying up the scene.

10. You’ll get to know your nursery

Miku tracks live humidity and temperature in the nursery. If the room is too hot or too dry, you’ll know right away with one glance at the nursery conditions chart on the app. Compare that with your child’s sleeping trends, and you’ll know how to adjust the room for the perfect slumber.

10 Reasons You’ll Fall in Love with the Miku Smart Baby Monitor

babies | parenting

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