AC337: False Alarms

Firstly, we want to reassure you that if you are hearing the Alarm from your monitor it indicates that your monitor is working as it should - the Nursery Unit is not receiving any signals from the Sensor Pad to indicate movement is detected so the monitor is alarming. The monitor is set to alert you once it does not detect your baby's movement on the surface of their mattress for 20 seconds.

Young babies do have different sleeping/movement patterns compared to adults when sleeping and this is perfectly normal.

As baby grows, becomes more mobile in the crib coupled with extra layers, a wet diaper, lying on their sides, hunches and in a favorite corner of the crib - these can make it harder for the movement sensor pad to detect baby's movements.

In such instances, the sensitivity may need adjusting to allow for this. The Sensor Pad can detect movements over the whole of the surface of your baby’s mattress, from corner to corner if it is at the correct level. Additionally, it may be that the sensitivity has accidentally been changed in the settings. It's not a regular occurrence but it can happen. 

Sensor Pad False alarms may happen for several reasons:

• Nursery Unit has not been turned OFF after you have removed your baby from the crib
• Make sure there is no bedding between the mattress and the Sensor Pad
• Sensor Pad has not been placed under the mattress properly. If your crib does not have a solid, stationary, completely flat, firm surface including a spring or slat base, place a hardboard between the crib base and the Sensor Pad, to ensure correct operation. The hardboard support must measure at least 30 x 30 cm (12” x 12”) and 6 mm (1/4”) thick.
• The sensitivity level may also need to be adjusted

Therefore, we first need to establish why this is occurring, whether your Sensor Pad is at the correct level for your baby's mattress so can you please carry out the “Four Corner Test”, please see below for information on how to do this.

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NOTE: Please follow step 2 within 20 seconds after turning ON both units otherwise the movement alarm will sound. Your baby must NOT be in the crib during this test:

SENSOR PAD FOUR CORNER TEST

1. Place the Sensor Pad at the approximate centre of baby’s sleeping area and put the mattress back in place
2. Switch ON both Nursery & Parent Units – check both units are paired (connected)
3. Immediately pat your hand lightly and continuously on a corner of the mattress twice for Sensor to detect movement. If movement is detected you will hear a TIC sound (if TIC feature is activated) every 5 seconds and PU will flash green for a single Sensor Pad
4. Step away from the crib
5. After 15 seconds you'll ear a loud bip; this is the Rouse Alarm. The alarm will sound from the Nursery and Parent Unit after 20 seconds. If the Alarm does not sound, ensure everything is set up correctly and try again; check battery levels on all units, search for the article entitled ‘AC337 NOT ALARMING’– the sensitivity setting may require lowering by a single level due to other vibrations/movements
6. If the alarm does sound, pat your hand lightly on a corner of mattress twice for Sensor to detect movement. 
   NOTE: It can take up to 8 seconds for the Sensor Pad to recognize movement and for the alarm to stop
7. If the alarm continues, even after lightly patting the corner of your mattress twice, adjust the sensitivity higher (up one level) and repeat this test

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If the Four Corner Test does not resolve your query

· Is your baby asleep when you go in to check?

If yes, this would indicate that your baby is in a deep sleep as the alarm has not woken the baby

· When you check on your baby does the alarm continue or does it cease on its own?

If the alarm ceases on its own this will be because the alarm has re-established your baby’s sleeping pattern. If the alarm does not cease on its own please let us know. 

· Does the alarm only happen at night?

If yes this is because your baby, as with adults, can go into a deeper sleep at night rather that when they nap during the day

· Is there a particular time that this is happening?

Babies have sleeping patterns when they go into deep sleeps and, because of this, the alarm can go off at certain times in the night

· Are you using additional sleep aids such a Sleepyhead, Cocoonababy etc.?

We do not recommend the use of the Sleepyhead with the Angelcare Movement Monitor as this could mask the movement of the baby. We have had parents contact us with this issue when using the combined products.

· What type of mattress are you using?

We know that the Sensor Pad will work effectively with a standard hypoallergenic, spring, coir (and spring/coir combined) mattress as these allow your baby’s movements to be transferred down on to the pad.

We also know that the Sensor Pad will NOT work with a Hollow Framed, Dual Sided, Memory Foam Mattress;

A Hollow Framed Mattress is mainly a US product. It is basically a number of poles that are fitted together with a tight cover fitted over this. As a result of there being nothing actually inside the mattress (hollow), no movement is transferred down to the Sensor Pad. Because of this the monitor may false alarm indicating that baby's movements are not being detected by the Sensor Pad.

A full Memory Foam or Dual-sided Memory Foam Mattress masks the movement of your baby on the surface of the mattress due to the density of the foam and baby's movements do not transfer down to the Sensor Pad. As a result, the monitor may false alarm indicating that baby's movement is not being detected by the Sensor Pad.