The Owlet Dream Sock tracks your baby's heart rate and oxygen level during sleep. What you mostly see of it is the light on the base station. Green means the sock is sending readings. Red, yellow, blue and lavender are notifications. Here is what each colour means and what to do, according to Owlet's European instructions for use and help centre.
The base station comes first
Every notification arrives in two places: on the base station, with light and sound, and as a push notification in the Owlet Dream app. The base station is the more important of the two. The instructions are clear on this: the app is not intended as the primary source of notifications. So put the base station where you can always hear and see it, and do not cover it: that could muffle the notification sounds. Keep the base station and its cord at least 1 metre from the cot and out of your baby's reach.
If several notifications are active at the same time, the base station shows the one with the highest priority.
Green, white and orange: the sock lights
- Slow pulsing green: the sock is getting readings.
- Quick bouncing green: the sock is getting its first readings, or your baby is moving.
- Pulsing white: the sock is charging. Solid white: the sock is fully charged.
If the sock is on the base station and the base station blinks white, the sock is not paired with this base station. If it blinks orange, the sock is paired with another base station.
All notifications at a glance
| Colour | Type of notification | What it means | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flashing red | high priority | Heart rate or oxygen level outside fixed limits | Check on your baby straight away |
| Flashing yellow | medium priority | No good readings: sock out of place or off the foot, or out of range. While this notification is active, no red notifications are given. | Check the sock and the distance straight away |
| Solid blue | low priority | Sensor battery: 50 minutes or less left | Charge the sensor soon |
| Flashing lavender | sleep assist | Your baby has been moving a lot for a while | See whether your baby needs help settling back to sleep |
Red: a health notification
With a high priority notification, the base station flashes red and plays a high notification sound. You also get a push notification in the app. A red notification is triggered when the measured heart rate or the measured oxygen level goes outside fixed limits. These limits are fixed. You cannot change them.
What to do is set out in the instructions: check on your baby immediately and make sure everything is all right. Look at their breathing, skin colour (blue or pale), activity and alertness. If you are concerned about your baby, seek medical attention. In an emergency, call 112.
Even if there has been no notification, the instructions advise contacting your child's healthcare provider if you have concerns about their health.
Health notifications are not switched on by default: you turn them on with the "Update Now" button on the home screen of the Owlet Dream app. The app then has required learning about health notifications, including how to respond to each type, and you need to test the notifications before you complete it. Check that the notifications work after the Dream Sock has been in storage, and then at least every six months. If the notifications do not work as intended, stop using the device and contact Customer Support. The Guide tab in the app shows an example of the yellow, blue and lavender notifications. You test the red one in the sock settings.
Yellow: the sock is not getting good readings
The base station flashes yellow, with a medium notification sound and a push notification. This is a medium priority notification. There is a problem with the sock placement, or the sock has slipped off the foot and has not taken good readings for at least 60 seconds. A yellow notification can also mean the sock is out of range of the base station, or that the signal has been blocked for at least 60 seconds. If the sensor cannot provide valid data, the yellow notification follows after more than 90 seconds without excessive movement, or after more than 4 minutes with excessive movement.
Important: while a yellow notification is active, the base station gives no red notifications. Only once the yellow notification is resolved can a red notification be triggered again. So deal with a yellow notification straight away.
- Check that the sensor is positioned correctly and that your baby is not moving a lot or being rocked. Once the sensor is in place and your baby is still, the notification can take 10 to 20 seconds to clear.
- Try not to hold your baby with your back to the base station: your body can block the signal.
- If the yellow notification keeps coming back, move the sock and the base station closer together.
The app itself tells you how to deal with the notification. For how to fit the sock properly, read our article on fitting the Dream Sock.
Blue: the battery is nearly empty
Solid blue light, a low notification sound and a push notification: that is the low priority notification. The sensor battery then has 50 minutes or less left. Put the sensor on the base station to charge soon. A new battery, fully charged, lasts up to 16 hours. After 20 minutes of charging you already have 8 hours.
Lavender: your baby is moving a lot
If the base station flashes lavender, you hear a tone and get a push notification in the app. Your baby has been moving a lot for some time. They may need your help to settle back to sleep. What is normal for sleep patterns at each age is covered in our article on baby sleep patterns.
Silencing a notification or stopping monitoring
Press the base station briefly, or tap the button on the notification screen in the app. The sound from the base station and the app then pauses for 60 seconds. The light ring stays visible. The notification stays active until whatever caused it is resolved.
During a feed or a nappy change, it is best to turn monitoring off to avoid unnecessary notifications. You do this on the base station, not on the sensor:
- Pause any active notifications.
- Press and hold the base station button for 3 seconds until you hear a chirp, then release. The base station light goes out and you hear a falling chime: monitoring has stopped.
- Remove the sock and sensor from your baby's foot.
- Check the sock and sensor for dirt and clean them if necessary.
- Put the sensor on the base station to charge.
To start monitoring again, take the sensor off the base station and put the sock on as you would at the start of the night. The base station then shows bouncing green lights: the sensor is looking for readings from your baby. According to the help centre, you can also turn the base station on and off with a long press on top.
Leaving the sock on and forgetting to turn monitoring back on? Recovery Mode turns the base station back on automatically after 20 minutes, if the sensor has collected 4 minutes of good readings. You can switch Recovery Mode off in the app for the current session. Note: if monitoring is off and Recovery Mode is off too, your baby is not being monitored and you will not receive notifications.
What the Dream Sock is for
The Dream Sock is intended for routine home monitoring of healthy babies. Its notifications help you decide whether to seek medical advice. They do not replace a diagnosis or treatment by a doctor. The instructions also warn that the Dream Sock is not a substitute for adult supervision, good parenting practices or safe sleep practices. Find out more on the Owlet Dream Sock page, the Owlet Dream app page and in our FAQ.