The quick version. SightAware reads skin temperature. Your thermometer reads a different quantity from a different place. Both are correct. They will not show the same number, and that's how the physics work.
A sleeping baby in a typical nursery will show a reading somewhere in the mid-90s to just under 98°F on SightAware. That is a normal, healthy reading. It is not a low reading. Skin sits on the outside of the body and trades heat with the room, so it runs cooler than what you'd get from a contact thermometer.
The number to trust is your baby's baseline. Watch what SightAware shows when your child is comfortable and well for a few nights running. That range is what "normal" looks like for them. A reading that climbs meaningfully above that baseline and holds is your cue to check in with a contact thermometer.
What a typical reading looks like
Every baby is a little different, but here's what we see in real-world use at recommended nursery temperatures (69 to 75°F):
If your reading falls in these ranges, your baby is comfortable. If your reading is well outside them, first check the room temperature and how your baby is dressed. Both move the reading meaningfully.
Why skin runs cooler than what your thermometer shows
Your ear, forehead scanner, or under-the-arm thermometer is designed to estimate a deeper reading. Most add a mathematical offset to the raw skin reading to produce a number that looks familiar (around 98.6°F). SightAware doesn't do that. It shows you the actual skin temperature reading, at the surface, where it actually is.
The gap between skin and deeper readings depends on the room:
- Cooler room (68 to 72°F): wider gap. Skin reads lower.
- Warmer room (73 to 76°F): narrower gap. Skin reads higher.
- Baby bundled or swaddled: enclosed skin holds heat better. Reads higher.
None of this is a device error. It's your baby's body doing exactly what it should, exchanging heat with the room to stay comfortable.
Setting your alert threshold
SightAware doesn't ship with a pre-set alert. You set the threshold yourself, based on what your baby's baseline actually looks like. That's intentional. No two babies read the same, and a threshold that makes sense for one child may be too tight or too loose for another.
How to set one
- Watch for a few nights. Note what SightAware reads when your baby is comfortable, well, and sleeping normally in a room between 69 and 75°F. That range is your baseline.
- Set the alert 2 to 3°F above the top of that baseline. If your baby typically reads 95 to 97°F, an alert around 99 to 100°F is a reasonable starting point. You can adjust from there.
- Verify with a contact thermometer. When the alert fires, that's the cue to check with a thermometer. SightAware is designed to prompt the check, not answer the question.
This works best inside the calibrated range: a nursery held between 69 and 75°F, with the camera positioned 3 to 4 feet above the crib. Outside that range, ambient conditions start to move the reading in ways SightAware isn't tuned for.
Why an elevated reading matters, even though skin normally runs cooler
Skin usually reads several degrees below what a contact thermometer would show. But research on skin temperature shows something important: when a child is running warmer overall, the gap between skin temperature and what a contact thermometer would show gets smaller. The two numbers move closer together.
That's why a skin reading climbing 2 to 3°F above your baby's usual baseline is meaningful. The gap is closing. Grab the contact thermometer.
When SightAware might read lower than you'd expect
- The room has cooled off overnight
- Baby has kicked off blankets or a swaddle came loose
- Baby is positioned so mostly exposed skin (like a bare arm) is in the camera's view
- Room is on the cooler end of the recommended range (69 to 71°F)
If the reading concerns you, the answer is always the same: check with a contact thermometer, and check on your baby. SightAware is designed to prompt that check, not to replace it.
What SightAware does and doesn't do
Contactless awareness of your baby's skin temperature, from above the crib, without a wearable. It gives you a signal.
Diagnose. Detect illness. Replace a contact thermometer or a call to your pediatrician when your parent instinct is telling you something's off.
When to call your pediatrician
Trust your gut. If your baby seems uncomfortable, isn't feeding well, is unusually sleepy or fussy, or if a contact thermometer reading concerns you, call your pediatrician. SightAware supports your awareness. It doesn't replace it.