I would like to have an alarm to wake me up when my dad needs to go to the restroom in the middle of the night. Will a baby monitor work?

I used a baby monitor with my mother, but know that every little snuffle, snore, and rollover will come through loud and clear. (Don't put it right next to his bed.) You'll never go all the way to sleep, and you'll have your ear cocked all the time. I even got rid of baby monitors with my own babies because i wasn't getting any sleep.

I'd suggest getting him up on a schedole every couple of hours. You'll be a zombie, though, and you can't sustain that for long.

There are alarms that work off pressure.

Here is just one. Search bed alarms on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Caregiver-Wireless-Alarm-System/dp/B07RCYD69T/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=bed+alarm&qid=1642478740&s=hpc&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1&smid=A2TORNECBMNNW4&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFCNzhDWENWVDZRNzcmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA2OTkwNTczQVpRVVMzUldLMDRFJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA4MDkxNjQyQ1pNT0M2SUNMTzdXJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

We use a baby monitor for my dad to call out when he needs assistance. He has gotten in the habit of repeating my name in a fairly loud and distinct voice when he needs help in the middle of the night and I find that that does wake me up.

I just bought a basic baby monitor at Target.

Yes, pressure alarm is definitely the answer. My dad has three! One in bed, one in wheelchair and one in recliner. You can hear the sound in the next county😁 if you ever wanted to.

I slept on the floor (on an air mattress) next to my mother’s bed for months, and ultimately her fall risk was so constant and so severe that we placed her.

Even right beside her WITH a monitor, she was able to to maneuver from a low bed to an attempt to stand.

I would average a couple spotty hours of sleep a night.

Do whatever you can, but for some folks (my mom had a shattered hip and was post surgery, and it didn’t slow her down one bit) full time supervision was a long term need, and I couldn’t do it.

With MJ with using a baby monitor. My Mom snored and so does DH. Him I push to roll over. I had to put the monitor out in the hallway of my bedroom. I could hear her get up but not all the other sounds. I am a light sleeper. I need sleep to function.

There are bed alarms and chair alarms - either pressure-sensitive mats or a clip attached to a tether that allows limited movement - that work well. We use similar devices in hospitals.

I am more concerned that you are so tired. Maybe it is time to get some extra helpers for your dad so you can get a full night's `sleep.

There are bed and floor alarms that might help. Movement in the bed will cause the alarm to go off. If he is able to place feet on the floor a floor alarm would alert you to that.
A baby monitor would work if he is vocal enough to say something or if he makes enough noise to wake you if you hear the monitor. But if you are a sound sleeper you might not hear him if he is trying to be quiet.

Would he use a urinal over night? If so place one by his bed and he can use that without having to get up or without having to disturb you.
Would he use an incontinent brief (pull-up disposable/ one brand is Depends) if he would use that over night it would not disturb you.

By the time a bed alarm goes off, your dad will likely be on the FLOOR already!!! My mom has one on her bed in Memory Care and that's what happens; she forgets she can't walk, tries to get up and DOWN she goes.

Get a baby monitor & turn it up to the loudest setting. See if you can get dad to agree to call out your name when he wakes up & needs to use the toilet. I realize that may not be possible if dementia is at play, though you don't mention dementia as an issue in your profile. If not, you'll likely hear him moving about thru the monitor and get there in time to help him before he falls.

Or better yet, get dad one of these glow-in-the-dark urinals:
https://www.amazon.com/Male-Urinal-Glow-Dark-Bottles/dp/B081S999SP/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1QNXPJH5M07L&keywords=urinals+for+men&qid=1642625236&sprefix=urinal%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-5

It's a lot easier for him to use this urinal than it is to use the toilet in the middle of the night and run the risk of falling, waking you up, then figuring out how to pick him up (which I hope you are NOT doing!).

Best of luck!

I have had success using a baby monitor for my mother. However, she WILL call out for help to go to the bathroom and won’t try to get out of bed on her own. I turn it up as loud as possible and I do wake up when she calls. I got mine on Amazon not very expensive maybe around $30. It comes with a base you put in the parents room and then two monitors so you can use them in any room you are in. They even have battery back up so you can take them outside on a porch etc. Best of luck to you!