Sleep is critical for your baby’s development, growth, and overall health and well-being. When babies are born, they need assistance to help fall asleep and stay asleep. There are many things that can help improve a baby’s sleep including their sleep space! Start by creating a safe sleep sanctuary and environment which includes a baby who is in a swaddle, is placed flat on their back, is in a room between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit and using a white noise machine or sound machine that plays white noise. White noise is one of the contributing factors of better, restorative sleep for babies and I’m here to tell you why!
Benefits Of White Noise For Babies
There are SO many baby products out there, many that make BIG claims that they will get your baby to sleep longer and take better naps. These claims are pretty unrealistic and unfortunately they latch on to tired parents who will do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to get their baby sleeping, trust me – I’ve been there! There are products that help encourage the natural onset of sleep and help your baby setup for safe and better sleep. One of the products that does help encourage better sleep for babies if white noise! Before I get into the many benefits of white noise, let’s first dive into what exactly white noise is, shall we?
How Loud Should White Noise Be For Baby?
Most white noise machines go up to 85 decibels. The recommends decibel volume for babies and toddlers is 60 decibels. You can download a decibel app to test your white noise machines volume.
What Is White Noise
White noise, otherwise known as broadband noise, is one of the many sounds used in a sound machine. White noise is a continuous sound which helps babies stay asleep when they are transitioning from one sleep cycle to another. It is the recommended type of noise for babies because of the continuous sound it won’t disrupt sleep cycles like other sounds such as ocean waves or rain.
Benefits of Playing White Noise For Babies
- Helps with the the onset of sleep
- Because white noise mimics the sound of the womb, this sound is VERY familiar to babies and can help calm and settle them to sleep. It can help your baby fall asleep faster!
- Helps mask outside household noises
- Because of the constant tone of white noise, it helps drown outside noises that would otherwise disrupt sleep. The old saying “your baby should be able to sleep through a vacuum cleaner” can happen if you use white noise!
- Helps encourage better, more restful sleep
- When babies are transitioning sleep cycles, white noise can help babies connect sleep cycles and transition back into a deep phase of sleep. This can be especially helpful when your baby wakes overnight and might not be ready for a feeding yet!
How Does White Noise Work
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping your baby’s white noise machine 6 feet away from where your baby sleeps. They recommend keeping it at 60 decibels to ensure there are no issues with your babies hearing or hearing loss. The benefit of white noise compared to other noises is that it is a long, continuous sound that drowns outside noises AND helps soothe babies to help them sleep better and longer. The sound of white noise mimics the sound of the womb which is comforting for babies!
How To Use White Noise For Baby
My FAVORITE sound machine is the yogasleep whish machine which has white noise. It has a softer white noise which I think is best for babies hearing. I also really like this sound machine which is great for travel or if you’re planning to take your baby out in the car or stroller for a nap. You can start to use white noise as soon as your baby is born!
When To Start Using White Noise For Baby
White noise mimics the sound of the womb so it is very soothing and familiar to newborns. It can also help if your baby is crying and you need help calming them down. If your baby is fussy and overtired, bring them into their sleep space, turn the white noise on, and it will help calm them and get them into a good routine for sleep!
I recommend the use of white noise until your child is old enough to ask you to turn it down or off. Lots of adults even use white noise, it’s a great tool to help with better sleep!