How White Noise Can Help Your Baby Sleep
On This Page
- Why does white noise calm babies?
- How does white noise help babies sleep?
- Whatās the best white noise for helping babies sleep?
- Can white noise played through the phone be effective?
- Can you use white noise all day for babies?
- How loud should white noise be?
- When should white noise for babies stop?
Although most parents swaddle their babies these days, it amazes me how few use white noise to boost their little oneās sleep. White noise works miracles with fussy babies and is an amazingly powerful cue for falling asleepā¦and sleeping longer. This special sound is as important as swaddling. In fact, a 40-baby study found that white noise helped 80% fall asleep in just 5 minutes! Another study found that white noise significantly decreases the duration of crying and increases sleepytime in colicky babies. Even the American Academy of PediatricsĀ (AAP) agrees that white noise can be helpful at improving sleep. Let me explain how it all worksāand how white noise can work for you and your little one!
Why does white noise calm babies?
White noise is a key tool in the Happiest Baby sleep approach. It helps turn on your babyās calming reflex, or their built-in āreset buttonā to calm crying and bring on sleep. The best sound for calming fussing is a rough, slightly harsh noise thatāsĀ nearly as loud as your little oneās crying. You can provide this sound simply by putting your mouth close to your babyās ear and making a strong āShhhhhhhhhhhhhhhā sound. But white noise is not just for calming crying. A more rumbly, low pitched sound promotes sleep as well. And since itās pretty tricky to āShhhhhhhhhhhhhhhā in your totās ear for all naps and nights, turning to a white noise machine is a good idea!
How does white noise help babies sleep?
White noise helps to create a comforting environment for your baby, like a cozy teddy bear of sound, letting your little one know when itās time for sleep. The reason white noise is so effective is because it mimics the sounds your baby heard in the womb. White noise lulled them to sleep thenā¦and can lull them to sleep now. White noise also covers over outside distractionsālike a noisy truck or a TV playing in the next roomāand inside discomforts, like teething and mild hunger, further bolstering ZZZās.Ā
To start using white noise, play the sound in the background during your babyās sleepytime routine. Soon, this will signal to your sweetie that their glide into dreamland is just minutes away. And this will continue to work even after Babyās calming reflex gradually disappears by 3 to 4 months. By then, your infant will have learned that white noise means that bedtime has come. So, every time you turn the white noise on, your precious bub will think, āOh yeah, I recognize that soundā¦now Iāll have nice sleep.āĀ
Whatās the best white noise for helping babies sleep?
While many white noise machines and apps feature 20+ sounds, only continuous, monotonous, and low-pitch sounds work to lull babies to sleep. (Inconsistent sounds, like waves or birds chirping simply donāt work.) And the very best white noise sounds for your babyās sleep mimic the loud rumbly sounds they heard for nine months in the womb. To make sure youāre giving your little one the just-right sleep sounds, I recommend usingĀ our award-winning SNOO bassinet and/or a white noise device like SNOObie orĀ SNOObear...where youĀ will always find the right sounds! Here are best baby sleep sounds that were specially engineered for SNOO, SNOObear, and/or SNOObie
- Rain: Peaceful and soothing for infants and parents
- Strong hair dryer: Calms fussy babies
- Fast and vigorous white noise: The best sound for the fussiest babies
- Train: A calming heartbeat-like rhythm
- Shush: Imitates exactly what experienced parents do to calm fussing
Can white noise played through the phone be effective?
Some parents play white noise on their smartphones, which can be okay if itās the right sounds, like the Happiest Baby SNOO sounds download. But itās important to remember that phones release microwave radiation, so youād need to make sure you put your phone on airplane mode when you place it near your baby. Another drawback: Telephone speakers make a more hissy or tinny noiseā¦not the deep, rumbly sound that best mimics the wombā¦and best boosts sleep. When you need a portable white noise machine, I recommend SNOObear. I designed SNOObear to feature the same super-effective sounds babies love in SNOO, plus a few extras. What I love about SNOObear is that itās great to use when your baby is out of bed, to soothe fussing during diaper changes, feeding, trips outside in a stroller or sling, or during āwitching hour.ā And for babies and toddlers, itās also a great helper during car rides and for on-the-go naps or when your little one is visiting grandparents, uncles and aunts, or any other caregiver, really.
Can you use white noise all day for babies?
As with swaddling, white noise isnāt meant to be used 24 hours a day. Thatās because you want to give your babyās ears and brain a break for several hoursāevery dayāto learn the normal sounds of your home and your voice. So, save the white noise for calming your babyās fussies and to improve naps and nighttime sleep.
How loud should white noise be?
The best volume for white noise depends if yourĀ little one is upset or not. If yourĀ baby is calm, your white noise machine should be set to betweenĀ about 55Ā decibels (the level of a whisper)Ā and about 70Ā decibels (the level of singing a lullaby).Ā At that level sound can be safely played all night.Ā WhenĀ your baby isĀ crying,Ā you need to turn the volume up to nearly match the intensity of the tearsĀ in order to turn onĀ their calming reflex. While aĀ baby's cry can reach at 100 to 120Ā decibels, adjusting your white noise machine toĀ be aboutĀ 85Ā decibelsĀ should do the trick.Ā (For some sound perspective, know that the sound inside the womb can reach over 90 decibels.)
While the decibel scale can be confusing,Ā SNOOĀ is not! SNOOĀ is the only white noise device specifically designed to give your baby theĀ exact level of sound they need, at the exact time they need it.Ā SNOOĀ quietly shushes all night betweenĀ roughly 55 and 70Ā decibelsĀ (you choose),Ā and whenĀ your baby cries, the sound increases no more thanĀ 85Ā decibelsĀ for just a few minutes. SNOO isn't the only "smart" white noise machine, though:Ā SNOObearās white noiseĀ shuts off after 30 or 60 minutesāand turns back on again if it "hears" your little one fuss.
When should white noise for babies stop?
Thereās no need to turn off the white noise! For years, many parents continue using white noise with their children (and themselves) to boost sleep, and thereās absolutely no harm in that. But no worries if you want to stop. Itās super simple to wean from white noise whenever you want. Simply gradually lower the sound, bit by bit, over a week or two until itās finally off.
Thereās so much more to learn about white noise! Here are some of our most popular posts on this important sleep topic:
- Common White Noise Mistakes for Baby Sleep to Avoid
- White Noise and Babiesā Hearing: What You Need to Know
- Why Newborns Crave White Noise
- All About the Fourth Trimester
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