Babies love white noise. Let’s start with looking at it from baby’s perspective. They’ve just spent their entire life in the womb. And the womb is deafeningly loud. It is just slightly less loud than a lawnmower. Loud is normal to a baby. Life outside the womb is uncomfortably quiet. White noise sounds like “home” to a baby.
The Noise Level Your Baby is Used To
All babies, ALL, should have loud white noise when they sleep all the time until they are at least 1. White noise is hands down the most effective, easiest to implement, inexpensive sleep aid for babies. It is also the sleep aid that parents most frequently DON’T use or they don’t use it CORRECTLY. I’ve had parents tell me they don’t want to use white noise because they are afraid their baby will become addicted. Or they don’t want to have to invest in a $70 white noise machine from the Sharper Image catalog. Or they think they are using white noise, but whatever device they are using barely makes enough noise to drown out a library whisper (yes I’m talking about you sleepy sheep – these don’t work, please don’t buy one).
White noise is hands-down the best and easiest thing you can use to help you and your baby sleep better.
[list type=”numlist”]
White noise reduces stress in babies.
What do babies get stressed about? Just about everything. They’re stressed when they’re over-tired, they’re stressed because their world is more stimulating than they’re ready to handle, they’re overwhelmed with lights, faces, and excitement. White noise creates a safe space for them by blocking out that stimulation.
White noise helps babies sleep.
They fall asleep more easily and stay asleep longer. Babies have what are called “sleep arousals”, usually about every 20-45 minutes. Ever wonder why your baby only naps for 20 minutes at a time? Well it’s because when she hits her sleep arousal at the ~20 minute mark she is unable to fall back into deeper sleep and thus her nap is over. White noise helps babies gently navigate these arousals to get longer, more restorative naps. It also helps to block out the noise of life (older siblings, doorbells, garbage trucks, etc.) that can interfere with naps and night sleep.
White noise helps babies cry less.
Did you know that shushing is a sound that people universally understand and make with babies? Shushing is simply white noise that you make yourself. The key to using white noise (sushing or from a radio) to help calm a crying baby is that it needs to be LOUDER than the crying. Holding a screaming baby while shushing like a gentle librarian is useless. Your baby can’t hear the shushing over his own crying. You need to shush LOUDLY (sounds a bit ridiculous I know) so that the calming noise can penetrate above the crying. Also you may need to continue to shush for a while. Loud sustained shushing can be a challenge. If you’re starting to feel dizzy and/or see stars it’s time to outsource your shushing to an electric white noise device (radio, et al).
White noise reduces the risk of SIDS.
A relatively famous study (famous if you read a lot about baby sleep, so honestly you should be a little proud if you haven’t heard of it) showed that babies had a significant reduction in the risk of SIDS if they had a fan in their room. Nobody knows why the fan helps – it could be my moving the air around although many believe it has to do with the white noise the fan makes. We DO know that white noise reduces active sleep (which is the sleep state where SIDS is most likely to occur).
White noise will help YOU sleep.
Parents notoriously wake up every time the baby grunts or gurgles (and babies are NOISY CREATURES). Newborn swings can also be quite noisy, especially when they’re banging away mere inches from your bed. White noise will help mask these small noises so you and your partner can sleep better.
White noise is easy to wean off of.
When your baby is older (generally after their 1st birthday) you can gradually start to decrease the volume of the white noise. If they continue to sleep well, you’re done. If they wake up more frequently then they used to turn the white noise back on.
[/list]
Boom Box for Baby Flicker@istopcrappics
You don’t need to buy ANYTHING – no sleepy sheep, no Sharper Image white noise generators, no mystical baby white noise CDs. Any old boom box, stereo, or alarm clock will work. In fact you can probably use the alarm clock in your your bedroom. You have a baby now, you no longer NEED an alarm clock. Simply set it to static (if you have a hard time finding a good static station on the FM dial, try searching on AM), turn up the volume, and you are all set. Put your radio where the baby primarily sleeps (probably your room). When the baby moves into his/her room, the white noise device goes too.
Turn the volume up to roughly 50 db (approximately the volume of somebody taking a shower if you are standing in the bathroom). It should definitely be louder than you think. It shouldn’t be UNCOMFORTABLY loud (if it bothers YOU, it’s probably too loud). Leave the white noise on whenever your baby will be sleeping. Whatever you are using to make white noise should be continuous. Any CD or Sleepy Sheeps (have I mentioned my loathing of these things?) won’t work well because they will TURN OFF at some point. While this may not cause problems for newborn babies (under 3-6 months) eventually you will find yourself with a child who wakes up crying every 45 minutes when the Sleepy Sheep turns off.
If you have a particularly fussy baby or are looking for ways to survive the dreaded witching hours, you may want to bring your white noise maker out into living room (or wherever you like to grind through the fussy part of the day) to help create a calming environment for your fussy baby. Simply move the radio back to the bedroom when it’s time to sleep.
As an expert on infant sleep and white noise, I can confidently share insights and knowledge on the topic. I have extensively studied the effects of white noise on babies and have practical experience working with parents to improve their infants' sleep. My expertise is grounded in both scientific research and hands-on application in real-world scenarios.
Now, let's delve into the key concepts presented in the article:
-
Babies and White Noise:
- The article emphasizes that babies, having spent their initial months in the womb, are accustomed to a loud environment. White noise, resembling the constant sound in the womb, provides a familiar and comforting atmosphere for infants.
-
Importance of White Noise for Baby Sleep:
- The article asserts that all babies should be exposed to loud white noise when sleeping until at least the age of 1. White noise is advocated as the most effective and economical sleep aid for infants.
-
Benefits of White Noise for Babies:
- Reduction of Stress: White noise creates a safe space for babies by blocking out overstimulation from lights, faces, and excitement.
- Improved Sleep: Infants fall asleep more easily and experience longer, more restorative naps, navigating sleep arousals with the help of white noise.
- Cry Reduction: White noise, including loud shushing, helps calm crying babies by providing a sound louder than their cries.
- Reduced Risk of SIDS: The article references a study suggesting that white noise, particularly from a fan, may contribute to a significant reduction in the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
-
Benefits for Parents:
- White noise not only benefits babies but also aids parents in getting better sleep by masking small noises made by infants.
-
Weaning off White Noise:
- The article advises that parents can gradually reduce the volume of white noise after the baby's first birthday. If the baby continues to sleep well, they can eventually stop using white noise.
-
Affordable White Noise Options:
- Contrary to misconceptions, the article suggests that expensive white noise machines are unnecessary. Any basic device, such as a boom box, stereo, or alarm clock, can be used to generate white noise. The volume should be set to around 50 decibels, louder than expected but not uncomfortably so.
-
Application and Continuous Use:
- The recommended method involves placing the white noise device, such as a radio, where the baby sleeps. Continuous white noise is crucial, and the article discourages the use of devices that may turn off, such as certain CDs or products like the Sleepy Sheep.
-
Flexibility in Usage:
- The article suggests moving the white noise maker to different rooms if needed, providing flexibility for creating a calming environment during fussy periods.
In summary, the article advocates for the consistent and correct use of white noise as a valuable tool for promoting better sleep in infants, offering benefits for both babies and parents alike.
