When there are soothing background noises, some babies sleep more soundly and longer. Below are some details about white noise for infants.

Background noise was something your baby was used to before they were even born. Remember that the womb might be a noisy place if you’re wondering why. Although it offers some protection, for nine months your unborn child was exposed to background noises such as your heartbeat and the air passing through your lungs.

Is white noise safe for young children?

White noise is safe for babies from a health standpoint as long as it remains in the background because it is intended to be there. You should keep the white noise machine far from the cot, set it to a low volume, and, if at all possible, stop playing it once the baby has fallen asleep. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises using a white noise machine set no louder than 50 decibels (roughly the sound level of a quiet dishwasher).

If you’re still concerned about the risks, trust your intuition and use common sense. If your child thinks the white noise machine is excessively loud or unpleasant, turn it off and keep the machine and its wires out of his or her reach.

What advantages and disadvantages are associated with using white noise and other baby sound machines?

Pros

White noise has the advantage of soothing babies and enabling them to obtain the rest they require. One research of babies indicated that only 25% of those who were not exposed to white noise fell asleep as quickly, whereas 80% of those who were exposed to it did so within five minutes.

As all new parents are aware, it’s not always simple to get babies the necessary amount of sleep. Older babies need 12 to 16 hours of sleep each day, whereas newborns up to 3 months old require between 14 to 17 hours (including naps).

Cons

The disadvantages are simple to understand. You may need to use alternative methods to calm your baby down if they simply don’t appreciate the sound of white noise. Some people enjoy it to the point that they grow reliant on it and can’t fall asleep without white noise droning in the background.

Also, there is a slight chance of hearing loss if the white noise is extremely loud and continuous.

What form of white noise is most suitable for infants?

The market is flooded with white noise generators. To demonstrate what a terrific sleeper your child can be at Grandma’s place, if you’re buying a new device, make sure it has many of the features parents find helpful, such as sound selection, a timer, automatic shutdown, and portability.

Other parents improvise by employing different types of white noise, such as air purifier sounds or even YouTube videos of hoover cleaners.Apps and movies that play hair dryers, running water, rain, birds singing, and rolling waves are further examples of «white noise» sources. Sticklers point out that some of them aren’t white noise because there is also «pink» and «brown» noise, but most new parents are too worn out to worry about the specifics of the various frequencies and energies.

Fans are yet another preferred source of white noise, particularly in the summer. In contrast, air conditioners. They don’t appear to significantly improve sleep, according to one study, maybe because they turn on and off so frequently.

Trial and error with any of these strategies may be the best course of action because babies, just like adults, have their own preferences for sound when they sleep.

What should I do if I want to stop using white noise?

When your kid is going through challenging times in his life, especially in the first few months when he is having trouble sleeping or if he exhibits indications of colic, white noise noises can be immensely beneficial. But just as you wouldn’t feed your child the same thing every day of his life, you don’t want to make it a practise of exposing your youngster to white noise all night, every night.

Infants learn to sleep well; it’s not a skill they are born with. Your infant may have trouble learning to self-soothe and go asleep on their own if you have a white noise machine running nonstop in the house. You should also incorporate sleep schedules and nighttime rituals that encourage him to fall asleep on his own as his sleeping patterns change.

White noise can be a helpful tool for assisting infants and babies in getting the restful sleep they require. If used properly, it’s cheap, safe, and won’t harm your baby’s hearing. So you shouldn’t rely on it or your child on it indefinitely. Even the most demanding infant eventually needs to learn how to go to sleep and stay asleep by himself.

References:

Loud Noise and Pregnancy
White noise does not induce fetal sleep
How Much the Eye Tells the Brain
White, fat and blind — Economy and evolution in caves