Cutting through the noise
Inside the womb, it’s noisy! Before birth, babies get very accustomed to sleeping while listening to the sound of your heart beating, your blood circulating and your stomach digesting. During that last trimester, babies can hear sounds outside of the womb. After their arrival, it’s no wonder that babies struggle sleeping in total silence.
It’s no surprise a good shush calms a fussy baby and helps them fall asleep. The same can help your baby stay asleep!!! And we know that is the most important part. That’s where sound machines come in. We want you sleeping, not shushing by the crib all night. It’s way easier to use white noise for your baby. Plus, if you live in an urban area with street noise or your baby has older sisters and/or brothers, sound machines can be a life saver!
Here are a few key points to make the most of your sound machine:
- If you use it once, use it all the time. We’re talking ALL naps and night sleep. Consistency is essential.
- Include your sound machine in your bedtime routine. Play it softly while you’re reading a story or singing a lullaby. When it’s time for sleep, turn up the volume.
- Leave the sound machine on the whole time your baby sleeps. Don’t set it on a timer. If it’s set to turn off at two hours, undoubtedly, your baby will wake up in two or three hours and need you to turn the sound machine on again in order to fall back to sleep. This cycle will repeat all night long.
- Although the in-utero sounds range from 70 – 90 decibels, it’s generally recommended that the sound machine not be louder than 50-55 decibels. Anything louder may have an impact on your baby’s hearing. For comparison purposes, a vacuum cleaner rumbles at 75 decibels, while the sound of a hair dryer is close to 90 decibels. If you’ve got a screamer on your hands, crank up the volume. When your baby calms down, lower the volume to the 50-55 decibel range. (There are several free decibel meter apps.)
- The sound of rain or the ocean is nice but it’s not quite as effective as true, rumbly white noise.
- It’s generally advised that the sound machine be at least six to seven feet from your baby.
- If you’re using the sound machine at home, don’t forget to pack it when you’re heading out of town or to Grandma’s house. (We like the Rohm or Hushh– you can use it at home and take it on the road easily!)
If you’d rather not purchase a sound machine, there are plenty of white noise apps available. They can be helpful but the sound is not quite the caliber that you get from a dedicated sound machine.
While most parents eliminate the sound machine by the time their kids are in preschool, there isn’t a magic age at which you absolutely have to discontinue the sound machine. Your child will not develop a dependency. If and when you’re ready to discontinue it, gradually decrease the volume over one or two weeks before you stop it altogether. If your kids are ready for sleepovers or overnight camp and they’re still using a sound machine, plan to discontinue it a few months in advance.