One of the best baby sleep hacks is to use a white noise machine for your baby during naps and at night. White noise plays an important role in good sleep hygiene for babies. Read on for our list of the best sound machines for babies, and how to use white noise effectively in your nursery.
Some babies can sleep through anything, but most babies prefer the shushing and comforting sound of white noise. Experts recommend using white noise machines for babies because they naturally help babies connect their sleep cycles by offering a constant, womb-like sound in the background.
Do Babies Need White Noise to Sleep?
Babies might not need white noise to sleep, but it can help them sleep longer and better. Babies respond well to white noise because it simulates the noisiness of the womb, and because it masks background noises while they are sleeping.
So, just think about it from a practical perspective: Do you plan to wash the dishes while baby sleeps? Take a shower? Walk down the stairs? Do you have creaky hardwood floors?
All of this can potentially wake up your little one before they’re done napping – more so if they are a light sleeper.
Additionally, white noise machines have been found to help babies to better connect their sleep cycles. If it helps your baby, it means that they will be able to go from one sleep cycle to the next; so, rather than waking up at the 45-minute mark, they might sleep a second cycle for a total of 90 minutes of nap time.
However, avoid using mobile phone apps to generate white noise. First, this exposes your baby to unwanted radiation (EMF) from the cell phone. And not to mention, it ties up your phone.
Choosing a White Noise Machine
When shopping for white noise machines for your baby, it’s best to get one that truly and naturally makes white noise and isn’t playing a recording of white noise (or worse, music or lullabies). Also, it’s best to select a white noise machine that doesn’t automatically turn off after a set period of time. Some noise machines shut off after 15-45 minutes, and though this may have helped your baby fall asleep, it doesn’t help your baby stay asleep and connect those sleep cycles.
Please note that you must keep any white noise machine at least 5 feet away from your baby so as not to cause any damage to their hearing.
Best White Noise Machines for Babies
Here are the top white noise machine brands I recommend for babies.
1. Marpac DOHM White Noise Machine
The Marpac DOHM is the best sound machine out there, and it’s even the official sound machine of the National Sleep Foundation. The reason this is recommended is that it features an actual fan inside, creating true white noise as opposed to simply playing a recording of white noise.
The DOHM does not automatically shut off and can be left on overnight if you want to run it that long. I have also been able to turn it off in the middle of the night without waking my kids (to my surprise).
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2. SNOOZ Fan and White Noise Machine
I have mixed feelings about this brand because they make great fans but they do have a SMART feature to them that pairs their white noise machines to a mobile app. The SNOOZ bedroom fan has a built-in white noise machine (also non-looping and fan-based), which I really like. The fan itself can be supportive of safer sleep for babies, so that’s a great reason to consider using this for white noise. I don’t love the SMART aspect and would be sure to keep this across the room if you do use it in the nursery.
Portable White Noise Machines
In the early weeks, newborns are so sleepy that they’ll fall asleep almost anywhere. They have very short waketimes and are almost always ready to sleep. Most babies will fall asleep in the car seat, in their stroller, in their bassinet, and even in the living room while the TV is on and your dog is barking. This is great because it gives you plenty of flexibility to get things done around the home, to get some rest yourself, and to get out of the house.
You’ll be accustomed to them falling asleep anytime you get them in the car seat and the car is moving. (Note: a lot of babies will cry when you stop at a red light and stop crying when the car is moving. This is normal!) As they outgrow this sleepy phase, you will see that your baby has longer waketimes and that they might not fall asleep simply because the car or stroller is in motion.
This is where a portable white noise machine comes in handy! I am so sad that I only discovered portable white noise machines with my second baby, because they are such a life-saver. This is another absolute must for all new parents and it also makes a great baby shower gift.
3. Baby Shusher: The Sleep Miracle
This is a genius baby product because it makes a “shushing” sound that mimics the same sound you would make when trying to calm your baby or get them to sleep.
I began using this portable white noise machine with my second baby at around 3 months of age, when he started outgrowing that sleepy newborn phase and paying more attention to the world. When he’s due for a nap and is starting to get cranky, all I do is turn this on and place it near his car seat or in his stroller. The shushing sound, combined with the movement of the stroller or car seat, gets my baby to sleep in a few minutes’ time — almost every time. Even if my baby isn’t tired, the shushing sound will calm him when he is being fussy.
It has a 15 or 30-minute setting and you can also control the volume, so this would be equally good to keep in your diaper bag or to take on an airplane.
Truth: I kept mine in my diaper bag at all times!
4. Marpac Hushh Travel White Noise Machine
Made by Marpac, the Hushh is a portable sound machine that can be fastened to the stroller or car seat for soothing sounds on the go. It comes with three sound settings: bright white noise, deep white noise, and a gentle surf sound. It uses a USB cable for charging and can run all night long on a single charge.
One of the nice things about the Hushh is that it is truly designed for babies — it has a child lock to prevent your baby from playing with the settings. Smartly designed 🙂
Aside from these brands, I do not recommend popular white noise machines like the HATCH, also because of the built-in app feature.
Which white noise machine did you choose?
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We slept with white noise for months after little B was born! I love reading your posts. I nominated you for the Blogger Recognition Award on my blog! (:
Hi Emily! Thank you so much! That’s so kind of you and I really appreciate the recognition. <3 Please send me a link and I will check it out.