How To Use White Noise Machine For Babies
Meta Description – white noise machines for babies are extremely useful because they help babies sleep peacefully.
Babies are not the best sleepers, especially when it comes to self-soothing. Parents all around the world face the same problems when it comes to putting a baby to sleep. These problems usually revolve around creating the perfect sleeping environment; calm, cool, and soothing.
White Noise Machines are designed to help with at least two of these problems. These small yet powerful devices help babies sleep faster and better by emitting peaceful and soothing sound frequencies.
While you may be eager to test out your new white noise machine, you probably have doubts and questions about their usage. When it comes to your baby, you want everything to go right.
This guide is all about helping you make the best use of your white noise machine without running into safety problems.
Figuring out the Placement
When using a white noise machine for babies, you must take extra care in placement. Anything within or nearby a baby’s crib is never a good idea.
The goal of usage will play an important role in your choice of placement. If you are using the device to drown out the noise in your household, like your other children playing outside or a running television, place it close to the inside of the door. This will help block out the source of the noise.
On the other hand, when used to induce a quicker and deeper sleep, make sure to place it at a distance of at least 3 meters from the baby. It’s also important to run it on the lowest sound setting as babies are more sensitive to sound than adults.
Using The Right Volume
There are some distinct situations where your baby may benefit from different volume settings. To calm a crying baby, try to use a higher volume. It should be only high enough to make it audible over their crying.
Do not use up to 50 or 60 decibels (which sounds similar to a quiet fan). Most doctors recommend against using anything higher than 50 decibels as it can harm a baby. While the noise may sound unnoticeable or not good enough for you, it will be more audible to a baby’s ear.
Once your baby stops crying, gradually lower the volume to (preferably) the lowest setting. Also, you don’t want to use a volume that is high enough to mask the noises your baby makes when crying.
To ensure that you are there for your baby when needed, keep the device away from the baby monitor as well. It may not be a good idea to completely withdraw the white noise as soon as your baby stops crying.
The lowest sound can be played throughout the night without any risk to the baby. However, overreliance must also be avoided. You do not want to make your baby dependent on the white noise machine but only use it to help them learn how to sleep better.
Babies, especially newborns, are not accustomed to the outside environment and still crave the environment they had within the womb. White Noise machines can help recreate this environment with the low and heavy sound frequencies.
Experimenting With Different Sounds
Not all white noises are the same. They can come with different frequencies, intensities, pitches, and depths. Moreover, some white noise machines have purposefully designed sounds that can recreate different environments a baby may be familiar with.
For example, many scientists believe that the natural environment during a stroll in the park may have an effect on inducing sleep in babies. White Noise machines can recreate these environments by playing the sounds of rain, chirping birds, waterfalls, or winds.
It’s a good idea to test these different sounds before picking one for permanent use. Using different sounds at different times may also help avoid overreliance and keep your baby sensitive to the calming effect they carry. You can also try different volumes at different distances to see what works best for your baby.
Do’s and Don’ts
It’s important to avoid overreliance on white noise machines when using them for babies. If their brains adjust to sleeping only when the white noise is present, it can become harder to withdraw it. They must learn to self-sleep and soothe themselves without the need for an external device.
While you can use it for a newborn baby throughout the night, try to minimize usage as your baby is growing up. This will help build independence and self-soothing abilities in them.
White Noise Machines are not meant to be used all the time. Your baby must be able to connect with the other elements of his surroundings and learn to find peace in their own way.
Moreover, too much sound all the time can actually make them insensitive to it. Just like placing your hand on the ice for too long makes it numb. Over time, you can’t really feel the cold ice anymore.
A baby’s ears and brain will react the same way to the device if used excessively. For this reason, it’s good to save it for the necessary times, like when they are crying or having difficulty sleeping.
Conclusion
White Noise Machines offer a quick and reliable solution to putting a baby to sleep and helping them form a healthy night routine.
While they are undoubtedly helpful for every baby, it’s best to use them in limited instances. It’s also important to remember that nobody has a perfect, undisturbed sleep throughout the night.
Even the healthiest adults can wake up multiple times during the night. While enabling a soothing environment for your baby to fall asleep is always well-intentioned, you should never force it. It’s best to change their sleeping routine gradually over time, rather than all at once.