Can Babies Sleep Deeply With White Noise?

Let's face it, some babies sleep better than others. Finding what works for each baby is often difficult and involves a lot of trial and error. White noise is one method many parents of restless infants use to help their babies -- and themselves -- get some much needed rest.

  1. Types of White Noise

    • There are many various forms of white noise available to parents. According to Parents Magazine, babies are born used to household noises, like the vacuum cleaner or dishwasher. Some of these sounds are naturally soothing to them and foster deep sleep. Other infants respond to radio static or a white noise machine. Sounds of nature and other white noise recordings are available on CD or in an MP3 format.

    Using White Noise

    • Once parents discover their baby's favorite type of white noise, they must find a way to create the noise in close proximity to their sleeping infant. Placing the baby's bassinet or play yard in the family living space during nap time is one way to help your baby hear household noises while sleeping. More sensitive sleepers may need to be tucked away in the nursery in order to sleep well. In this case, parents can put a white noise machine, CD or MP3 player or other noise-making device in the baby's room.

    Benefits of White Noise

    • The general consensus among parents of restless infants is that using white noise as a sleep aid works. Sleepwell, a maker of white noise machines, suggests that white noise replaces louder, sudden noises with constant, soothing noise allowing for deeper sleep. Many babies respond quickly to white noise. Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., reports that 80 percent of infants in one study fell asleep within five minutes while listening to white noise, as opposed to only 25 percent who fell asleep without.

    Concerns about White Noise

    • While there are successes and benefits to white noise, research points to some concerns for consideration. Edward Chang and Michael Merzenich, who studied the effects of noise on infant rats, report that extended exposure to noise as an infant may delay, but not prevent, the normal development of auditory processes in the brain. Dewar suggests that parents who want to use white noise to soothe their infants, but are concerned about the effects, may want to use a machine with a timer to regulate the amount of white noise exposure.

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