

Download a decibel reader on your phone to measure the decibels.No rain drops, music, crickets, thunder, ocean noises etc. Place the white noise machine 3-6 feet away from your baby’s crib.However, to help keep babies safe, I have a few rules. It has 10 white noise settings and 10 fan settings as well as a wide range for volume control!Īs a Pediatric Sleep Consultant and Newborn Care Specialist I definitely recommend the use of white noise. My all time client’s favorite white noise machine is the LectroFan. It is soothing and calming to their nervous system. Additionally, white noise helps calm babies because the noise reminds them of the comforts of being in their mother’s or surrogates tummy. White noise will help to drain that external noise out, helping them sleep longer and more soundly. If there is outside noise like a dog barking, children screaming or pots and pans being moved about, your baby is likely to wake easily. Active sleep is a very light stage of sleep where a lot of movement can happen and they can be woken easily. What is the correlation for helping babies sleep better? Well, a basic explanation is that babies spend roughly 50% of their sleep in a stage called Active Sleep. There are a number of reasons to use white noise, but most notable and of the most interest to new parents is that it helps their baby sleep better. Remember, your infant has had a good deal of exposure in utero to the levels created from the heartbeat, blood and fluid moving throughout mom’s body.

I will usually advise my clients to use the higher level to help soothe their baby initially and then lower it to the 50-60 dB range for sleep. While I think it is good to err on the side of caution, my recommendation is to stay within 50-70 dB on a regular basis. The American Academy of Pediatrics has established a “safe zone” level for white noise that nurseries in hospitals are supposed to follow. What is a Safe Zone Level for White Noise? While this is true, did you know that when your baby is in utero, they are continuously exposed to noise levels equivalent to a lawn mower?! That roughly 70 decibels! For comparison, here are a few other examples: The biggest concern I hear from new parents is that they are worried or have read that noises that are too loud can damage their baby’s hearing. Yes! When used appropriately, white noise is completely safe and actually very beneficial. In today’s post, I will answer the question of whether or not it is safe to use white noise as well as provide additional information about white noise that any new parent may want to consider. Most often it is new parents inquiring, as they have read, or heard from a friend or family member that it’s important to use for babies. The topic of whether or not white noise is safe has come up regularly.
