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Early years

18th Apr 2024

The pros and cons of using white noise to help your baby sleep

Anna Martin

White noise can help adults sleep but did you know it can help your baby?

It makes sense, before they made their entrance into the world they were surrounded by the sounds of the outside world.

You may be wondering how but remember there’s no soundproofing when they’re growing in your womb, they can hear your breathing and your heart beating.

Maybe that’s the reason why babies can find white noise to be soothing when it comes to getting some shut-eye.

Here are some of the pros and cons of using it in your baby’s sleep routine.

Credit: Getty Images

Pros of white noise

A groundbreaking 1990 study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood Trusted Source found that it could be helpful.

Forty newborns were studied, and it was found that 80 per cent were able to fall asleep after five minutes of hearing white noise.

On top of this, it could also benefit families who have multiple children who are different ages.

For example, if you have a baby who needs a nap, but another child who no longer takes naps, the noise can help block out the noises of siblings.

white noise
Credit: Getty

Cons of white noise

Your little one may become dependent on white noise in order for them to get their much-needed sleep.

Alongside this, some machines may exceed the recommended noise limits for babies.

A 2014 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) tested 14 noise machines designed for infants. They found that all of them exceeded the recommended noise limits for hospital nurseries, which is set at 50 decibels.

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