Using a Sounds for Silence White Noise Machine to Help Babies Sleep

When you have a newborn baby, nothing is better than the sound of your baby sleeping ... especially if you're dead tired from exhaustion. You will do anything to help your baby sleep longer. There are many techniques for getting your baby to sleep, but what about keeping your baby asleep?

MW just a few hours old.

What Is a White Noise Machine?

A white noise machine, or brown noise generator, produces ambient noise that is soothing and helps block out noise from other rooms and outside. Some white noise machines play a prerecorded track while others produce organic noise with a fan.

How Can Background Noise from a Noise Making Machine Help My Baby Sleep?

By blocking out background noise, your baby can sleep longer and more soundly. This is especially important if you have children who are older who might wake your baby up early from a nap or in the mornings, and even more especially if you, like me, live in a very small house/apartment (i.e. our toddler's room is on the other side of the wall from our TV).

Alex when he was just an iddy-biddy 'ittle baby

According to Dr. Harvey Karp, author of The Happiest Baby on the Block, "Most babies sleep better when a harsh, continuous white noise plays near their bassinet. These womb-like sounds drown out other distracting noises and have a profoundly lulling effect. ... [T]he mere addition of white noise to your baby's nursery may extend his sleep by an hour or two."

Authors Jennifer Waldburger and Jill Spivack of The Sleepeasy Solution also recommend it. "Protect your child from distracting sounds ... with some steady white noise. ... Once your child is sleeping better, feel free to see if he can do without it. Some kids, though, will always sleep better with white noise and ... it's a harmless [sleep association] as it does not interfere with sleep but actually should enhance it."

With so many benefits to white noise machines, it's no wonder so many parents are using them as sleep aids for their kids. It's easily controlled (unlike pacifiers which can be lost and music which eventually stops). You can have a white noise machine playing throughout the night if needed.

Options for a Baby Sound Maker Including Sounds for Silence

There are quite a few options out there when it comes to providing a sweet bliss for your baby's room.

Dreamegg D1 Sound Machine

One of the most well-loved is the Dreamegg D1 Sound Machine, which has over 1,500 ratings and a 4.7/5 star rating. This machine has many options including 24 loop-less soothing sounds. Although it's advertised for use with young children, it works well for adults too. One of the cons mentioned is that the light doesn't have a brightness setting, but you can turn it off. Some parent's prefer to keep the light on, so they can check on their baby without turning on a lamp, which might wake babies up.

Another white sound maker designed for little ones is LetsFit White Noise Machine. Sounds include three white noise, three lullabies, two clothes dryer, and five nature sound tracks. It includes an adjustable night light that gives enough light for diaper changes while allowing the baby to sleep soundly. This noise machine has a 4.8/5 star rating with over 2,000 reviews.

Want to go simple with just a straight white noise machine (no frills), check out the Dohm-SS Single Speed Sound Conditioner. This is a great option if you need a loud sound machine or a soft one. It has a volume control for high and low but can also be adjusted using the top and side screens. It doesn't have all of the options but really, you probably will only need the basic white noise machine option. It should be noted, however, that this is an organic white noise machine. Where other machines play a pre-recorded white noise sound, this white noise is created by using a fan inside the machine. Users love it as well, with a 4.3/5 star rating on Amazon.

Another simple choice is the LectroFan White Noise Machine by Adaptive Sound Technologies. It doesn't give you as many options (no jungle sounds or running water), but it's perfect for blocking out sounds from the house. My husband and I use this one in our bedrooms and on my day off from work, I can sleep in till I wake up naturally. The kids rarely wake me up, which is such a blessing!

Why a White or Brown Noise Generator Might Help You as Well

LectroFan via Amazon

As a parent, we need sleep. Often our kids wake us up way too early (sometimes at 3 a.m. because they think that's "wake up" time. When is 3 a.m. ever a good time to wake up?). By using a white, pink or brown noise machine (whatever color you prefer, really) in your room, you may be able to avoid getting up quite so early. These machines can help block out the noise of your kids so you can get that precious extra hour of sleep before you have to get up.

We personally use the Dohm-SS Single Speed Sound Conditioner and the LectroFan, so I can personally vouch for both of them. If I had to choose, I would pick the LectroFan because it's lasted longer than the Dohm and it's compact, which is perfect for trips. Also, when I had an issue with it shortly after purchasing, they replaced it despite it being mostly my fault. Since then, it's been perfect and has lasted over 6 years, no problem! The Dohm is a very basic white noise, and lasted about seven years until finally the fan inside gave out (and since we often forgot to turn it off, it would be on all day too).

So if you're looking for a way reduce noise pollution that reaches your baby, whether traffic sounds, booming music from neighbors, construction or just your other kids having fun, consider getting a white noise machine. Do any of you use white noise machines? What kind do use? Tell me in the comments :).