It starts in the womb:
Did you know that in utero your baby is exposed to a volume of 70-90 decibels 24 hours a day? That’s as loud as a vacuum cleaner! This volume in utero is caused by a combination of moms blood pumping through her veins, her beating heart, and every breath that comes in and out of her body. These things combined create an orchestra of soothing white noise for your baby while they are in the womb. For 9 months your baby has been exposed to this level of sound and then once they are born that soothing music goes away and everyone thinks that being “quiet” is what will comfort the baby. This is just not the case for all the reasons I have already given you. They LIKE the noise! It brings them (in a sense) back to the womb where they have found their comfort and rest for the past 9 months.
Background noise:
Not only does white noise bring your baby comfort it also blocks out background noise such as: dogs barking, the door bell ringing, voices, etc. These sounds are what could prematurely wake your baby up from their sleep. Like waking up before you baby in the morning to pour a cup of Joe? The white noise machine is your friend! Like having a friend over to chat while your baby naps? WHITE NOISE IS YOUR FRIEND!
Sleep prop:
White noise is by far my favorite sleep prop for baby’s. If you use a white noise machine from the beginning, your baby will quickly associate the white noise machine with sleep. This is something that carries along with them into their toddler years and even as they get older. With a click of a button your child knows it’s “time for bed”. How awesome is that?!
Volume:
As far as volume goes you want your baby’s sound machine to range between 60-65 decibels during sleep. This volume has been found safe for your baby’s ears. Anything above this volume could cause damage if used for extended amounts of time. For my newborns, as you read in the first paragraph newborns are used to 70-90 decibels in the womb. If baby is fussy and struggling to sleep you can turn the white noise up to these ranges of volume to help soothe, but once baby has calmed down for sleep you need to drop the volume back down to the 60-65 decibels range.
In conclusion:
White noise is simply magic for a baby. If you don’t have a white noise machine, GET ONE! It’s never too late! Stay tuned this week on my Instagram page for “Taylor’s Top Three” sound machines and “The Sound Test” (how to check your baby’s white noise machine to ensure that the volume is safe for their ears)!
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