While sleep routines including rocking, singing, cuddling, and warm baths help babies fall asleep, white noise and sound machines have been proven to be highly effective tools for babies that have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep.
Newborns love white noise because the womb is very loud. The womb is just slightly less loud than a lawnmower. Loud is normal to a baby. Life outside the womb is uncomfortably quiet. White noise sounds like “home” to a baby.
White noise mimics the sound of the womb or “shushing” sounds babies love. Many sound machines also have heartbeat sounds babies find comforting.
Research has found that white noise is absolutely safe for anyone, including babies and infants, since it is simply designed to block unfriendly noises and harsh sounds that prevent the baby from sleeping well.
Start using white noise and sound machines by making the noise familiar to babies. Start by setting the volume in the lowest position. Adjust the volume level as needed with the passing of the days and nights.
When using a sound machine that provides a range of sounds, try different sounds and jot down the results to find what sounds help calm babies and decrease their colic or crying.
Most pediatricians advise playing white noise at least 35-minutes to allow babies to begin to experience a peaceful atmosphere leading to natural sleep. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends setting white noise machines to no louder than 50 decibels and keeping sound machines at least 6 feet away from a baby’s head.
Parents and nannies also highly recommend using wifi sound machines in which caregivers can control the nightlight brightness and sound volume from an app on their phone.
Nannies and parents have found that cheaper isn’t always better when it comes to white noise and sound machines. Spending more on higher quality white noise and sound machines with more features, extra sounds, and varying volumes has led to better night sleep for babies, children, and adults.
Here are our favorite white noise and sound machines:
The Hatch Rest 2nd Gen is a well-rounded sleep aid that provides extensive customization options and a convenient app interface, making it a great choice for parents seeking to create a structured sleep routine for their child.
Parents and nannies love its versatility, allowing users to customize sounds, colors, and schedules through a user-friendly app.
The Hatch offers a wide range of sounds including white noise, nature sounds, lullabies, and the ability to adjust color and brightness of the nightlight.
Pre-set routines can be created for bedtime and wake-up times, including gradual light and sound transitions. The time-to-rise feature can be used as a wake-up alarm with a gradual light increase. There is a toddler lock to prevent children from accidentally changing settings.
Pros:
• The ability to customize sleep routines and adjust sounds and lights based on a child’s needs.
• Most users find the app intuitive and easy to navigate.
• Multiple sound options with a wide variety of sounds to suit different preferences.
• Grows with the child from infancy through toddlerhood and beyond due to adjustable features.
Cons:
• Occasional complaints about app glitches or difficulty connecting to Wi-Fi.
• Access to certain advanced sound options may require a subscription.
Nannies and parents love that this very affordable WiFi MomCozy Sound Machine has adjustable color light settings options and the easy setup with the app.
The MomCozy Sound Machine has 34 soothing sleep sounds, a timer, app remote controller, and a sleep routine alarm clock. The 34 sounds include: 11 white noises, 3 fan sounds, 8 lullabies, and 12 nature sounds.
This MomCozy Sound Machine allows caregivers to customize the color, brightness, sound, and volume manually or via the app. Nannies and parents can set the programs to turn the device on and off automatically based on the family’s sleep schedule.
Overall for the price, this is an inexpensive sound machine that includes some great features.
Pros:
• Inexpensive for the advanced features.
• Can be controlled from phone.
• Good sound quality with lots of choices.
• Nice night light options.
Cons:
• Less durable than more expensive similar sound machines like the Hatch.
The Vanzon White Noise Machine is appealing to those seeking a balance between functionality and simplicity.
The Vanzon has a compact and portable design, making it an excellent travel companion. The intuitive control interface allows for easy sound selection and volume adjustment, while the built-in rechargeable battery provides impressive portability.
What makes this model particularly noteworthy is its advanced sound masking technology, effectively creating a peaceful environment with 36 various settings. The high-fidelity speaker delivers clear, crisp audio that maintains its quality even at higher volumes.
The unit includes multiple timer settings and memory function, remembering your last used settings for added convenience.
Pros:
• The Vanzon is portable making it easy to carry around the house or travel with.
• It is an affordable, budget-friendly option compared to more premium brands.
• 36 different white noise sounds, including fan sounds, rain, or ocean waves.
• Simple to use user-friendly controls with basic volume adjustments.
Cons:
• Limited features lacking advanced volume ramps or customizable sound profiles of higher quality machines.
• Less durable than some more expensive sound machines.
The Adaptive White Noise Machine has intelligent sound adaptation technology, offering a unique approach to noise masking. Its standout feature is the environmental sound response system, which automatically adjusts volume and sound mixing based on ambient noise levels. The 64 non-looping sound options provide exceptional variety, covering everything from nature sounds to urban ambiance.
The portable and compact Adaptive White Noise Machine includes dual USB charging ports and headphone connectivity options, making it highly versatile for various use scenarios. The timer function offers gradual volume reduction, creating a more natural transition to silence.
This machine particularly appeals to those who appreciate technological innovation in their sleep aids.
Pros:
• Effective noise cancellation that adapts to changing ambient noise levels, automatically increasing volume when external sounds appear to better mask them.
• Customization options offering a variety of sound options and volume levels to suit individual preferences.
Cons:
• Adaptive technology comes with a higher price tag compared to standard white noise machines.
• Some users might find the adaptive settings too complicated.
SNOOZ Smart White Noise Machine
The SNOOZ is built with a real fan inside. SNOOZ is a portable sound machine designed to play soothing white noise. Users can customize the volume, tone, and duration of the white noise to meet their individual needs.
The SNOOZ has an app that is compatible with iOS and Android smart devices, and the process of downloading the app only takes a few minutes. On the app you can set the exact times you’d like the SNOOZ to turn on and off every day.
There is a Nursery Calibration on the app. Place the SNOOZ in the baby’s room, hold your phone beside the crib and turn on the white noise. As you adjust the volume, the app will display a series of flashing bars that indicate which sound levels are safe for the baby’s ears.
The volume can be adjusted on the app or the device itself, but tone can only be adjusted manually.
Pros:
• Compact, portable, and light at just one pound.
• Nursery calibration and volume can be controlled from the app.
• Easy to clean. Doesn’t collect dust or pet dander like some other fan white noise machines.
Cons:
• Only white noise from a fan.
• Have to adjust tone manually.
The Hotmoon Sound Machine offers 361 sounds for users to choose from including soothing melodies, nature, weather, animal, fan, noises, ASMR sounds, and more.
The Hotmoon clock brightness can be dimmed, turned off, or scheduled. It syncs time automatically when connected to the app, and you can set the clock brightness to zero for a distraction-free environment.
You can easily turn off the sound or light as needed: hold the Light button to switch off the light, and hold the Volume Down button to mute the sound.
The Hotmoon has over 50 light options. Red light can help prepare your body for rest by reducing stimulation, while orange light creates a warm and cozy atmosphere.
Pros:
• 361 sound options such as nature sounds, fan sounds, and lullabies.
• Many light choices to create a comfortable environment.
• Compact and portable, making it ideal for travel.
• Good timer options.
Cons:
• Not as durable as pricier sound machines.
Check out my storefront for other popular white noise machines including a travel white noise machine by clicking here.
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