White noise is an effective way to calm your baby. But not many parents know about it.
A study revealed that 80% infants sleep within 5 minutes after exposed to white noise. It does look like a magic trick but there’s science behind it.
Like white light, which has a mixture of all colors, white noise has a mixture of all sorts of noises in different frequencies. Thus, eliminating the harsh outside noises. It’s like your old TV channel that used to make a buzzing sound at the start.
My baby never slept so good before I introduced him to white noise. And surprisingly, it also helped me sleep better.
White Noise for Baby- How the Miracle Happens?
You need to understand the environment of your womb as your baby spent a lot of time there. So, if you can imitate that, he will remain calm.
In the womb, it’s just not the heartbeat your baby was listening. The flow of blood, your voice, the movement of the body and all mixed together produced a rumbling sound. White noise works just like that.
Here’s two reasons why white noise is great for babies:
1. Relieves colic and pain
I didn’t know before that white noise can relieve pain and colic in babies. If your baby is suffering from an injury or any sort of trauma, you can turn on a white noise machine. Your baby will get distracted and has almost the same effect as a baby swing.
When I was as little as 4 years old, I can remember how I fell asleep everytime my father started started driving the car. Even my parents didn’t know the reason. They thought it’s like magic, so they drove me sometimes when the crying was intolerable.
Now, I understand! When the doors of the cars were closed, the outside noise felth soothing and was similar to white noise. Your baby will sleep like a teddy bear as soon as you put him in such an environment.
2. Masks surrounding noises
Your home can be right beside a busy road or filled with people talking and making noises. When you turn on the white noise, the other noises cancels out. Thus, your baby only hears a soothing sound with no distractions.
Common Household Materials to Mimic White Noise
If you don’t have a white noise machine yet, you can use common household elements to generate white noise. Some of them are:
- Humidifier: A cool mist humidifier is safe for baby and also generates white noise when the mist comes out. If you live in a cold and dry climate, a humidifier will prevent your baby from viruses and flu attacks. So, it makes sleeping for your baby easier.
- Old radio: If you have an old radio or any radio, you can tune to a static channel and keep it that way. It should be enough to soothe your baby.
- Car: I mentioned this earlier. If your baby is crying too much, you can put him in a rocker or stroller and attach to the back seat. Just drive where you want to go, he should be sleeping in few minutes. The smooth movements also aids in calming your baby.
- Fan: You can get a fan for your baby’s room. The swooshing sound feels almost like white noise. If you are using a table fan, keep the fan face away from the baby as fast wind can make him sick.
White Noise is Soothing for Mothers Too
As a mother it is common to spend sleepless nights. And after a few weeks, it becomes pretty hard to fall asleep.
It happened with me and I became so frustrated that I started taking sleeping pills. It was a great mistake and you should never do what I did.
One day when the TV was on a static, I was drooling into sleep. This happened quite a number of times and then I started researching. It was all white noise.
Since then I have been using white noise for me and the baby for sleeping. It blocks all harsh and unpleasant sounds and gives you comfort.
Final Words…
You should be careful when using white noise. It can quickly become addictive and you and your baby will have to heavily rely on it. But you should stop it once when your baby grows older.
Also make sure the white noise machine is 7 feet away and the volume is turned low. If you use it properly, it should be the safest option to calm a baby.
