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Original poster

If you use / used white noise to help baby sleep..

37 replies

Enigmasaurus · 05/02/2019 08:20

...how / when did they stop needing it?

DC3 is 2.5 months and not a great sleeper. I have noticed things are easier if I play a little white noise from an app on my phone. Not currently doing this consistently but considering a white noise toy / machine as it seems so effective.

However I’m a bit worried about creating some sort of dependency! Those who have used it, have you ever managed to stop?

OP posts:
Thistles24 · 05/02/2019 08:23

I used it occasionally with DC 1&2. When DC3 was around 10 weeks a friend bought him an Ollie the owl, and I used it every night for a while but he started going off without it, so now I just put it on if he’s struggling to go off. He’s only 21 weeks now, so didn’t use it religiously for very long at all!

ForeignnessAlert · 05/02/2019 08:25

I switched at some point to a lullaby cd, can't remember when exactly but probably around that time and kept the white noise for emergencies! Second DC always had the lullabies but she has a completely different sleep temperament to DC1 (as in she actually wanted to sleep) so I didn't need any desperate measures. They are 6&9 and still listen to the same music at night time!

Mrsfenchurch · 05/02/2019 08:28

I used white noise every nap and bed time for at least a year with DD1. With DS I used it a lot (to reduce noise of older sister) a lot too. Once they get into a good routine it’s an easy thing to drop. Also once they’re in their own room you don’t even notice it. It’s not really a bad habit to break, especially if it works. I still use it now (at 3.5 and 19 months) if we are somewhere noisy and they’re taking time to settle or on holiday etc. It’s also brilliant for naps in busy places in the buggy. To me it’s not something to worry about weaning off - I have far more people saying they wish it worked with their children than regretting using it (none!)

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wineandcheeseplease · 05/02/2019 08:29

My 2 year old still has it to go to sleep but if it turns off in the night by accident she still stays asleep

EyUpOurKid · 05/02/2019 08:36

I used it when ds was tiny. The womb sounds ones in YouTube. Then we had a fan going in the bedroom over summer for a time. Now (age 2) he has an amazon Dot (because it was the same price for an Alexa as it was got a new white noise machine and can be used in more than one way.) in his room which plays white noise because our neighbours one side are doing building work and there's drills/hammering going on till 8pm ish. And our neighbours the other side have the bathroom next to ds bedroom and their little one is noisy in there. Ds is capable of sleeping without it.

At 2.5 months, do what gets you through, it's all about survival at that point!

MamaRaisingBoys · 05/02/2019 08:41

Both dc still have their Ewan the dream sheep on at 3.3yrs and 1.5years. Only plays for 20 mins and turns off though. Older ds can settle without it easily but likes it as part of routine/comfort

VenusClapTrap · 05/02/2019 09:21

Dd has one of these:

www.qwerkity.com/mobile/soothing-sounds-dial-prod18273/

She still uses it aged 8 and it comes on holiday with us. I don’t see that as a problem though. A psychiatrist friend says it’s good because she is in control - if she wakes in the night and can’t sleep, instead of getting wound up she just switches it on and goes back to sleep without needing to bother anyone.

Original poster
Enigmasaurus · 05/02/2019 09:51

Some reassuring replies - thank you!

I quite like the idea of something that longer term becomes a comfort rather than an essential prop to sleep.

OP posts:
earlybirdhasanap · 05/02/2019 09:57

We've just stopped using it for our 2.5 year old. She stopped using it ages ago at gps but one of us gets up at 4.45 every morning at home and it was waking her up so we kept it going longer to mask the noise. She seems to be in a much deeper sleep now so doesn't need it.
Of all the sleep props white noise was one I was happy to stick with. There's no negatives as far as I can see like dummies or bottles.

spacefrog35 · 05/02/2019 10:01

Same as mamaraisingbears. We have a Ewan which is now more a part of the routine rather than a necessary prop. DD is nearly 3.

Doghorsechicken · 05/02/2019 10:03

We use Ollie the Owl. It has a cry sensor so turns on when it hears him snuffling or crying and it settles him really well. He’s now 8 months old. He doesn’t depend on it but it really helps!

secretuser · 05/02/2019 10:45

I started using myhummy with DS when he was about 4/5 months old through desperation during the 4 month sleep regression. He's 18 months now and we still use it.

I leave it on the setting for 12 hours solid and he sleeps all night (usually!). He will sometimes sleep without it, for example if the batteries die, but other times he wakes up, so it's hard to be entirely sure how reliant he is on it. I'm 32 weeks pregnant with DC2 so I haven't bothered to try weaning him off it - if it helps him stay asleep whilst I've got a newborn then I figure I'd be stupid to take it away from him!

Original poster
Enigmasaurus · 05/02/2019 12:49

Thank you all. I feel a little better about the idea having read your responses.

I was looking at a myHummy but they’re so expensive! Are they really worth that much?

OP posts:
LordPickle · 05/02/2019 13:07

I used the hairdryer to get DS to sleep until he was past the colic stage...so maybe 4 months? Then I just stopped and he was ok.

StuntCroissant · 05/02/2019 13:10

We use it but I'm not convinced it helps as DS sleeps just as well badly without it!

I think one thing it is good for is to mask "outside" noise like deliveries, people walking past house, loud cars etc .

Dimsumlosesum · 05/02/2019 13:12

My son needed it up until about 4 years. My 4 year has it to block out my son's early usual wake up time of 5.30am. And the youngest who's 2 doesn't need it at all.

OutPinked · 05/02/2019 14:36

My DC stopped using it when they went in their own bedrooms at one. 14 week old DC4 still needs it most of the time.

OutPinked · 05/02/2019 14:37

Oh my best friend needs it now btw and he’s 30 Grin. Can’t sleep in silence...

Sleeplikeasloth · 05/02/2019 14:56

We use it with our toddler. But she can sleep without it (and often does). It's useful though to help her sleep through sounds, like someone walking past her room, going to the loo etc.

Tbh though, out of all the sleep props, this is one of the easiest. Once set (we use an amazon dot) you don't have to do a thing. It's not rocking, or replacing a dummy 50 times a night. It can't be lost like a Teddy.

So honestly, if she's still using it when she's 5, it impacts so little on my life that I really don't care, if it helps her sleep better.

Notquiteagandt · 05/02/2019 18:57

My baby loves rockabye baby songs and pink noise.

I also have a little lamb teddy that does a heart beat. But its not as popular.

PoffleWaffle · 05/02/2019 18:59

My nearly three year old still has it! It's not an issue at all, he can sleep without it if he needs to. But we live on a busy road in London with sirens etc and it just helps him sleep. I often use it myself!

BiscuitsMcSnugglepuff · 05/02/2019 19:32

I would absolutely say go for a myhummy if you can. We had a Ewan the sheep but every time it turned off we had to turn it on again! If he stirred and it wasn’t on he would wake up - which obviously doesn’t work! Myhummy I keep on the 12 his setting and it’s brilliant. Especially good as he only has single glazing in his room and it can be a bit noisy around here and it drowns that out! He is now 16 months and still going strong (and though his “ted ted” does not go in his cot with him, he does like a cuddle with him in the morning!)

Pinkbells · 05/02/2019 20:58

We used to put the hoover on and leave it switched on (not too close as it was a bit loud), for about 5 minutes, and it always worked and got our baby to sleep! It was a short phase though, he soon grew out of it.

dontforgetbilly · 05/02/2019 21:01

My nearly 5 year old still uses his dream sheep a few times a night Blush

LoisLittsLover · 05/02/2019 21:03

We use a fan in dd's room - the advantage is that most hotels have them! She still hss hers every night at age 4