Does white noise help babies sleep?

[maddie185]

My sister is expecting her first baby in a few weeks' time and she has been quizzing me about sleep (or lack of it!). When my son was tiny, in desperation, I left him in his moses basket in the bedroom with the hoover on to get him to sleep (I hope I'm not the only one who has done that!). I've heard that you can or download CDs of white noise nowadays. Has anyone come across them please? :)

I discovered by accident that the hairdryer sent my LO off to sleep (and kept him asleep). I burnt through 2 hairdryers until I discovered you can buy recordings of all sorts of white noise (waves, tumble driers, traffic, airplanes, vacuum cleaners) etc on iTunes for 79p.. We just stuck the hair drier track on loop and it helped us stay sane for months.

My DD definitely sleeps better with white noise. You can get cot mobiles and toys that play it.

There is a free app on iPhone called Sound Sleeper that I use. You can pay for an extended version but I found the free version is fine. It definitely helps my lo drop off to sleep, especially if he's grizzly or overtired. I think it helps him tune out distractions and calm down enough to go to sleep.

I had never heard of white noise until I got onto my 3rd hair dryer after having blown the previous 2 by leaving them on as soothing noise to send my lo to sleep - nothing else seemed to work. It was actually the lady at Boots who sold me my last hair dryer (which is still working!) who told me she used white noise downloads on her mp3 player and told me to try Lullaby Land white noise that she purchased on Amazon. She saved me a lot of money as the tracks are only 69p - much cheaper than a brand new hairdryer - and I have also tried other noises like the washing machine, rain, wind and other cute lullabies. Here is a link which I bookmarked: www.amazon.co.uk/White-Noise-01/dp/B002LNZ7ZC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1379523359&sr=8-2&keywords=lullaby+land+white+noise
I recommended these Lullaby Land tracks to my friend and she found them on Itunes too. It's not the most trendy playlist but it's much more cost-effective and safe too that using a proper hair dryer.

Or if you want a nice gift then Ewan the sheep is fab. Sorry can't link but sold all over including John Lewis and amazon.

Yes. When my two were an over tired mess I'd use it (plus rocking and dark if possible). I would also time myself, 20 mins (otherwise I'd give up too quickly!).
Other things were stocking them in a sling and going for a walk along a busy road. That would work very quickly, just had to grit my teeth when I felt self conscious about the crying!

We used the Baby White Noise app on iPhone. I think they are all probably much of a muchness.

I also found the Baby Sense La La CD worked astonishingly well and is less annoying than many other lullaby records.

Well it worked for both of mine.
My eldest had one of these www.johnlewis.com/slumber-bear-premium-cream/p230653169
My 8 month old has one of these!
www.johnlewis.com/easidream-ewan-the-dream-sheep/p231141258
Life savers both of them. Highly recommend either.

We have 78 minutes of 'bloody ocean noise' that we still use for DS at 2.5!

Definitely. Ocean noise here too, on repeat on the ipod!

Can't recommend it highly enough in the first 3 months. Even now at 10 months, if she's struggling to settle, I put that on and she's out within minutes. Not even that bothered if she still needs it as she gets older. Makes me quite sleepy too!

We use an App called Simply Noise that has white noise for newborns and pink noise for babies over 6 months - apparently they respond to different sounds after a while.

Don't know if it helps them sleep but it drowns any loud sharp noises that might wake her up.

Peace and quiet is better than white noise IMHO

I used a small cheap mini radio inbetween channels...worked EVERY time!

It didn't work for ds1. Absolutely fucking nothing worked for ds1.

But I tried it once with ds2 when he was ill and it did the trick

Yes there are plenty of free or 69p apps with white noise - rain, waterfall, wind, washing machine, womb noise etc.

The trick is to play it louder than you would ever expect. It is important the baby can't hear much else apart from the white noise!

Oh goodness yes. My DD was an unputdownable poor sleeper. It was wonderful when I realised that if I snatched a few minutes to wash my hair I could then dry it in peace!

When she was a few months old we had to have a large tree taken down and removed; I was worried about the noise as she was so disinclined to nap. Well, as soon as they started the moohassive chipper, off she went and slept through the whole thing while I watched fit young barechested chaps swinging about with chainsaws.

A CD or app would be a more practical option!

We spent lots on having Amazon extra quick delivery on a CD of "pink noise". We had it on a loop and it really worked. But you can get apps or just put an untuned radio on.

Yes, although I don't think it would work on a baby who really doesn't want to sleep. It works for my DD (5 months) when she's overtired or cranky but struggling to switch off. I have a free app on my phone for that.

She also has it via Ewan the sheep when going to bed at night but this is more as part of her routine than as something she needs to help her sleep. She likes being zipped into her sleeping bag, then looking up and seeing Ewan glowing away and hearing his noise - it seems to indicate to her that it's time for her big night time sleep, which is a godsend whenever we go away and her routine gets disrupted.

It did with my dd our 3rd dc, but the other 2 ds were awakened by anything louder than a distant hum.
I wondered if it had anything to do with the cleaner doing the floor at the hospital shortly after dd was born. Or whether this was just a coincidence.
Interesting thread OP.

YY to Ewan the sheep. We had a couple of iphone apps too. brilliant. And MUCH louder than you would imagine would work.

Yep, a good blasting with white noise worked with both mine. I find it really grating but DP also finds it really relaxing. We use an app too.

Oh yes we still use the hair dryer on the monitor now at 7 months, it is actually quite soothing, sends me to sleep too.

Definitely helps. If nothing else, it covers the noise you make creeping out the room. I had an app and then got Baa Lamb, which is basically just Ewan but doesn't light up. Stream/burbling brook and birds, ocean sounds, a freakin whale one that just makes me think of Finding Nemo, a really intense storm/downpour and a hair dryer. Everything covered! Some apps also have a Doppler recording which was quite nice.

I use 'relax music' on my I phone it's great-loads of choices and you can set the timer for a nice optimistic 12 hours! Still use it at over 2 years and it helps us sleep!

I have found in the last 24 hours that my DD likes the hair dryer to help her sleep! If you use it for your little ones how did you then get them to sleep without it? I don't want to develop too much of a habit if having my hair dryer on every time she won't go to sleep!