White noise?????

[hewlettmom]

Hi guys,

Just wondering if any of you use white noise to calm your babies and if you do how often? My little man is nearly 5 weeks old and he is terrible at sleeping during the night he is awake 4/5 times. Is white noise worth a try? I read that it's good for babies but just want some real mummy feedback.

My ds is now 7 months and we still sometimes use the hairdryer to help him settle. He's very fussy - it has to be a real hairdryer NOT an app or you tube recording!!!

My dad this this when I was a baby...he left a radio on low in the room. Even now 40 years later, I use a white noise app sometimes on my phone - sound of waves on a beach - and it works a treat. Why not download one and try it

Give it a go, worked for us. Be careful with the volume though. Some online will recommend putting it "as loud as the baby is crying" which would be way too loud and will damage the baby's ears.
iemma I've never understood the hairdryer thing. Too loud, too hot, too dangerous (but I assume okish in that regard with a newborn as they would be in the same room as you)? Would never leave my baby alone in a room with a heated appliance OP. Hope that doesn't sound smug.
On another note, it took us ages to figure out a good white noise solution - many recommend phone apps but again I'm not sure how that would work if,say, you received a text or phone call. Maybe not all babies are as light sleepers as mine were! We ended up downloading a car/motorway audio track onto our iPad,, setting it to play on repeat, switching off the wifi option and basically dedicating it to white noise use for a while...

Yes! My 8 week old DS settles brilliantly with it 80% of the time. I have an app on my phone and just put my phone on airplane mode and pop it in his crib with him. You can set the noise to last as long as you like. I set it for 30 minutes which is normally long enough to get him in a deepish sleep and I sometimes re set it when I'm half asleep if he gets restless to try and get him back to sleep without a feed (less successful but does often work!) Good luck OP - it does get easier eventually!!

Yep started to use it when my son was 6 weeks old she the colic kicked in. I read a book called 'the happiest baby' by dr Harvey karp & he recommended it. My son is now 11 months & we still use it for all of his sleep. It's definitely a strong sleep queue for him; he hears it & knows it's time to nod off. The level is meant to be as loud as the noise a shower makes.

We have a Ewan the dream sheep that plays white noise- ds now nearly 2 likes to cuddle it and often turns it on himself! We used it from birth pretty much after one night I was settling him by shhhing and realised I had something that did it for me!

We used a white noise app and I know loads of parents who did. It recreates the sound of the womb and comforts them. You have to pray you don't get a call or text before they fall asleep!

We've used a white noise app for both of ours. We stopped when DD1 was about 2! It seemed to work as if we set it on a timer to turn off, she would wake from her nap soon after. We switch it on while DD2 is having her last feed so, as a pp said, she knows it's a cue to sleep.

Incidentally, we had no issues ditching it when DD1 got older.

Still using a white noise app here at 21 months... She's a light sleeper, our house echoes and it means we don't need to creep around quite as much if she has that on to block out the background noise. It definitely helped here. Now I need to persuade DH to be brave and stop using it with her, he'd keep her using it until she leaves home I imagine!

Serenity, did you just not bother one night or start turning the volume lower for a few nights first?

We use one for my 3 year old and have done since before she was born as we use one ourselves. It's mainly to block out most of the sounds of us coming up the stairs, brushing teeth in bathroom etc so we don't disturb her.

We've used white noise with both children from birth. You don't necessarily need an app, we use a radio tuned into static. Don't expect it to be a magic solution though, whilst it undoubtedly helps many children sleep better your baby is only 5 weeks old and it's perfectly normal for them to wake up multiple times at night.

Apparently it's pink noise that helps people and babies sleep and I cannot recommend it enough! Best of luck!

MrsA we just noticed that she stayed asleep when it turned off with a timer setting. We gave it a go one night and it was fine. I do remember dreading doing it though!

Thanks for all the advice. I will try it out and see how we get on. My girl has a twinkle twinkle little violet that plays environmental sounds and he seems to like that so we'll see

Christ yes, I have a whole Spotify playlist full of Hoover sounds. Works a treat. I use it to put DS to sleep every night. Only bugger is he sometimes wakes up if I turn it off too soon so my phone is often in his cot for ages.

You can get white noise machines on Amazon fairly cheaply. I got one when DD1 was a baby and have also used it for DD2. The best twenty-odd quid I have EVER spent!
It plays 6 different sounds including rain, waves, heartbeat etc (can't remember the others). We still use it now for the (just) 2 year old if she is a bit unsettled at bedtime as it was always a massive sleep cue for her.

YES ! DO IT ! Tried it out of desperation when sleep training my DD at 8 months old - an old radio on static - quite loud at first and then after a while we turned it down lower ... It worked wonders ! The first night it was on she woke as usual and cried for like 2 mins and settled herself,, this went on for every usual night waking & I think I only had to go in and feed her once !! Before that she was doing 3,4 or 5 night waking. Changed.my.life. She is nearly 2 now and generally sleeps through but we still use the white noise on low - I suspect she doesn't need it anymore but when she was 1 I tired to wean her off it and take it away & she woke up a bit more so I was like ahh I'll keep it a bit longer ! It's very soothing for them. Wish wish wish I had tried it sooner but I thought it was only for newborns. Come to think of it when we was newborn it was July & we have a whirring fan on in our room the whole time.. She slept through 6-8 hours at a time from newborn at night! Miracle ! But then when we stopped the fan as didn't need it that's when she stopped sleeping through! For the 2nd baby I'll be using white noise from beginning ! Let us know how you get on !

Can anyone recommend any apps?

I personally have found the white noise on Spotify better than most apps. Just search baby white noise and you get loads.

My iPhone one is just called White Noise. It's a free one.

I was in the hairdressers yesterday, got my colour done and had to sit in the chair for half an hour. The noise of the other hair dryers puts me asleep in minutes...I had to be woken up to get finished

My android one is called Sleepy Sounds.

Just use a radio on static. Does the same thing.

Yes, radio if you have one.
No way would I leave my phone in my baby's cot at nap time. It's the only bloody time I get to use the damn thing!

I've got an app called Sound Sleeper, it was free. Worked really well when my son was tiny, we've got Ewan The Dream Sheep as well.