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Original poster

Should I be trying to take away the white noise?

14 replies

Username24680 · 04/02/2023 05:43

DS is 2 and has slept with a white noise machine on since he was about 4 months. I feel like it’s the kind of thing I should be trying to wean him off so he’s not reliant on it for sleep as he gets older - is that the case?

DH is a horrific snorer and his snoring wakes DS if the white noise isn’t on. Bedrooms are next to each other and there’s no option to have the bedrooms further apart in the house.

I don’t want him being reliant on the white noise as he gets older but at the same time it’s not ideal him being woken loads by DHs snoring!

OP posts:
touterustome · 04/02/2023 05:59

Trial reducing your use of it and see what happens! If he stops sleeping I would just carry on using it and try again another time. Is it on all night? Can you trial turning it off in the middle part of the night?

wibblewobbleball · 04/02/2023 06:03

It's serving a purpose by blocking out the snoring so no I wouldn't be bothered by taking it away.

ImustLearn2Cook · 04/02/2023 06:03

Why do you feel that you need to wean him off relying on white noise to sleep?

tealandteal · 04/02/2023 06:16

Why do you need to wean him off it? I put white noise on if i want to have a nap in the day to mask the sounds of DC downstairs.

Original poster
Username24680 · 04/02/2023 09:19

@ImustLearn2Cook @tealandteal @touterustome @wibblewobbleball

Thanks all. I guess just from reading about “sleep crutches” etc, it feels like something I shouldn’t have him relying on to sleep. But yes, it is serving a purpose by blocking out the snoring.
He wouldn’t wake up if I was to switch the white noise of during the night (unless DHs snoring woke him), but if he woke while it was off he wouldn’t settle back to sleep without it

OP posts:
ShadowPuppets · 04/02/2023 09:22

DD and DS both have those Ewan the Sheep toys which play white noise/heartbeat sounds for 10 mins while they fall asleep. DD’s 2.5 now and naps happily without Ewan at nursery but I still set it at night when she goes to sleep. Tbh she sleeps really well so I’m not planning to remove it! I guess at some point it’ll just become a cuddly toy and the noise won’t be as important any more but of all the sleep ‘crutches’ I figure this is probably the least problematic one! But maybe consider a Ewan if you think he’d like one? Then it’s portable and enough to take to other people’s houses when he sleeps elsewhere.

ShadowPuppets · 04/02/2023 09:23

X post with your last message - I’ve seen DD stir in the night and hug Ewan to get him to do 10 mins of white noise to lull her back off again. So useful in that regard too.

Original poster
Username24680 · 04/02/2023 12:49

ShadowPuppets · 04/02/2023 09:22

DD and DS both have those Ewan the Sheep toys which play white noise/heartbeat sounds for 10 mins while they fall asleep. DD’s 2.5 now and naps happily without Ewan at nursery but I still set it at night when she goes to sleep. Tbh she sleeps really well so I’m not planning to remove it! I guess at some point it’ll just become a cuddly toy and the noise won’t be as important any more but of all the sleep ‘crutches’ I figure this is probably the least problematic one! But maybe consider a Ewan if you think he’d like one? Then it’s portable and enough to take to other people’s houses when he sleeps elsewhere.

Yeah I suppose you’re right @ShadowPuppets - he doesn’t have any other sleep crutches as such so I doubt it’ll do him much harm 😊
Hahaha...Ewan...I have a love/hate relationship with that sheep 😅 I had this for him when he was much younger (we lived in a different house and the snoring wasn’t an issue due to layout!) but ended up having to take it away as everytime he woke up he’d find it as start playing with it instead of going back to sleep 🙈 i tried it again a few months ago because he’d been asking about a teddy for bed and I figured it might be good to try. It lasted 2 (very sleepless) nights of him up singing “old Macdonald had a sheep...” at all hours of the night before it was donated to a local charity shop 😅🤣

OP posts:
BabyOnBoard90 · 04/02/2023 18:18

Throw it in the bin and don't look back.

Whatthediddlyfeck · 04/02/2023 18:19

It took me to the age of 52 to discover that white noise massively helps me sleep-if it ain’t broke…

ethermint · 04/02/2023 18:20

can you slowly turn it down a little each night until it's barely audible. Also maybe try other noises to break it up a bit to slow him down. Audio books are good for young kids, especially sleep focussed ones.

WeCome1 · 04/02/2023 18:21

I wouldn’t worry too much, as it’s something that you can gradually phase out. It’s not an all or nothing, like being asleep in your arms.

ImustLearn2Cook · 04/02/2023 23:14

I wouldn’t worry about it being a sleep crutch. I think it’s things like dummies and bedtime bottles that need to be weaned because they can damage teeth.

PointersPlease · 04/02/2023 23:26

I wouldn't worry. My grown up DSs are still partial to a bit of white noise to sleep - a fan or somesuch

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