Sleep Is Important: How a Baby Sound Machine Can Help

Having a newborn in the house is always a joy. However, nothing will be as it used to. As a new parent, you will need to adjust your life to their needs and do everything you can to offer them the love and care to help them grow. And this will often require from you to put some of your own needs aside, like for instance getting quality sleep.

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While newborn babies tend to sleep most of the day, but when they reach three months of age, things will start to change. Some little ones will have trouble relaxing (especially when the cramps begin) and tend to wake up easily and after a short time. And since they have no concept of day and night, babies will rarely sleep throughout the whole night.

For a parent, this can be frustrating, especially after you’ve spent a lot of time trying to put them to bed. Many parents don’t know what is the magic formula to help their baby sleep sound and for longer intervals. Sometimes a bath and feeding don’t really help. If that is the case, you may want to get the help of a baby sound machine.

The white noise that comes from these machines can be especially useful for the little one. The light sounds in the background can help the child relax and sleep better. And when the baby is sleeping for a longer period of time, parents too can relax, sleep or do some errands.

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What’s the Deal With White Noise?

You have probably heard people saying that it’s better for a baby to get used to sleeping in an environment that isn’t completely free of sounds. This way, you’d ease your job and won’t have problems putting your baby to bed even if the TV is on or people talk in the next room. And there may be some truth to this.

Research has found that about 80 % of babies tend to doze off within five minutes when there are some white noise sounds around. In fact, babies tend to fall asleep faster outside, or while you drive them around.

White noise should be in the background, and as long as these sounds are on, your little one will sleep peacefully. However, you won’t always be able to provide your baby with a room with white noise. This is why a baby sound machine is a good choice. It will work during the entire night (or during the naptime) providing the soothing sounds the little one needs to rest.

Why Use a Baby Sound Machine?

It’s impossible to have a home that is soundproof. You can hear loud cars, people talking, noisy neighbours and all of this can disturb the baby. While we’ve already mentioned that background noise can be beneficial, loud and buzzing noises can startle babies and make them uncomfortable. So, having a sound machine in the background to muffle the intensity of these noises, can help keep the little one sleeping peacefully.

You may wonder why to get a baby sound machine when you can easily use your phone and set some video with white noise. You can do that too, but keep in mind that you might need to use your phone. Plus, you’ll never know when the phone might ring, the battery may go off and so on. A sound machine will work for as long as you need it. Plus, there are models with soothing lights that would make the ambience in the nursery even more pleasant.

If you have other children, you can use the white noise machine to help your baby sleep longer instead of waking up and crying and waking the other kids (or family members). What’s more, such a machine can be an investment that you can use even when the baby grows up. White noise machines can be used not only for babies but for toddlers and even for the whole family.

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Things to Consider When Buying a Baby Sound Machine

Most white noise machines emit repetitive white noise. However, you can find machines that also include some other soothing sounds such as heartbeat or breathing, so your baby would feel calm and soothed, just as it was in the mum’s belly.

Some baby sleep machine models are ‘disguised’ as dolls or teddy bears so that they can blend with the nursery decor and furniture in a subtle way. It’s best to seek models such as the Lulla Doll that use batteries and can work for more than twelve hours. These models are machine washable and have no cables and power, so you can easily put the doll in your baby’s cradle or at least close to it without worrying about any risks.

Some baby machines can be plugged in the power outlet and project gentle lights, animal shapes or stars on the walls or ceilings, so the baby can look at something while dozing off. This way, you can get a two-in-one device: a sound machine and night light.

Some models have various settings. For instance, you can start with some gentle songs or sounds to avoid startling the child. It’s important to consider things like adjustable volume, whether the machine uses batteries or AC adapter, a timer, sound selection, portability and automatic shutoff.

Before use, make sure to find the right place for the sound machine. Sure, you can place it in the crib, or close to it, but it’s important that you won’t damage the child’s hearing. The sound shouldn’t be louder than 50 decibels. Place the machine about 2 meters away from the child’s crib and set it to low volume. The machine should be away from the baby’s reach, and the cords should be tucked away.