Why I Recommend White Noise As An Infant Sleep Specialist

Charlotte is a certified Infant Sleep Consultant at The Gift of Sleep. As a mum of two she is passionate about making gentle, holistic sleep support accessible to all families. Through her work with the NHS, MIND charity, and her free Sleepy Mumma's Support Group, she helps parents create safe, sustainable sleep routines.

Whether you’ve received a sleep as a gift or your best friend swears by it, it can be a true game changer for your little one’s sleep. White noise works by creating a steady, soothing background sound that helps babies fall asleep more easily. It helps drown out any noises that might disrupt your baby’s rest, like street sounds, or noisy older siblings. With a calm and consistent sound, your baby can relax and settle into sleep faster.

I often recommend white noise to the families I work with as part of their bedtime routine. It's not just because it's a popular trend—there's a reason so many people use it! White noise helps babies sleep better by creating a comforting, familiar atmosphere. It mimics the sounds babies hear in the womb, like your heartbeat and soft voices, which makes them feel safe and secure.

By including white noise in your baby’s sleep routine, you can help them fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly through the night. It’s a simple, natural way for your baby to get a peaceful sleep. With many parents finding it helps their little one sleep longer and wake up less often during the night. If you’re struggling with sleep issues, adding white noise to the mix could be the simple solution that works wonders.

What Is White Noise?

As a sleep consultant, I often recommend white noise to help both adults and babies sleep soundly. Technically, white noise is a sound that combines all different frequencies at once. However, in everyday terms, we use it to describe any sound that promotes relaxation and helps with falling asleep. This can be something like the gentle hum of a fan, a soft “shhh,” or even a bit of static.

Coloured noise acts as a helpful sleep aid, especially when you're trying to fall asleep faster. For babies, it’s especially beneficial for improving sleep by masking household sounds or other disturbances. It’s a great tool to add into your baby’s bedtime routine, creating a calm environment that signals it’s time to sleep.

In my experience, white noise can help children sleep better through the night, giving them the peaceful rest they need. There are many free standing and portable white noise machines available. Each offer a variety of sounds like fan sounds, ocean waves, and ambient noises, all of which can be soothing for the human ear.

How Does White Noise Help Babies and Parents Sleep?

White noise is a great tool for helping babies and parents sleep better. It helps block out everyday sounds that could wake your baby, like a dog barking or noisy siblings. White noise creates a soft, steady sound. This means your baby will sleep peacefully and stay undisturbed.

For newborns, white noise is especially comforting. It sounds like the noises they heard in the womb, such as your heartbeat, muffled voices, and even digestion sounds. This helps your baby feel safe and calm.

White noise also gives your baby a sense of security as they adjust to life outside the womb. This makes it easier for them to settle down and fall asleep, so both you and your baby can get a better night’s rest.

How to Use White Noise Safely

When using these types of noise to help your baby sleep, safety should always be your top priority. Never place your white noise machine directly in the cot. Instead, keep it around 7 feet away from your baby’s sleep space. This distance ensures that the sound is not too close, while still providing the calming effects of the white noise.

The volume is another important factor. The volume on your machine should be set to around 50 decibels- the sound of a soft shower. This is crucial to protect your baby’s delicate hearing. Even though the white noise can be soothing and helpful for sleep, keeping the volume too high could potentially cause harm over time.

The goal is to create a gentle, relaxing sound without overwhelming your baby’s sensitive ears. If you're unsure about the volume, a simple way to check is by downloading a free decibel meter app on your phone. These apps measure the sound level and can help you confirm that it stays within a safe range. This extra step gives you peace of mind, knowing you’re using the white noise machine in the safest way possible.

The Best White Noise Machine

As an infant sleep specialist, I’m always looking for simple tools that really help. My absolute top pick is the Zello Original White Noise Machine.

It offers over 30 soothing sounds, from ambient sounds to ocean waves and natural sounds. Every baby is different, and this gives you plenty of options to help your little one relax and drift off. I also love the soft, adjustable night light. It’s ideal for night feeds- as people find the light bright enough to see, but gentle enough not to wake your baby.

The Zello Original is easy to use, even when you're tired. It has a rechargeable battery, so you can move it from room to room with no hassle. Whether it’s nap time in the nursery or a bedtime routine in the lounge, it fits right in.

It also includes a handy sleep timer-great for daytime naps when you don’t need to play white noise all night. For parents looking to build a calm and consistent sleep routine, this little machine can make a big difference.

In conclusion, white noise is an excellent tool to help both babies and parents get better sleep. It creates a soothing, steady background sound that helps mask disruptive noises like barking dogs, noisy siblings, or street traffic. By reducing these interruptions, white noise can help babies sleep soundly throughout the night.

What I love about white noise is that it mimics the calming sounds babies heard in the womb, like your heartbeat and muffled voices. Whether it’s fan sounds, ocean waves, or other natural sounds, white noise is an easy and effective way to improve sleep for babies.

As an infant sleep specialist, I often recommend using white noise as part of a bedtime routine. When used safely, it can be a game-changer.