If you’ve had a fussy or high need baby for more than say, 1 day, you’ve probably already heard about white noise and how it can help fussy babies with sleep.
In case you DID just give birth yesterday, let me give you the Coles Notes version:
When your baby was in the womb, he was in a constant state of movement. He was snug and warm, knees folded up to his chest, constantly swaying back and forth, up and down. And despite how we might imagine the womb, it was loud. VERY loud. Think vacuum cleaner loud.
Then baby is born, and we plop him in his crib in his dark, quiet room, and wonder why he won’t sleep!
Harvey Karp refers to white noise as an ‘auditory teddy bear’. Not only does white noise help with calming and relaxing, but it also can help your baby sleep *longer*. And who doesn’t want that? According to Karp, sometimes having white noise on in your child’s room (from birth right into childhood) is enough to soothe your child back to sleep before he or she fully awakens.
We found white noise was absolutely crucial with both our kids until around 1 year of age. And looking back, I think both could have benefited from the continuing use of white noise, even after the age of 1.
Below I’ve compiled a list of some of the baby white noise options available to you: Free white noise, free white noise apps, white noise machines, and white noise CD’s.
Please let me know in the comments below if I’ve missed your favourite white noise solution!
If you’re tight on money, you may want to start out by generating some white noise with products you already have at home:
Graco Sweet Slumber Sound Machine
Dohm-DS Dual Speed Sound Conditioner
Prince Lionheart Back to Sleep Bear
The Happiest Baby on the Block White Noise CD
Based on the bestselling book and video, The Happiest Baby on the Block, this “Super-Soother” CD blends the ancient rhythms of the womb with a newly desinged pulsation that can help your sweet baby…even during the “fussies”.
In this CD, Dr. Karp reveals a soothing sound that is particularly effective at turning on the “calming reflex”–the automatic “off-switch” for a baby’s crying. Tracks can be played individually or repeated for hours to keep your baby settled into a deep level of relaxation.
74 minutes of white noise formulated to calm and soothe baby to sleep. Designed especially for children birth to 5 years of age, this white noise sound is specially formulated for the little ones with colic. Helps babies relax and fall asleep safely, naturally, without medication.
New: Includes one long 74 minute continuous track.
When you’re deciding what kind of white noise solution to use for your baby, there are a number of considerations to keep in mind:
Do you use white noise? If so, what’s worked best for your little one? Leave a comment below!
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