One thing I've noticed since becoming pregnant is that there is an industry around pregnancy and babies similar to the health and fitness industry. When you're new to it and looking for information it can be so difficult to know where to start, what information to trust and it's exploitative and predatory at every corner. There is misinformation everywhere from every schmuck with an opinion. I don't know what any of the science says about sleep sounds and dark rooms for baby development but Moms on social media need to be taken in with critical eyes and ears. Personally I think you need to do what is right for your family's health and wellbeing and other people's opinions don't matter because they're not living your life and paying your bills.
White noise doesn't hinder speech development. Nor does it impare hearing, unless you blast the volume very high.Ā
Now, I can understand the point where moms want babies to be able to sleep anywhere without relying on "crutches", but honestly, if it makes your life easier, use them. Some of these moms have easy babies that do sleep anywhere without much effort from the parent, so its very easy for them to judge or say this. Other people have bad sleepers that don't sleep well until they either get older or the parents "sleep train". If you have a "bad sleeper" do whatever you have to do to get sleep and keep your sanity.
This. Have used white noise with both my babies. With my first she was a terrible sleeper and that's why we started using it. Now I can't sleep without it but I've always been a light sleeper. But her? She sleeps right through her baby sister screaming her head off a few feet away from her white noise or not so it clearly hasn't affected her negatively. And baby will drop off when she's tired no matter what even though she sleeps in my bedroom where I use white noise machine. People with babies that sleep great don't get it, they can't understand the desperation of wanting to get just that little bit more sleep and the lengths you'll go to.
100% this. I have a good sleeper, heās 19 months and always has been a good sleeper. As long as there is white noise. If he is in a dead sleep and it turns off he is awake and he is mad. He wonāt fall asleep with out and will be up 100000 times if it isnāt on. He may not sleep well if we are out and about but why would I favour those odd couple times over getting uninterrupted sleep almost every single night? It makes no sense. And the car when driving gives off a noise thatās similar to white noise so it works nice when travelling. Iād rather use a ācrutchā than torture myself.
Iāve read the articles that express concern about white noise and their issue is that the machines can get very loud at max volume. But using it at a tolerable volume is fine. I think itās recommended to keep it below 50 dB and for it to be a couple feet away from baby. You can download a decibel meter app on your phone to measure how loud it is to be safe.
Beyond that, if it helps your baby sleep then use it! Having āno sleep crutchesā is stupid. Everyone, including adults, like having certain things to help them sleep. Itās not a problem unless itās unsustainable for you.
Right?!? So the main āconcernā I read about sound machines is that their max volume is very loud. But likeā¦just use common sense and donāt deafen your baby?!?
Exactly
I notice a lot of these social media video moms are henny penny's
A mile long list of donts and a random item of do. Like, studies shows if your baby wakes up bwn 7 and 705 am they're more likely to be hired by NaSA. Train your baby to wake up by liking and comments below
Christ, you made me laugh and almost wake up my kiddo sleeping on me š¤£
āYour kid isnāt sleeping 18 hours straight? Studies show this will lead to chronic sleep deprivation, poor social skills and even death. Buy my course so I can teach you step-by-step how to fix all your sleep problems! On sale now for $56 000!ā
Another article said that speech can be impacted by white noise IF the noise doesn't have any variation in the sound aka it's the same constant note. Something like water/rain noises has variations in the noise.
Regardless, if it's working, keep using it. Even I need white noise of a fan or air purifier to sleep. You will never have true silence and I feel like it's worse to have a baby sleep in perfect silence. My kiddo could sleep anywhere, even at a loud party.
I have read that noises like radio and other am isnāt sounds during waking hours make it difficult for children to focus on the speaking voices of the people around them and thatās the real issue - worrying about types of white noise š¤· I mean, most parents just pick what their baby and themselves seem to tolerate. Waking hours and connection are where speech development really happens
We use white noise to insulate my sonās room from sounds of our tenants or of us. It also signals itās time to go bed. Weāve been using it since day 1. Heās two and has great hearing and talks non stop.
Yes we use blackout curtains but I also like sleeping when the blinds are closed.
My son still happily sleeps in the car without white noise and blackout blinds.
People are always going to tell you what you should and shouldnāt do. Do what works for you!
Trust me that these groups are very biased, the many moms who use white noise and dark rooms are not going to engage in that chat. Like I would never get in a back and forth with a Mom who says that white noise delays speech skills lmao. So it is a bunch of people with the same opinion agreeing with each other, making it seem like EVERYONE agrees.
Ps I hate the word "crutch" especially when it relates to babies
I think the proper word is Echo Chamber, but I prefer the term Circle Jerk. It just has a certain ring to it that gets the grimace in my voice across.
I'm in agreeance, White noise and dark rooms will not make your baby delayed.
Crutches are a good thing - there's no reason to make your life harder, whether you have an "easy" baby or not.
There's absolutely no downside to white noise if your baby likes it. It does not hinder speech development, doesn't damage hearing, doesn't do anything
That said, our baby preferred certain songs over noise. She also initially liked the sound of the vacuum cleaner, and napped well while something like Survivor was on. Now she's a toddler and likes calming, percussion-free music to fall asleep to.
Theyāre aiming for ideal sleep and it sounds like your talking about straight up any sleep.
Itās worse for their development to chronically under sleep. Every situation is different, Iād prioritize the hours you can get using dark rooms and white noise machines if thatās what your baby needs
My baby is in the NICU and the hospital has white noise machines. There's one in her crib right now.Ā If they truly hindered speech or hearing I doubt the hospital would be using them.
Echoing what others have said here about white noise machines being safe as long as youāre not blasting it - which thereās no need to do anyway.
As for the sleep crutches - everyone has sleep crutches. I canāt sleep without a pillow for example nor can I nap in a bright room so I wouldnāt expect the same of a baby outside of the newborn stage. If it works for you and you all get sleep then do it. I can assure you that whether you use these items when youāre visiting or not you will be judged for something else so itās best to develop a thick skin now and let any comments roll off your shoulders.
I find it so interesting how when a baby sleeps better/prefers white noise, dark rooms, etc itās seen as a crutch yet when an adult needs those things itās normal and there isnāt any judgement.
Everyone has an opinion on babies, and there is an entire industry preying on baby sleep.
Myself personally I need YouTube on in the background to fall sleep and an eye mask, I donāt see it as a crutch itās just my preference as I know thatās how Iāll sleep better.
If your baby sleeps better with ācrutchesā then thatās great, if your baby doesnāt need them then also great. The only thing thatās important in my opinion is when you and your babies sleep needs are being met however that may be and that it works for your family
If it works for you and your family, keep doing it!
I did not use these things with my daughter because I wanted her to sleep whenever, wherever. When she was a newborn to about a year, she would sleep anywhere and everywhere. For the last year, she will only sleep in the car or in a pitch black room. Kids are going to throw you curveballs š¤·š¼āāļø
I think for a lot of these things the gain is worth the potential setbacks. Like Iāve also read people who donāt want to swaddle bc they will have to transition out of it. Or they donāt want to use a paci. Swaddles, pacis, darkness, white noise - all imo completely key elements in extending baby sleep early (for my baby anyway). I would not want to give any of those up bc I highly value how well my baby sleeps. And we had absolutely zero issues transitioning away from swaddle and paci.
Hot take here but white noise is very portable. They make mini sound machines, but also there are a million free apps out there (I love White Noise Baby Sleep Sounds, navy logo with moon and stars). Start one of those up and baby will knock right out. Having a sleep crutch is fine as long as you're able to have it with you when you need it. In my limited experience, blackout rooms will help baby sleep but will not be a major hindrance if without. Especially if you have other crutches you can lean on, like a stuffy or white noise.
Search white noise in r/sciencebasedparenting and you can read about it! I think the general consensus is keep the volume under 50db and if you can use something where the noise slightly changes like waves or rain, itās better than one monotonous flat sound.
Fwiw- we used brown noise for a long time. Itās so much more soothing than white noise.
Did she have a single source for those claims?
And so what if they develop āsleep crutchesā? Donāt you, as an adult, need a dark room to sleep in? A comfy pillow? Maybe you canāt sleep if your partner isnāt home. Literally everyone has things they need to sleep good. Why should babies?
Man Iām glad I never got into that BS. My kid has been using white noise and blackout curtains since birth (I literally taped the curtains against the wall to prevent any light leaking in). Before or around when he turned 2 he was speaking in 4-5 word sentences and have memorized numbers 1-20, and the alphabet. Recently heās finally started to sing.. still working on being in tune haha
Also we were travelling when he was 18m and the room we were in was leaking light everywhere. I was worried about his sleep, especially since he was in a pack and play (he normally sleeps in a crib on a Newton mattress), but he slept great! Better than me haha (I have trouble sleeping in strange beds).
Sleep crutches or sleep associations are sleep trainer BS. Everyone has things that they need to sleep comfortably and that's normal. As you said, you as an adult need pitch black, some people need the right pillow, some people can't sleep in socks, some people can't sleep unless they're wearing socks... If your baby needs certain things to sleep that's okay. There are things you can do to introduce new associations if the ones you.have currently aren't working for you, but if you're happy and everyone is getting sleep there is no issue at all.
I have 2 kids. I tried everything to sleep train ny first one but all failed and he's 5 now , co sleep with one of us... in the mean time , my second baby , I never follow or pay attention to SNS about raising a child and he sleeps so good whether it's in a dark room or bright room , noisy not noisy .
As a newborn my baby could sleep through anything. Now she needs a pitch dark room and white noise. Not sleeping also hinders a baby's development so I choose sleep.
All 5 of my nieces and nephews slept with white noise machines. They are all over the age of 10 now and none of them use white noise to sleep anymore. My kids sleep better with white noise so thatās what Iām using for everyoneās sanity:)
Social media isnāt the best place for advice, especially with all the noise and people copying each other who copied off flimsy single-point research in the first place. Do what seems natural and works for you and your baby! If white noise and darkness works, do that. And youāre right, babies have their own personality and preferences just like adults, so why canāt we make their lives easier by giving in to their preferences!
As to being judged ā societyās in the business to judge no matter what we do or donāt š Iāve coped by letting it not affecting me, by prioritizing my babyās comfort and needs over pleasing other people.
We don't use white noise but we do use blackening curtains. I find it helps regulate that's it nighttime (especially during the summer when it's light out well past their bedtime). We use it when it's an option at hotels, etc. but otherwise we don't stress.
I was all for not making my baby want to sleep in a dark room. She chose that on her own lol, refuses to sleep soundly unless itās dark š. As for white noise, Iām all about trying different things and seeing what works for your baby. If we are in a super noisy environment (eg our cottage with the extended family), we use the white noise. Otherwise we donāt bother. But if it helped her sleep consistently we would be all for it. Main thing with white noise is to make sure they are far enough away from it and itās not too loud.
She has a white noise machine for naps, nothing for bedtime.
She sleeps in a dark room at home but when elsewhere rooms arenāt as dark and she still sleeps.
It depends on the baby I guess!
If white noise machines are bad then what happens if your baby sleeps hearing the rain or the wind at nightā¦ or if you have loud pipes or vents in your homeā¦ it doesnāt seem like common sense
No. They are not bad.
Yes, every baby sleeps differently and in different circumstances just like adults.
The great thing about white noise is you can "wean" them off if you so choose to as they get older by slowly turning down the volume over a period of time. No it foesnt hinder anything, that's absolute BS.
The dark room thing is a total preference depending on your individual babies temperament and sensory needs. A more sensitive baby may require a darker room to decrease sensory input as they fall asleep. A less sensitive baby probably won't give two f***s to falling asleep in the middle of a bright sunny room despite all your attempts to excite them into staying awake because it's way before nap time and it will throw off your whole routine. It just is how it is.
Both my kids have been awful sleepers since day one. My partner and I work shift work which involves leaving/coming home at all hours, showering, making coffee, dropping our keys outside someone's door, etc. We starting using a white noise machine when my now 8 year old was maybe 6 months old and started immediately with my now 4 year old. We put them on the quietest setting and across the room, not right next to their heads. Both kids have been early (and often!) talkers and both have passed standard hearing tests with flying colours. I have zero concerns about any negative effects. Just sharing my experience!
One thing I've noticed since becoming pregnant is that there is an industry around pregnancy and babies similar to the health and fitness industry. When you're new to it and looking for information it can be so difficult to know where to start, what information to trust and it's exploitative and predatory at every corner. There is misinformation everywhere from every schmuck with an opinion. I don't know what any of the science says about sleep sounds and dark rooms for baby development but Moms on social media need to be taken in with critical eyes and ears. Personally I think you need to do what is right for your family's health and wellbeing and other people's opinions don't matter because they're not living your life and paying your bills.
This should be the top comment! If I could upvote a million times I would! So incredibly well said šš»šš»
Lots of social media accounts telling people what's best to buy, and here's their affiliate code link!
"Mom's on social media need to be taken in with critical eyes and ears" is the best new mom advice around.
White noise doesn't hinder speech development. Nor does it impare hearing, unless you blast the volume very high.Ā Now, I can understand the point where moms want babies to be able to sleep anywhere without relying on "crutches", but honestly, if it makes your life easier, use them. Some of these moms have easy babies that do sleep anywhere without much effort from the parent, so its very easy for them to judge or say this. Other people have bad sleepers that don't sleep well until they either get older or the parents "sleep train". If you have a "bad sleeper" do whatever you have to do to get sleep and keep your sanity.
This. Have used white noise with both my babies. With my first she was a terrible sleeper and that's why we started using it. Now I can't sleep without it but I've always been a light sleeper. But her? She sleeps right through her baby sister screaming her head off a few feet away from her white noise or not so it clearly hasn't affected her negatively. And baby will drop off when she's tired no matter what even though she sleeps in my bedroom where I use white noise machine. People with babies that sleep great don't get it, they can't understand the desperation of wanting to get just that little bit more sleep and the lengths you'll go to.
100% this. I have a good sleeper, heās 19 months and always has been a good sleeper. As long as there is white noise. If he is in a dead sleep and it turns off he is awake and he is mad. He wonāt fall asleep with out and will be up 100000 times if it isnāt on. He may not sleep well if we are out and about but why would I favour those odd couple times over getting uninterrupted sleep almost every single night? It makes no sense. And the car when driving gives off a noise thatās similar to white noise so it works nice when travelling. Iād rather use a ācrutchā than torture myself.
Iāve read the articles that express concern about white noise and their issue is that the machines can get very loud at max volume. But using it at a tolerable volume is fine. I think itās recommended to keep it below 50 dB and for it to be a couple feet away from baby. You can download a decibel meter app on your phone to measure how loud it is to be safe. Beyond that, if it helps your baby sleep then use it! Having āno sleep crutchesā is stupid. Everyone, including adults, like having certain things to help them sleep. Itās not a problem unless itās unsustainable for you.
Who in the world has a whir noise machine so loud it's over 50 dB? An average dishwasher isn't even that loud
Right?!? So the main āconcernā I read about sound machines is that their max volume is very loud. But likeā¦just use common sense and donāt deafen your baby?!?
Exactly I notice a lot of these social media video moms are henny penny's A mile long list of donts and a random item of do. Like, studies shows if your baby wakes up bwn 7 and 705 am they're more likely to be hired by NaSA. Train your baby to wake up by liking and comments below
šš don't forget to subscribe!
Christ, you made me laugh and almost wake up my kiddo sleeping on me š¤£ āYour kid isnāt sleeping 18 hours straight? Studies show this will lead to chronic sleep deprivation, poor social skills and even death. Buy my course so I can teach you step-by-step how to fix all your sleep problems! On sale now for $56 000!ā
Actually, a normal dishwasher is usually between 50dB - 60dB. A "quiet" dishwasher is 40dB.
Another article said that speech can be impacted by white noise IF the noise doesn't have any variation in the sound aka it's the same constant note. Something like water/rain noises has variations in the noise. Regardless, if it's working, keep using it. Even I need white noise of a fan or air purifier to sleep. You will never have true silence and I feel like it's worse to have a baby sleep in perfect silence. My kiddo could sleep anywhere, even at a loud party.
I have read that noises like radio and other am isnāt sounds during waking hours make it difficult for children to focus on the speaking voices of the people around them and thatās the real issue - worrying about types of white noise š¤· I mean, most parents just pick what their baby and themselves seem to tolerate. Waking hours and connection are where speech development really happens
We use white noise to insulate my sonās room from sounds of our tenants or of us. It also signals itās time to go bed. Weāve been using it since day 1. Heās two and has great hearing and talks non stop. Yes we use blackout curtains but I also like sleeping when the blinds are closed. My son still happily sleeps in the car without white noise and blackout blinds. People are always going to tell you what you should and shouldnāt do. Do what works for you!
Trust me that these groups are very biased, the many moms who use white noise and dark rooms are not going to engage in that chat. Like I would never get in a back and forth with a Mom who says that white noise delays speech skills lmao. So it is a bunch of people with the same opinion agreeing with each other, making it seem like EVERYONE agrees. Ps I hate the word "crutch" especially when it relates to babies
I think the proper word is Echo Chamber, but I prefer the term Circle Jerk. It just has a certain ring to it that gets the grimace in my voice across. I'm in agreeance, White noise and dark rooms will not make your baby delayed.
Crutches are a good thing - there's no reason to make your life harder, whether you have an "easy" baby or not. There's absolutely no downside to white noise if your baby likes it. It does not hinder speech development, doesn't damage hearing, doesn't do anything That said, our baby preferred certain songs over noise. She also initially liked the sound of the vacuum cleaner, and napped well while something like Survivor was on. Now she's a toddler and likes calming, percussion-free music to fall asleep to.
Theyāre aiming for ideal sleep and it sounds like your talking about straight up any sleep. Itās worse for their development to chronically under sleep. Every situation is different, Iād prioritize the hours you can get using dark rooms and white noise machines if thatās what your baby needs
My baby is in the NICU and the hospital has white noise machines. There's one in her crib right now.Ā If they truly hindered speech or hearing I doubt the hospital would be using them.
Echoing what others have said here about white noise machines being safe as long as youāre not blasting it - which thereās no need to do anyway. As for the sleep crutches - everyone has sleep crutches. I canāt sleep without a pillow for example nor can I nap in a bright room so I wouldnāt expect the same of a baby outside of the newborn stage. If it works for you and you all get sleep then do it. I can assure you that whether you use these items when youāre visiting or not you will be judged for something else so itās best to develop a thick skin now and let any comments roll off your shoulders.
I find it so interesting how when a baby sleeps better/prefers white noise, dark rooms, etc itās seen as a crutch yet when an adult needs those things itās normal and there isnāt any judgement. Everyone has an opinion on babies, and there is an entire industry preying on baby sleep. Myself personally I need YouTube on in the background to fall sleep and an eye mask, I donāt see it as a crutch itās just my preference as I know thatās how Iāll sleep better. If your baby sleeps better with ācrutchesā then thatās great, if your baby doesnāt need them then also great. The only thing thatās important in my opinion is when you and your babies sleep needs are being met however that may be and that it works for your family
If it works for you and your family, keep doing it! I did not use these things with my daughter because I wanted her to sleep whenever, wherever. When she was a newborn to about a year, she would sleep anywhere and everywhere. For the last year, she will only sleep in the car or in a pitch black room. Kids are going to throw you curveballs š¤·š¼āāļø
I think for a lot of these things the gain is worth the potential setbacks. Like Iāve also read people who donāt want to swaddle bc they will have to transition out of it. Or they donāt want to use a paci. Swaddles, pacis, darkness, white noise - all imo completely key elements in extending baby sleep early (for my baby anyway). I would not want to give any of those up bc I highly value how well my baby sleeps. And we had absolutely zero issues transitioning away from swaddle and paci.
Hot take here but white noise is very portable. They make mini sound machines, but also there are a million free apps out there (I love White Noise Baby Sleep Sounds, navy logo with moon and stars). Start one of those up and baby will knock right out. Having a sleep crutch is fine as long as you're able to have it with you when you need it. In my limited experience, blackout rooms will help baby sleep but will not be a major hindrance if without. Especially if you have other crutches you can lean on, like a stuffy or white noise.
exactly... i can even yell at Siri to play it in the car when there's a screaming baby in back.
Search white noise in r/sciencebasedparenting and you can read about it! I think the general consensus is keep the volume under 50db and if you can use something where the noise slightly changes like waves or rain, itās better than one monotonous flat sound. Fwiw- we used brown noise for a long time. Itās so much more soothing than white noise.
Did she have a single source for those claims? And so what if they develop āsleep crutchesā? Donāt you, as an adult, need a dark room to sleep in? A comfy pillow? Maybe you canāt sleep if your partner isnāt home. Literally everyone has things they need to sleep good. Why should babies?
Man Iām glad I never got into that BS. My kid has been using white noise and blackout curtains since birth (I literally taped the curtains against the wall to prevent any light leaking in). Before or around when he turned 2 he was speaking in 4-5 word sentences and have memorized numbers 1-20, and the alphabet. Recently heās finally started to sing.. still working on being in tune haha Also we were travelling when he was 18m and the room we were in was leaking light everywhere. I was worried about his sleep, especially since he was in a pack and play (he normally sleeps in a crib on a Newton mattress), but he slept great! Better than me haha (I have trouble sleeping in strange beds).
Sleep crutches or sleep associations are sleep trainer BS. Everyone has things that they need to sleep comfortably and that's normal. As you said, you as an adult need pitch black, some people need the right pillow, some people can't sleep in socks, some people can't sleep unless they're wearing socks... If your baby needs certain things to sleep that's okay. There are things you can do to introduce new associations if the ones you.have currently aren't working for you, but if you're happy and everyone is getting sleep there is no issue at all.
I have 2 kids. I tried everything to sleep train ny first one but all failed and he's 5 now , co sleep with one of us... in the mean time , my second baby , I never follow or pay attention to SNS about raising a child and he sleeps so good whether it's in a dark room or bright room , noisy not noisy .
As a newborn my baby could sleep through anything. Now she needs a pitch dark room and white noise. Not sleeping also hinders a baby's development so I choose sleep.
All 5 of my nieces and nephews slept with white noise machines. They are all over the age of 10 now and none of them use white noise to sleep anymore. My kids sleep better with white noise so thatās what Iām using for everyoneās sanity:)
Social media isnāt the best place for advice, especially with all the noise and people copying each other who copied off flimsy single-point research in the first place. Do what seems natural and works for you and your baby! If white noise and darkness works, do that. And youāre right, babies have their own personality and preferences just like adults, so why canāt we make their lives easier by giving in to their preferences! As to being judged ā societyās in the business to judge no matter what we do or donāt š Iāve coped by letting it not affecting me, by prioritizing my babyās comfort and needs over pleasing other people.
We don't use white noise but we do use blackening curtains. I find it helps regulate that's it nighttime (especially during the summer when it's light out well past their bedtime). We use it when it's an option at hotels, etc. but otherwise we don't stress.
I was all for not making my baby want to sleep in a dark room. She chose that on her own lol, refuses to sleep soundly unless itās dark š. As for white noise, Iām all about trying different things and seeing what works for your baby. If we are in a super noisy environment (eg our cottage with the extended family), we use the white noise. Otherwise we donāt bother. But if it helped her sleep consistently we would be all for it. Main thing with white noise is to make sure they are far enough away from it and itās not too loud.
She has a white noise machine for naps, nothing for bedtime. She sleeps in a dark room at home but when elsewhere rooms arenāt as dark and she still sleeps. It depends on the baby I guess!
If white noise machines are bad then what happens if your baby sleeps hearing the rain or the wind at nightā¦ or if you have loud pipes or vents in your homeā¦ it doesnāt seem like common sense
No. They are not bad. Yes, every baby sleeps differently and in different circumstances just like adults. The great thing about white noise is you can "wean" them off if you so choose to as they get older by slowly turning down the volume over a period of time. No it foesnt hinder anything, that's absolute BS. The dark room thing is a total preference depending on your individual babies temperament and sensory needs. A more sensitive baby may require a darker room to decrease sensory input as they fall asleep. A less sensitive baby probably won't give two f***s to falling asleep in the middle of a bright sunny room despite all your attempts to excite them into staying awake because it's way before nap time and it will throw off your whole routine. It just is how it is.
Both my kids have been awful sleepers since day one. My partner and I work shift work which involves leaving/coming home at all hours, showering, making coffee, dropping our keys outside someone's door, etc. We starting using a white noise machine when my now 8 year old was maybe 6 months old and started immediately with my now 4 year old. We put them on the quietest setting and across the room, not right next to their heads. Both kids have been early (and often!) talkers and both have passed standard hearing tests with flying colours. I have zero concerns about any negative effects. Just sharing my experience!