How White Noise Can Help Your Baby Sleep
When lots of sound frequencies combine to create one continuous noise we hear 'white noise'. Vacuum cleaners, fans and hairdryers all produce white noise.
A newborn is easily stimulated and notices sounds that we barely register, such as a lawnmower, the neighbour's dog or the radio in the background.
Your baby doesn't know how to switch off these noises and with everything else going on around him, he can easily become over stimulated, which is what stops him from being able to fall asleep.
You can help your baby to block out sounds around him by creating your own background noise. The sound of a hoover or hairdryer will drown out other sounds, helping your baby to get to sleep. Once asleep your baby will sleep in cycles of about 30-45 minutes and at the end of each cycle he will enter a period of light sleep when he will be awoken more easily. Playing soothing, monotonous sound in the background will enable your baby to sleep uninterrupted by everyday noises.
It is not just the type of sound that helps your baby to relax by drowning out other sounds but the volume. White noise played quietly won't help to block out background noise but played at a high volume (for example a hoover), it will successfully block out other sounds and should help your baby to settle relatively quickly.
Two problems arise. One - you can't leave the hoover on all night, or the whole time your baby naps! Two - A study published in the Journal Science in 2003, suggests that repeated exposure to white noise could actually be bad for your baby. The study found that hearing, and possibly language development could be delayed in infants who were constantly exposed to unpatterned white noise.
Whilst you want to help your baby to feel relaxed and to sleep well, of course you don't want to risk harming his development. Natural sounds such as the sea, a waterfall or sounds of the rainforest have proved to be as effective as artificial white noise in settling babies. The sound of the sea lapping against the shoreline is particularly relaxing and is an excellent way of helping your baby relax and fall asleep feeling secure and comforted.
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A newborn is easily stimulated and notices sounds that we barely register, such as a lawnmower, the neighbour's dog or the radio in the background.
Your baby doesn't know how to switch off these noises and with everything else going on around him, he can easily become over stimulated, which is what stops him from being able to fall asleep.
You can help your baby to block out sounds around him by creating your own background noise. The sound of a hoover or hairdryer will drown out other sounds, helping your baby to get to sleep. Once asleep your baby will sleep in cycles of about 30-45 minutes and at the end of each cycle he will enter a period of light sleep when he will be awoken more easily. Playing soothing, monotonous sound in the background will enable your baby to sleep uninterrupted by everyday noises.
It is not just the type of sound that helps your baby to relax by drowning out other sounds but the volume. White noise played quietly won't help to block out background noise but played at a high volume (for example a hoover), it will successfully block out other sounds and should help your baby to settle relatively quickly.
Two problems arise. One - you can't leave the hoover on all night, or the whole time your baby naps! Two - A study published in the Journal Science in 2003, suggests that repeated exposure to white noise could actually be bad for your baby. The study found that hearing, and possibly language development could be delayed in infants who were constantly exposed to unpatterned white noise.
Whilst you want to help your baby to feel relaxed and to sleep well, of course you don't want to risk harming his development. Natural sounds such as the sea, a waterfall or sounds of the rainforest have proved to be as effective as artificial white noise in settling babies. The sound of the sea lapping against the shoreline is particularly relaxing and is an excellent way of helping your baby relax and fall asleep feeling secure and comforted.
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