The BEST Sound for Putting Babies to Sleep
Even as adults, we can find it hard to get to sleep. Whether we’re stressed out, in pain or our thoughts are running a million miles an hour. Babies can suffer similar feelings as they are experiencing the world for the first time. Sometimes, like us, they need a little help relaxing and calming themselves. There are many ways to do this; sound being very high on the list of calming effects we can utilise. So, what is the best sound for putting babies to sleep?
White noise
Of all the sounds available to us, I’ve found that white noise has shown the best results in calming down a restless baby, and it’s the only option I will recommend to parents who are struggling.
White noise refers to a particular sound that provides a continual auditory mask – basically, it’s played just loud enough to block out other sounds and create a soothing environment. White noise can come in many forms from your typical crackling TV sound to rain on a tin roof.
Choosing the right white noise
When readying baby for a sleep, you’re going to want to choose a continually soft, soothing, calming tone. I always, always, always refer my clients to natural noises like birds, the ocean or soft rainforest sounds. No matter how civilised we become, we are still wild animals at heart. Our bodies and minds react to the sounds of nature because we once lived amongst it. Sounds like the tide lapping the shore, birds chirping in the rainforest and wind rustling softly through the trees are all cues that we, as adults, use to help calm ourselves. Babies are no different. Try playing these natural tones for your baby and see how they respond.
Ensure a suitable noise level
This is so very important when it comes to your baby’s sleep health (and their health in general)! Sounds at a level higher than 60 decibels (normal conversation levels) may impact a young child’s hearing ability. When playing white noise as a sleep tool it is crucial to ensure that the noise levels are much softer than this. Set the speaker up away from the baby to reduce the noise level. If you can juuuuust hear the noise from where baby is sleeping, it’s likely at a good level.
Here are a few examples of soothing, ambient white noise to help with bedtime dramas!
I hope this article helps you and your baby improve your sleeping patterns. It may be a bit of trial and error to begin with, but you’ll find something that works. And if you don’t – that’s where we come in. We can get your baby sleeping sweet and deep, which will help you do the same. Contact us for a free 20-minute consultation today!
Sleep Sweet and Sleep Deep, my lovelies!