Improve Your Child’s Quality of Sleep with White Noise
White noise can play a complex role in helping a child maintain healthy sleep hygiene. It’s hard to get a child to sleep and creating a routine can be an important part of getting your kid to bed. Adding a white noise machine or using a fan to generate white noise can have myriad beneficial effects on your child’s sleep.
Anti-Noise
At first it might seem counter-intuitive to have noise in your child’s room, but it helps shield your child from more sporadic noises like talking, the sound of household chores, and anything else that can be going on in a busy household. With a constant hum, your child will eventually “tune out” the white noise, which will fade into the background and becoming a barrier of sound. If you live on a busy street or near other high-noise areas, white noise could be hugely beneficial for your child.
White noise is especially effective for babies, as it imitates the sensation of being in the womb, which is a noisy place filled with the sound of blood flowing and the mother’s breathing. In fact, it’s been proven that white noise helps a baby sleep longer and better. It’s a kind of transitional element from the womb to the outside world, providing comfort and stability for the infant’s sound environment.
Routine
One of the most important parts of sleep hygiene is routine. When you think of routine, thoughts of time and place come to mind, but sound should also be included. Going to sleep should be the same every night, and white noise helps with the audio portion of this routine. It will create a singular sound environment for your child, soothing them and preparing them to sleep through the night.
You can also use this device during nap times or to soothe an upset infant. The white noise becomes a signal to quiet down and prepare for sleep, in effect training your child to the sound of white noise as a sign of calm.
Also, if you decide to travel with your child it’s a good idea to bring along whatever you are using to create white noise. So, even if other parts of their environment are unfamiliar, a combination of white noise and other sleep-signifying elements like a blanket or plush toy can make them feel more at home.
Devices
There are a lot of ways to create white noise: apps on your phone, videos on the internet, fans, and machines specifically designed for white noise. Recently, there was a study of white noise devices marketed for children and infants which showed that a lot of the devices were running too loudly, over the recommended 50 decibels.
It’s important to make sure the device you buy is accurately running at the correct noise level or else it will have a negative effect on the sleep of your child. Something with a volume control, or using a computer or portable music player, would be your safest bet, as it’s impossible to verify the accuracy of these devices until you have one for yourself and test it.
One of the cheaper devices to use is a fan, which can have additional benefits. It’s important for your baby to be cool (but not too cold) when sleeping, as this will improve the quality of sleep – and if you live in a hot climate a fan could be the perfect solution. Make sure to maintain the fan properly, cleaning it for dust and making sure it’s not making any other noises, as these can irritate your child and prevent sleep.
White Noise as a Solution
While white noise can have a positive effect on your child’s sleep, it isn’t the only solution. There are so many factors that contribute to sleep hygiene and some of them are beyond a parent’s ability to diagnose, especially if they are medical in nature. If your child is having issues falling asleep or staying asleep, you should consult a medical profession. Contact New York Sleep Specialist Dr. Mayank Shukla so that you can rest assured that your child’s sleep is addressed medically; identifying any underlying conditions or issues.
