White noise and lullabies are popular sleep tools, but parents often ask whether they truly help — or create sleep dependencies. This post explains how sound affects baby and child sleep, when it can be helpful, and how to use it safely and effectively. Used thoughtfully, sound can be a gentle support rather than a crutch.

Certain sounds can help help your baby sleep well, and white noise or lullabies can play a very important part in babies getting a good night’s sleep. White noise is a consistent sound that contains all frequencies at equal intensity — a bit like the static from a radio or the hum of a fan.

A few years ago I was invited to the Philips electrical company headquarters in Amsterdam to consult on a sound device for helping babies to sleep. Whilst lullabies have been used for centuries to calm babies, back then, the idea of white noise was very new and quite groundbreaking. Now it is totally mainstream and not only are we aware of the potential benefits of white noise, but also pink noise and even brown noise! You can read more about this in an article I contributed to for BBC Tiny Happy People.

Can white noise help with sleep?

White noise can be helpful for babies’ sleep as it helps to blank out background household or traffic noises. Young babies like it because it mimics the constant whooshing sounds they heard in the womb, making it feel familiar and comforting. It can also be a sleep association or cue, and provide a sense of continuity in a baby’s sleep.

Introducing white noise alone will not transform a baby’s sleeping pattern, but if it’s used alongside other things like a good bedtime routine and teaching a baby how to settle by themselves, it can be very helpful.

Different noise colours

You might have heard about white noise but what about pink noise and brown noise? These different noise colours are all about the mix of high and low frequencies.

Is white noise safe to use?

White noise is can potentially damage babies’ hearing if it is too loud. You can read the research here.  As a parent, you will do what you think is best for your baby and white noise is generally considered to be safe, provided it’s positioned 1-2 metres away from your baby and not on too loud [60 Db+.]

There are apps that you can download on your phone to check the sound is at a safe level.

When should I turn it on?

Turn the white noise on just before putting your baby into their cot. This is both for their nighttime sleep and their [cot] nap. This way, the white noise will act as a clear sleep signal. Doing it this way is better than having it on in the room as you’re getting them dressed and giving them their final feed.

When should I turn it off?

It’s best to keep the white noise on all night, so your baby doesn’t have a sense of something being missing when they stir during their sleep cycles. The time to turn the white noise off is in the morning, as you open the bedroom curtains and brighten your voice. The action of turning the white noise off, provided a daytime signifier.

Avoid using  sensor operated white noise devices. It’s a bit like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted!

Lullabies

Lullabies are calming tunes or songs with a slow tempo and a regular rhythm. They can calm a baby and help them to relax and go to sleep.

If babies hear a familiar lullaby as they fall asleep, the tune often become a positive sleep association for them.

A positive sleep association [or sleep cue/trigger] is an object, action or environmental factor that helps a baby to fall asleep.

It’s very beneficial for babies’ sleep to have recognisable sleep associations as they give them a feeling of security and familiarity. They also ‘condition’ babies to fall asleep.

If you’re singing a lullaby, gradually stop as your baby starts to fall asleep. 

If a baby falls asleep to a lullaby playing on a sound device, it is advisable to keep it on all night. This is because babies naturally wake at night with sleep cycles. If they wake and notice the sound is missing, they may feel unsettled.

If you’re playing lullabies on a loop all night, make sure the sound level is not louder than 50-60 decibels.

Babies can hear lullabies as well as conversation when they are in the womb from about 18 weeks. The sounds are very muffled though. The strongest sound they hear is a pulsing ‘shhhhhhh shhhhhh shhhhhhh’ sound of their mother’s blood circulating. This is why holding a baby and saying ‘shhhhhhhhhh’ can be very comforting for them.

What if I can’t sing?

You don’t have to have a good singing voice or a repertoire of songs. Making your own song up is a lovely thing to do – perhaps recounting the story of their day or listing all the people that love them! You can start singing lullabies to your baby from the moment they are born. Many parents do this instinctively.

When you sing a lullaby, keep your voice low and slow. A tempo that is faster than your resting heart beat can make a baby feel stressed or enlivened.

Remember – it is normal for babies to wake up during the night and when they do, they need their surroundings, such as light levels, room temperature and sound levels to be as they were when they first went to sleep.

Read more about lullabies and sleep in this article I contributed to for BBC Tiny Happy People

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