White noise for babies
Updated 22 October 2026
A steady sound can help a baby settle and stay asleep through household noise. The womb was not quiet, so many newborns seem calmer with a low whoosh than with silence. The most important part is volume: keep it low and the speaker far from the crib.
Press play
Play opens the sound masker with this mix already loaded, so you can hear it and shape it.
How to set it up
- Press Play on Baby sleep, a low fan with soft brown noise. It starts quieter than the other mixes.
- For a newborn, try Womb. It is a muffled whoosh and a slow heartbeat.
- For a crying baby, Shushing gives a rhythmic shhh. Use it for settling, then switch to something steadier.
- Put the phone or speaker across the room, at least 2 meters (about 7 feet) from the crib.
- Check the volume from where the baby lies. It should sound like a quiet shower in another room.
How loud should white noise be for a baby?
A 2014 study in Pediatrics measured infant sleep machines and found some could exceed safe levels at full volume when placed close to the crib. The researchers suggested placing machines as far from the baby as possible, keeping the volume low, and not running them at full volume. A guideline many people use is 50 decibels or less at the crib, which is about the level of a quiet conversation.
Womb sounds, shushing, and heartbeat
Inside the womb a baby hears blood flow, the mother's heartbeat, and muffled voices. The Womb layer imitates that low whoosh. Shushing is a technique popularized by pediatrician Harvey Karp: a steady shhh that seems to switch on a calming reflex in many newborns. A heartbeat sound is gentler and works for some babies who find noise too much.
When to stop
There is no fixed age. Many families keep it through the toddler years because it covers house noise. If you want to stop, lower the volume a little each week. Since a baby's hearing is still developing, it makes sense to use the lowest level that works.
More in baby sleep
Questions
Is white noise safe for babies?
At a low volume and a good distance, it is generally considered fine. The risks come from loud machines placed close to the baby.
Should white noise play all night?
Many families leave it on all night at a low level so the baby is not woken by house noise. Others use a timer. Both are common.
Which is better for babies, white noise or brown noise?
Lower sounds like brown noise and fan noise are softer on the ear at the same volume, so they are a good place to start.