White noise for newborns

Newborn sleep in a nutshell

Newborns sleep roughly 14 to 17 hours a day, but in short stretches and without a day-night pattern. They wake for feeds and are light, active sleepers. That is why sudden sounds so often wake them, and why a steady background sound seems to help.

Best sounds for the first weeks

• Womb and heartbeat are close to what newborns knew before birth.
• Brown noise is deeper and softer than white noise.
• White noise and fan are good if the household is noisy.
• Avoid sounds with sudden peaks, such as thunderstorm, for now.

Volume and distance

For newborns the rules matter most. Keep the sound at or below about 50 decibels at the crib, and place the speaker across the room. A newborn cannot move away from a sound, so the responsibility is yours. Read how loud should baby white noise be before the first night.

Safe sleep comes first

• Place your baby on their back, on a firm, flat sleep surface.
• Keep the crib clear of blankets, pillows, bumpers and toys.
• Do not put sound toys or machines inside the crib.
• Follow your pediatrician's advice about sleeping in the same room as your baby.

How to use it with feeds and settling

Start the sound before settling and keep it the same through the night. If your newborn wakes to feed, you do not need to change anything. If you want the sound to stop after your baby falls asleep, use a timer. See white noise all night.

When it does not seem to work

Newborns cry for many reasons: hunger, gas, discomfort, a wet diaper, being overtired. A sound will not fix those. If crying is long, intense or different from usual, or if your baby seems unwell, contact your pediatrician. For fussy evenings, see white noise and colic.

Do not rely on it for every sleep

Sleep sounds are a helper. Newborns also need to learn to sleep in different settings, with different background sounds. A mix of quiet and sound is fine.