The Pros and Cons of Using White Noise Machines For Your Newborn Baby
A white noise machine is responsible for producing sounds that mimic wind or water to a degree. They tout as being handy tools in putting babies to sleep, but adults tend to use them as well. A lot of times, moms benefit from them just as much as their newborns. The machines boast as a method of getting baby to fall off to sleep much faster, allowing mom the opportunity to rest as well. The random audio sound coming from the device calms the infant into drifting off quickly, but it isn’t without a few downsides and some potential risks.
As a new mom, it’s essential to educate yourself on the white noise machines for babies, what they are, how they function, benefits, and any disadvantages or potential risks. You, of course, want your baby to get an appropriate amount of rest. And you need to have a good sleep and be alert to provide the best care for the baby. But you want to ensure that the methods you use are safe and effective.
Advantages and Disadvantages Of White Noise For Newborns
Studies are available using white noise and infants to see the varying effects that it has on babies and the potential for adverse reactions. While having a baby get to sleep peacefully and quickly is a positive, the potential risk of harmful negatives could deem the benefits not worthy.
Pro: Scientific evidence shows that babies do, indeed, fall asleep at a faster rate when exposed to white noise. Putting infants to sleep is one of the challenges new moms face making white noise a fantastic discovery. Education on using the machine in the right way, along with understanding what exactly the benefits and the potential disadvantages could be, are vital precursors to obtaining the device.
Con: Some newborn mothers tend to go overboard with the units. A child exposed to the device for a few hours is more than sufficient. There is no indication advising to run this system for an entire night. The recommendation is to use it in moderation as a means to get the relevant results but avoid any possibility for potential risks. Eight hours deems to be the very most amount of time that you should keep the unit running with three hours being well more than suitable. Follow https://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20030417/white-noise-may-delay-infant-development to read about potential risks.
Pro: There are a variety of different sounds. Some machines have the noise that has been created by doctors as a means to get infants to fall asleep. There are other ways to create white noise without investing in one of the units. An example would include the sound that comes from a humidifier. Making a swooshing sound with the child in your arms to mimic sounds they heard while in the womb are among the tricks that some parents try at bedtime. There are a multitude of different variations you can experiment with, and one will ideally be the surefire method for your newborn.
Con: There is the potential for hearing loss as a possible risk if the noise is too loud. The volume playing at too loud a level is among the most significant risks with using this technique for children. The capability of bringing on hearing loss in a tiny little one is high when the sound is playing too loud. The machine needs to remain at approximately 50 decibels. Anything above that can harm their hearing. It may not seem to be at an offensive level to you, but their hearing is much more sensitive.
Pro: There is the potential to lower the possibility of SIDS. New parents live in fear of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS. The randomness is scary. The suggestion is that swaddling, in combination with white noise, puts the baby on its back and brings a certain quality of sleep that is not only doctor approved but believed to reduce the risk for SIDS.
Con: As with any product on the market, not everything works the same for everyone. Babies are different. Some babies are just not content with the world’s conditions as compared to the environment they experienced in the womb. And the systems don’t work in helping them to achieve sleep. They’re not effective at calming them or bringing rest. In these instances, you need to look for other methods and techniques that soothe the baby instead.
Pro: This can be a useful tool up until the child reaches their first birthday. Typically, a sleep schedule begins to develop after merely a few months, and a device such as this can be an essential aid in training. If you find that this tool has become practical and proves to be beneficial in working with your infant, continue using it. Read here for information pertaining to the system and how it works.
Summary
When a new little one comes along, many of us tend to be more budget-conscious, deeming it challenging to partake in many of the latest gadgets on the market. It makes purchasing systems like a white noise machine a bit out of reach for some moms, but there are other options available in those cases.
You can create your own white noise free using machines around your house, such as the washer or a hairdryer. There are even CDs available for reasonable rates that play the sounds. Finding ways to indulge your infant sometimes just takes a little bit of creativity.