White noise can be used safely with babies if it is kept quiet, placed well away from the cot and never treated as a replacement for safe-sleep practice. The main risk is loudness: researchers have measured infant sleep machines that, at maximum volume and close range, exceeded the noise limit of about 50 dBA recommended for hospital nurseries. Keep the sound roughly as loud as a soft shower or a quiet conversation, put the device at least about 2 metres (7 feet) from your baby, and use the lowest level that helps.
- Many babies seem to settle more easily with steady sound, but evidence is limited and every baby is different.
- Loudness is the main concern. Never run a sound machine or phone at full volume near a baby.
- Place the device at least about 2 metres (7 feet) from the cot, never in or on it, with cables out of reach.
- Keep it about as loud as a soft shower or quiet conversation; if you have to raise your voice to talk over it, it is too loud.
- White noise does not change safe-sleep advice. Follow your health service's guidance on how and where your baby sleeps.
- Talk to your health visitor, GP or paediatrician about persistent crying, feeding or sleep worries, or any concern about hearing.
Why might white noise help a baby settle?
Parents have used shushing, humming and rocking for as long as there have been babies, and steady sound is the modern version. There are a few plausible reasons it can help, although the research on babies and white noise is small and should not be overstated.
- It may feel familiar. The womb is not silent. Before birth a baby hears a constant background of blood flow, the mother's heartbeat and digestion, muffled voices and movement. Steady, low sounds such as shushing, heartbeat or "womb" recordings may resemble that environment.
- It masks household noise. Steady sound makes sudden noises, such as a door, a dog, a sibling or traffic, stand out less, so a baby who is drifting off or in light sleep may be less likely to startle.
- It can become a sleep cue. Used consistently with the rest of a bedtime routine, a familiar sound can become one of the signals that it is time to sleep.
Some small studies have reported that newborns fell asleep more quickly with white noise, but they involved few babies and short follow-up. Many babies settle well without any sound, and some seem to dislike it. Treat white noise as one option to try, not something your baby needs.
The main risk: volume
The concern most often raised by paediatric researchers is not white noise itself but how loud it is played. Babies' ear canals are small, which can make sound reaching the eardrum louder than for an adult at the same distance, and a baby cannot move away from a sound or turn it down.
A study published in Pediatrics in 2014 tested infant sleep machines sold to help babies sleep. Researchers measured their output at maximum volume at distances similar to placing the machine on a cot rail or beside the cot. All the machines tested exceeded the limit of about 50 dBA that is recommended for hospital nurseries at the closest distance, and a few were much louder. The study measured what the devices could produce rather than how families actually used them, and it did not measure hearing damage in babies. Its practical message was simple: keep machines far from the cot, keep the volume low and do not run them for longer than needed.
The same caution applies to phones, tablets and smart speakers. Many can produce more sound than a dedicated machine, especially when placed close to a baby.
How loud should white noise be for a baby?
As quiet as still works. A good everyday guide is roughly the loudness of a soft shower running in the next room or a quiet conversation. You should be able to talk in a normal, low voice over it without raising your voice.
- Start at the lowest setting and turn it up only until it softens the household sounds that wake your baby.
- Check from where your baby lies. Stand or kneel by the cot and listen; the sound there matters, not at the device.
- Use a sound meter app if you want a number. Phone apps are approximate, but they can show whether the level at the cot is well under typical conversation loudness and helps you compare settings.
- Re-check after changes. A new device, app update or different room can change the level a lot at the same volume setting.
Our white noise for babies page plays shushing, heartbeat, womb and white noise sounds in your browser, with a sleep timer and safe-volume tips. Start it quietly and adjust from there.
Distance and placement
Sound level drops quickly with distance, so placement is the easiest way to make white noise gentler.
- At least about 2 metres (7 feet) from the cot. Across the room, on a shelf or dresser, is ideal.
- Never in the cot, Moses basket or pram, and never tied to the cot rail. Keep the sleep space clear of devices and toys.
- Keep cables, chargers and small parts out of reach, including as your baby learns to roll, sit and pull up.
- If you use a phone, place it across the room, keep it on a charger or with enough battery, and silence calls and notifications so they do not wake your baby.
- Point a speaker away from the cot or towards a wall if it is still louder than you would like.
Timer, all night or neither?
There is no single right answer. Families tend to use one of three approaches:
| Approach | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Timer | The sound plays while your baby falls asleep, then fades out after 30–60 minutes. | Babies who settle with sound but sleep well in a quiet room; families who want the lowest total exposure. |
| Continuous, low volume | The sound runs quietly through the night or the nap. | Noisy homes or streets, shared rooms, babies who wake when the sound stops. |
| Only when needed | Used for unsettled evenings, travel or naps in a busy house. | Babies who usually sleep without help. |
If you leave it on all night, the volume and distance advice matters even more. Over the months, consider lowering the volume gradually or shortening the timer, so your baby does not depend on the sound in places where it is not available. Many families stop once the baby sleeps well without it, often in the toddler years, but there is no fixed age.
Shushing, heartbeat and lullabies
White noise is not the only option. Lower, softer sounds such as shushing, a heartbeat or womb sounds can be gentler than bright hiss. Pink and brown noise put less energy into the high frequencies and many adults find them less harsh; our sleep and relaxation hub lists them all, including plain white noise for comparison. Some babies settle better to quiet music: our lullabies play gentle music-box versions of classics with a timer. The same volume and distance rules apply to every sound.
White noise and safe sleep
White noise is a comfort aid, not a safety device. It does not reduce the risk of sudden infant death, and it should never replace safe-sleep practice. Follow the guidance from your national health service or paediatric body, which generally covers sleeping your baby on their back, on a firm flat surface, in a clear sleep space without loose bedding, pillows or toys, and at a comfortable room temperature. Because white noise can also mask your baby's sounds, make sure you can still hear them, or use a baby monitor.
When to talk to a health professional
Contact your health visitor, GP, paediatrician or the equivalent service where you live if:
- your baby cries for long periods most days, seems to be in pain or is hard to settle by any means, which can be colic but can also have other causes;
- sleep problems are affecting feeding, weight gain or your own wellbeing;
- your baby does not startle at loud sounds, does not seem to notice voices, or you have any concern about their hearing, including a missed or incomplete newborn hearing screen;
- you notice anything else that worries you. Trust your instincts and get urgent help for breathing difficulties, a high temperature in a young baby or unusual drowsiness.
Our online hearing test is designed for adults and older children who can respond to tones; it cannot check a baby's hearing. Babies need assessment by a professional.
Frequently asked questions
Is white noise safe for newborns?
It can be, if it is kept quiet and the device is placed at least about 2 metres (7 feet) from the cot. Newborns are most likely to be close to a loud source, so check the level from where your baby lies and start at the lowest setting.
Can white noise damage a baby's hearing?
Loud sound over long periods can damage hearing at any age. Researchers have measured infant sleep machines that could exceed recommended nursery noise limits at close range and full volume, which is why low volume and distance matter. At a soft level across the room, the risk is much lower.
Should white noise play all night?
It can, at a low volume, if your baby wakes when it stops or your home is noisy. Otherwise a timer that fades out after your baby falls asleep keeps exposure lower. Both are reasonable choices.
Can my baby become dependent on white noise?
Babies can come to expect it as part of their routine, like any sleep cue. That is not harmful, but lowering the volume or shortening the timer over time makes it easier to sleep without it when travelling.
Is pink or brown noise better for babies than white noise?
There is no good evidence that one colour is better. Pink and brown noise sound softer to many people because they have less high-frequency hiss. Whatever you choose, the same volume and distance rules apply.
Can I use my phone as a white noise machine?
Yes, if you keep it across the room, silence notifications and keep the volume low. Phones and smart speakers can be loud, so check the level at the cot rather than trusting the volume slider.