White Noise? - Minneapolis,MN

I have to have white noise. It does not matter what, as long as it is something. It drives me crazy to be in a silent room. (although, I have other mental health issues that relate to silence, so that is just me). My daughter is 3 and has been used to sleeping with a fan on since she was born, she relaxes and goes to sleep in a place other than her room when some form of white noise is used, but if not eventually she will fall asleep. It is just more frustrating for us, and since I need something anyway, it is better for me that she likes the white noise. I don't think there is anything wrong with it.

Hello,
I also started to use white noise for my son a couple of months ago (he is now 10 months). I use a fan now, it is already getting warm in my room and we have noisy neighbors outside and kids playing. The first reason I started using it was for when we traveled and it was noisy in other peoples homes and it seemed to help. Sometimes I worry that he will be dependent on it, but I suppose it is not the worse thing in the world if he needs to sleep with a fan. Sometimes I will pick a nap (usually his morning nap) and not have any noise in his room. So I don't know if any of this helps, but I think it is okay to use white noise to help them sleep.

Hi, I have been useing a fan since I was young. I can't sleep with out one only for the sound of it. I had my son when I was 15 so he slept in my room for the frist 3 years untill I moved in to my own place. Well after three years of the fan at night he was hooked just like I am. He is now 8years old and can not sleep with out one. He will take it every where with him even on sleep overs at friends houses. His fan broke a few weeks back and I had to go to walgreens at 11 o'clock at night to get him a new one because he could not sleep. My advice is to avoid useing noise to help you little one sleep or they get hooked and it's a big headach when they get older. I now also have a 10 month old who I will not be making that mistake with again. Hope everything works out for you.

I used a white noise machine with both my kids for many years. In our case it was I who became dependent on the noise. The kids were fine - didn't care if it was on or off and now, as pre-teen/teens, they seem to be able to sleep through anything. In fact, I came upon the machine the other day and my 13 year old was horrified by it, saying the white noise/static is the exact sound effect from the horror movie, The Ring. I guess we won't be using it anymore.

I have always been a terrible sleeper and it started when I was a baby. I think some people are just predisposed to being light sleepers. If your daughter is one, I don't see the harm in getting a sound machine. I have one and I can't sleep without it!! It certainly helps. If she isn't a light sleeper and can sleep through the noise then there isn't any reason to purchase one.

I have used air purifiers for white noise in all of my kids' rooms off and on. I especially use them when someone has a cold and there is a lot of coughing going on.
I honestly think those that say they are addicted to the white or fan noise and can sleep without it are full of it. If you're tired, you'll sleep. It might take a few nights to get used to it but it's definitely not an addiction. It's just like when you move and your outside noise changes. It takes a couple nights to get used to a new noise but you do.
I'd use it because it does suck trying to be quite all the time and I see my air purifiers as a double bonus, noise and clean air.
J.

A. - We have a similar situation in that we live in a really small house. We have used white noise at night since our son was a few months old. We still try to be quiet but are no longer worried that he'll wake up when we step on a creaky floorboard or our dog barks. He is 16 months old now and the white noise has not (as far as I can tell) hurt his ability to sleep without it. He naps at home and at daycare without any noise and does just fine. In Dr. Ferber's book, he actually recommends white noise for children having trouble sleeping. Of course, I am an advocate of white noise since my husband and I use it in our room too (helps drown out the snoring!!).

I've used a white noise machine since my little ones were infants. My oldest is now almost 4 and she turns it on and off when she wants it. I don't think it created a bad habit and it sure beats tip-toeing around!
Also wanted to say that she doesn't have any problems sleeping in total quiet either.

We have played music for our son since we was sleeping in his own room at 6 weeks old. I think it is very comforting for him and has become part of his night time routine. Like other have mentioned it also it great for blocking out noise.

I would recommend classical music, according to the creator of Baby Einstein it helps with some cognitive development (along with creating an appreciation for the classics!)

With Empowering Regards,

T.

I don't think the sound generator will make a difference in your kids' sleeping "personality." I do think running the sound generator might help mitigate any sleep interruptions from noise throughout the house (though if it hasn't been bothering her so far, I wouldn't worry about it either).

One of my kids can sleep through anything - the sound generator on or off doesn't matter for him.

One of my kids used to wake up for any little noise - when he was a baby, the sound generator worked very well to help minimize unintentional waking. Now he's nearly three and stays asleep through reasonable amounts of noise, with or without the generator.

The baby sleeps OK, but her two loud brothers can wake her up pretty easily if they start stomping around. The sound generator helps a lot for her right now.

My only concern has been if it might damage their hearing to use it constantly, but I think that's unfounded - so far I haven't seen any problems.

I think it's a good idea for your situation, if your daughter was waking up. If she seemed to be sleeping through the creaks, etc., without the generator, you probably have a "good sleeper" and won't really need the generator.

When my kids were sleeping is when my house was the loudest. I would vaccum right under their cribs while they napped and was never worried about keeping quiet for them because i didn't want them to wake at the slightest noise. Both of my daughters have little radios in their rooms that play children's music or soothing sounds while they fall asleep at night. I don't turn anything on for them at naptime.

It's good and bad. My daughter and I have a tv on in the room to fall asleep so it's now a habit. But.... it drowns out our noisy neighbors and the garbage man at 5am.

I don't think it's bad. I've been using the white noise with my 7-month old son since he was born. He's able to sleep without it as well.

My mom never used anything with me, when I was a child, to cancel out noise and I'm not able to sleep through much noise as I'm just a light sleeper. So I don't think you will create any bad habits.

E.

The day we started using a fan is the day our daughter finally slept through the night. I don't know if this was pure coincidence, but it has worked ever since!

I can understand your concern as I've thought about that as well. We've used the sound of waves with my son since he was born. Dr. Harvey Karp suggested it as a way to recreate the comfort of the womb. It really helped! And my husband and I love it too. The added benefit of drowning out noises has been great. We don't have to watch every noise we make, especially the dogs and such.

I'm a person who sleeps really well with white noise but does not need to have it. My son seems to do OK when it is not used, but that is not often. It's somewhat of a pain to drag the thing around with us when we travel...but I sure have been glad to have it in hotels for all of us!

We have used a white noise machine since our children were babies and it's a wonderful thing! We have an older version with only 5 sounds (I think you can choose from hundreds now!). We usually keep ours on rain, ocean or river, something quite soothing and natural. They are now almost 7 and 5 and like to choose which one we listen to at night. Ours is in our hallway and we use it during the day when it's reading or quiet time and it creates a serene, peaceful environment. They have slept at the cabin, at Grandma's, cousins, hotels and elsewhere and have no problem without it. It's a calming sound for the parents too! Good luck!

In our house we have always played music, had the TV on, the dogs are outside barking, tractors are driving out in the field close to our house. I think this is all " natural" to both my children now and they aren't and have never been affected by it. They are all noises that have been around since they were babies and havent changed in three years. I play music at night time and that is it. Durning the day its noisy I am running the vac. and walking up and down the noisy stairs that creek and crack. I think they become immune to it. I would bother doing anything unless it really seem s to bother her. At night time though I think it sooths them and relaxes them so that they sleep peaceful. I wouldn't worry about creating bad habits I think what you are doing is fine. Dont start tip toeing around because when you do make noise then she will be more apt to wake.

It's not a bad thing. White noise drowns out all of the "scary noises" that happen at night. I still sleep with a fan on, simply because I don't want to hear everything. I can sleep without it, but choose not to.
In addition, having some noise that your child is used to won't wake her up. Hearing you walk by or talk may actually make her sleep deeper so they don't wake her in the future...You don't need to make the white noise so loud that's all she hears.
Good Luck!

My house is old too and has creeky floorboards. However, we always tried to speak in normal voices and do normal things around the house when she was sleeping. I didn't use any white noise except late at night and tried to get her accustomed to regular everyday noises. I guess I was pretty lucky because my oldest could sleep anywhere.

White noise is a wonderful thing. We use it both at naptime and at night and have not had any problems. Our daughter (almost two years) can certainly fall asleep without it, but we like to take out little machine along on trips too since often hotels are very noisey and we all sleep better with it on!

I use an air purifier outside her my baby's door, and it seems to work really well. If it does create a habit, I don't think it's a devastating thing. When she stays at my parents' house, she doesn't need it, so she sees to not be "addicted."