Improve your baby’s night time sleep with a white sound machine
What parent doesn’t want a good night’s sleep? How many times have you googled ‘How to help baby sleep?’ Or ‘Why isn’t my baby sleeping?’ Have you already looked at ways to improve night times, such as by using a white sound machine?
There could be a million reasons, such as your baby being overtired, overstimulated, not tired enough, sleep regression, or like how I prefer to call it sleep progression (see our blog on sleep regression/progression), teething, vaccines, too hot, too cold! You could quite literally go crazy trying to figure out why baby isn’t sleeping!
It’s natural for your baby to wake up at night
Let’s discover some things we can do to help baby sleep better, but first, let us look at why it is important for baby to wake up at night! Yes, you read that right, newborns and babies will wake up every 1 to 3 hours to feed. These night-time feeds are important to help babies grow and reach/maintain a healthy weight. It’s also worth noting that babies having shorter sleeping cycles can potentially prevent SIDS. As stated on doh.wa.gov, very young babies who sleep too deeply and for long periods of time are at greater risk for SIDS, so your baby waking up at night is actually doing what nature tells them to do. As baby grows older their sleep will improve and they will need fewer feeds during the night and get used to sleeping longer stretches, so just remember it won’t last forever, you will sleep again! In the meantime let’s explore ways to help baby sleep…
Many babies just love the closeness of mummy. They want mummy all night and that’s fine, that’s just nature. They feel safe that way which is why many mums choose co-sleeping as an option. It is fairly established that babies do sleep better when close to mummy, but this MUST always be done safely by following a few simple guidelines. You can read our blog on safe co-sleeping or visit the NHS website which provides in-depth advice on how to safely co-sleep https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/reduce-the-risk-of-sudden-infant-death-syndrome/ or you can visit the lullaby trust website https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/ .
Do white sound machines actually work?
Another popular option are white sound machines, but why do they work? The safest place any baby has been was in mummy’s tummy where they felt warm, and cozy and were used to hearing a constant sound. This sound from the womb is what white machines are designed to duplicate, so when your baby hears that sound it reminds them of the comfort of the womb therefore making it easier for them to fall asleep as they feel safe again and relaxed. Some white sound machines just make sounds, some play lullabies, whilst some of the newer models also give the option of recording your voice! In addition to playing sounds, some also have a built-in night light feature such as the Sounds U Like from Eggcellent Lighting. Why are they so special? Some colours can actually relax babies while they are awake giving baby the best night’s sleep.
As parents ourselves, we know the value of a good white sound machine, and like with most of our products, we test them out ourselves wherever possible. Our model of choice and one we have chosen to sell is the Sounds U Like white sound machine which can be purchased online or alternatively feel free to pop into our store at Stonham Barns Park for a demo!