What’s the secret to better sleep?
More noise!
You might be wondering if you read that right– yes, you did. The secret to better sleep is more noise. Specifically, white noise! This one sleep hack will change your life!!
In the U.S., over ⅓ of adults and children don’t get enough sleep. This is coming from the CDC. And it’s no news to anyone, but getting enough sleep is critical to your overall health and well-being.
The National Sleep Foundation found (in a 2012 poll) that 5% of Americans sleep with a “sleep conditioner,” which is an all-encompassing term for a noise-producing device, fan, or phone app.
To those other 95%–you are missing out on better, deeper sleep!
Read on if you are ready to get some much needed sleep.
What is White Noise?
Without getting too sciency, white noise combines all different frequencies of sound (20,000 tones) to essentially mask other sounds. What does white noise sound like? Think whirring fan, running water or television static, steady wind, and humming air conditioner.
Imagine you are in an office building and you can hear someone talking in the next room. You find yourself distracted from work because you keep trying to listen to that other person talking. Now imagine that there are 1,000 people in the next room talking. You can no longer pick out just one voice to listen to, because their voices blend together, (creating its own white noise).
Turning on white noise at night can help block out that barking dog next door, or the revving engine in the early morning.
Oh, and by the way, though white noise is most commonly spoken about, there are various colors of noise (pink noise, brownian noise, blue noise, violet noise, gray noise, and more).
How to Best Use White Noise
Get a white noise machine that offers various sounds and pick the one that suits you best. I find that ocean waves work best for me personally.
Once you have your sound machine for you or your child, use the tips below for best results:
💤 The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends using a sound machine no louder than 50 decibels. You’ll hear and read people that use them louder, but studies have found prolonged (say overnight) white noise at higher decibels can lead to noise-induced hearing loss.
💤 Placement of your white noise makes a big difference. It’s recommended to put the noise machine between the sleeper and the noise source. For example, your baby’s room sits next to your loud neighbor’s dog– put the noise machine between the sleeping baby and that noise. Also, for babies (and even adults) make sure the cord is hidden to prevent any injuries.
💤 For babies, it’s recommended to place the machine at least 7 feet away.
💤 You should not leave a sound machine on all night. Once your baby is asleep, turn it off. If the sound machine is for you, look for a sound machine that can operate on a timed schedule.
Make Good Sleep a Habit. Try These Other Helpful Tips for Better Sleep
Here’s a family sleep guide in this blog (here) and in it we touch on sleep hygiene.
To keep it short and sweet, here are a few additional tips for better sleep:
😴 Keep your bedroom cool, cozy, dark, and free from distractions.
😴 Daily routines can make or break your nighttime sleep (ie taking a late nap might make it harder to fall asleep at night).
😴 Waking up and going to bed at the same time daily helps your body get into a groove.
😴 Start your wind-down routine 30 minutes before bedtime (starting with dimming the lights).
😴 Helpful sleep products we love: Kids Sleep Melts and Drops, Adult Sleep Melts, Zen Drops, blackout curtains, eye shades (if you have a partner who’s a night owl), and it should go without saying–but a good noise machine.
Too Much Of A Good Thing…Can White Noise Ever Be Dangerous?
The short answer, yes.
It’s easy to ruin a good thing, when you overdo it.
That’s why we went over some best practices.
When does white noise become dangerous? When the sound machine is too loud (over 50 decibels), or played constantly. Our brains and ears need a break from white noise, so it doesn’t need to be on 24/7.
Plus, who doesn’t want to enjoy hearing the birds chirping, and kids laughing?
White Noise = Better Sleep (for Kids and Adults)
Are you ready to turn up the (white) noise?!
We are all affected by noise pollution on a daily basis. Not only can it impact our sleep but it can also cause high blood pressure and stress!
It’s time to fight noise with noise.
Using a sound conditioner (white noise, sleep app, or any other type of noise machine) can be a great addition to your sleep tools.
Loud neighbors? Barking dog? Sleep training a baby? Turn up the sound machine.
So, we want to know, what are your favorite sound machines? And what’s your sound of choice? Ocean waves, anyone?
Still need help falling asleep? Check out our sleep products ranging from melatonin for kids and sleep melts for adults!
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