White noise can help some babies settle, especially newborns, but the evidence is limited and it isn't a must-have. The research that exists is small: in one 1990 trial, 80% of newborns fell asleep within 5 minutes with white noise playing, compared with 25% without it. The main safety question is volume. Some infant sleep machines can get loud enough to worry hearing experts, so the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that if you use one, you place it as far from your baby as possible, keep the volume as low as possible and limit how long it plays. It should never go in the cot.
What is white noise, and is pink or brown noise different?
Australia's Red Nose describes white noise as a constant background noise, or one that drowns out other sounds. That can be:
- gentle shushing or quiet singing
- a sound machine or app playing a steady, calming sound
- the general hum of a household, a fan or an appliance
Strictly speaking, "white" noise is a static-like hiss, while "pink" and "brown" noise are similar sounds with more weight in the lower tones, so they sound deeper, like rain or a distant rumble. We didn't find any studies comparing these sounds for babies' sleep, so there's no evidence that one colour of noise works better than another. The volume and distance advice below applies to all of them.
Shushing is also one of the techniques in the 5 S's for calming a crying baby.
Does white noise help babies sleep?
There's some evidence it can help, but not a lot, and most of it is in very young babies.
| Study | Who | What it found |
|---|---|---|
| Spencer et al., 1990 | 40 newborns aged 2 to 7 days | 80% fell asleep within 5 minutes with white noise vs 25% without |
| Australia's Red Nose research review | Newborns; babies with colic | Newborns fell asleep faster; one colic study found less crying |
| Ding et al., 2025 meta-analysis | 12 trials, 356 of 1,301 people aged 0 to 3 | More sleep over 24 hours and fewer wakings, but no clear gain in night sleep |
The 1990 trial by Spencer and colleagues randomly split 40 newborns into two groups of 20. Sixteen of the babies who heard white noise fell asleep within five minutes, compared with five in the control group. The authors concluded white noise "may help mothers settle difficult babies". It was a small, short study, and it doesn't tell us about older babies or whole nights.
A 2025 meta-analysis by Ding and colleagues pooled 12 randomised trials covering 1,301 people, including 356 babies and young children aged 0 to 3. In that age group, white noise was linked with more total sleep over 24 hours, better sleep efficiency at night and fewer wakings, but not with longer night-time sleep or less time awake after falling asleep. The authors noted the studies varied a lot and were of mixed quality, and called for better research.
Australia's Red Nose sums up the evidence as limited but says there's "no harm in trying". It also notes that babies respond differently: some settle well to certain sounds, and others find them annoying.
Can white noise damage a baby's hearing?
It can if it's loud, close and on for long periods. Sources differ on how much to worry, so here's what each says.
The best-known study is Hugh and colleagues, 2014, published in Pediatrics. The team measured 14 infant sleep machines at maximum volume, at 30, 100 and 200 cm away, adjusting for the size of a 6-month-old's ear canal. They found:
- every machine was louder than 50 dBA at 30 cm, the recommended noise limit for babies in hospital nurseries
- three machines produced more than 85 dBA, which, if played for more than 8 hours, would exceed adult workplace limits and risk noise-induced hearing loss
The study measured what the machines can do at full volume, not hearing damage in real babies. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's summary notes that all but one machine was still over the nursery limit at 200 cm.
A 2024 scoping review by De Jong and colleagues looked at 20 studies on long-term noise exposure during sleep. It found white noise machines can exceed 91 dB on maximum, and that animal studies suggest continuous moderate-intensity noise can harm early development. It also found some human studies suggesting low-intensity noise may help sleep. The authors concluded that maximum volume and duration on these devices should be limited.
The AAP's clinical guidance on noise notes several studies showing possible benefits of infant sleep machines, and one raising concern about sound levels. It says hearing loss from noise is usually irreversible and that the effects of noise build up over a lifetime.
Australia's Red Nose takes a different view: it says it considers there are no known risks in using white noise. Given the 2014 measurements, a cautious set-up costs nothing and still lets you use white noise if it helps.
How loud should white noise be, and where should it go?
These steps follow the AAP's advice on noise, which warns that some machines can produce hazardous noise levels:
- Put the machine as far from your baby's head as possible. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia summary suggests more than 200 cm (about 6.5 feet) from the cot. Across the room is a good starting point.
- Never put it in the cot or on the cot rails. The AAP's safe sleep guide says nothing but a fitted sheet should be in the cot. That includes phones, speakers and sound toys.
- Keep cords out of reach. Australia's Red Nose advises keeping cots away from electrical items and hanging cords, which are strangulation hazards, and keeping appliances away to avoid overheating, burns or electrocution.
- Start at the lowest volume that softens household sounds, rather than the loudest setting. The AAP says as low as possible.
- Check what reaches the cot. A free sound-level app on your phone, held at your baby's head height, gives you a rough idea. The 2014 study used 50 dBA, the hospital nursery limit, as its benchmark.
- Limit how long it runs. The AAP suggests using it for a short time only. Many families use a timer, or turn it down once their baby is asleep.
- Make sure you can still hear your baby if you're sharing a room, so the sound doesn't mask their cries.
When might white noise help, and when won't it?
Families often find it worth trying when:
- a newborn is unsettled and other soothing hasn't worked
- household noise, traffic or older siblings keep waking your baby
- you want a consistent cue as part of a bedtime routine
- you're travelling and want something familiar in a new room
It's unlikely to help, or is the wrong tool, when:
- your baby is hungry. Australia's Red Nose notes a hungry baby is unlikely to fall asleep even with white noise, and may still wake for feeds if it runs overnight
- your baby is unwell or in pain — see soothing a crying baby
- your baby seems irritated by it — some babies are
- it's being used to cover a sleep set-up problem, such as a room that's too hot or too bright. The sleep environment guide covers the basics
White noise doesn't replace safe sleep. Your baby still needs to sleep on their back, on a firm, flat surface in their own cot, with nothing soft or loose around them.
How do I wean my baby off white noise?
Australia's Red Nose points out that babies can get used to any settling technique, so it's worth thinking about how you'll stop before it becomes the only thing that works. No studies have tested ways to wean off white noise, so these are practical options rather than proven steps:
- Turn it down a notch every few nights until it's barely audible, then switch it off.
- Shorten the time it runs — for example, use a timer so it switches off soon after your baby falls asleep, then stop using it at bedtime.
- Keep the rest of the routine the same, such as the bath, feed, book or song, so your baby still has familiar sleep cues.
- Choose a calm stretch — not during illness, travel or a big change like starting childcare.
Some babies notice very little; others are unsettled for a few nights. If it isn't working, you can go back to a low volume and try again later. There's no age by which you must stop.
When should I talk to someone?
Call 999 now if your baby has a weak, high-pitched or continuous cry, is difficult to wake, or has trouble breathing. The NHS guide to serious illness lists these as emergencies. Don't use white noise to settle a baby who seems unwell.
Talk to your GP or health visitor if you're worried about your baby's hearing, for example if they don't seem to react to sounds the way you'd expect, or if your baby cries for long periods and nothing settles them. The colic and PURPLE crying guide explains what's normal and how to cope.
