Is white noise safe for my baby, and how loud should it be?
White noise can be used safely if it stays quiet and away from the crib. A 2014 study in Pediatrics tested 14 infant sleep machines at maximum volume: all were louder than the 50-decibel limit recommended for hospital nurseries when measured 30 cm away, and three went above 85 decibels. Use the lowest volume that works and place the machine across the room.
What the research found
Researchers measured 14 infant sleep machines played at maximum volume, at 30, 100 and 200 cm from the machine, and adjusted for the size of a 6-month-old’s ear canal. Their findings, published in Pediatrics in 2014:
- At 30 cm, every machine was louder than 50 A-weighted decibels, the recommended noise limit for infants in hospital nurseries.
- Three machines produced more than 85 decibels, which exceeds occupational limits for accumulated noise exposure in adults.
- The authors concluded that these machines can produce sound levels that may damage infant hearing, and that the loudest ones played for more than 8 hours could put hearing at risk.
The study measured machines at their loudest. The practical message is about volume and distance, not about avoiding sound altogether.
Parents often reach for white noise because the baby keeps waking. Used safely it can help, but it cannot fix waking that comes from how a baby falls asleep. That is what Actually Sleeping fixes.
How to use white noise safely
- Distance. Place the machine across the room, not on the crib rail or inside the crib. Sound drops quickly with distance.
- Volume. Use the lowest setting that masks household noise. If you have to raise your voice to talk over it next to the crib, it is too loud.
- Check it. A sound-meter app on your phone, held where your baby’s head lies, gives a rough reading. Aim well below 50 decibels.
- Cords. Keep the cord out of reach. The CPSC warns never to place corded baby cameras within three feet of a crib because of strangulation risk; treat any corded device the same way.
- Nothing in the crib. Plush toys with built-in sound machines add a soft object to the sleep space. Keep the crib bare and the sound source on a shelf.
- All night is fine at a low volume. The study’s concern was the loudest machines played for more than 8 hours, which is why distance and volume matter so much.
Why parents use it
Steady sound can mask the noises that wake a light sleeper: a dog, a sibling, traffic, a door. It is also a familiar cue that sleep is coming, at home or away. Many families find it especially helpful when siblings share a room or when naps happen during a noisy part of the day.
What white noise cannot do
Parents often turn white noise up, and up again, because the baby is still waking. That is usually a sign that noise is not what wakes the baby. A baby who wakes every hour or two in a quiet, dark room is usually surfacing between sleep cycles and needing help to fall back asleep: to be fed, rocked, held, or given a pacifier. No volume setting changes that, and a louder machine only adds risk.
That waking is the fixable part, and it is what Actually Sleeping does. Dr. Sam writes a plan for your baby that addresses how they fall asleep and get back to sleep, with bootcamp-style coaching before the first night and daily 1:1 check-ins. White noise can stay in the plan as a helper, at a safe volume. Parents describe the change in our 129 client video reviews, and more than 700 families have been coached.
See also how to get a baby to sleep through the night.
If you have turned the white noise up as far as you dare and your baby still wakes, book a free consultation with Actually Sleeping.
Want this fixed for your baby?
Actually Sleeping is 1:1 coaching: a sleep plan written for your baby by Dr. Sam, bootcamp-style coaching before the first night, and daily check-ins until it is working. 700+ families coached, 129 video reviews, and a written guarantee: 8–12 hours through the night within 14 days, or a full refund.
Frequently asked
How loud should white noise be for a baby?
Use the lowest volume that masks household sounds, with the machine across the room. A 2014 study found machines at maximum volume exceeded the 50-decibel hospital nursery limit at 30 cm, so keep it well below that.
Is it safe to play white noise all night?
Yes, at a low volume and a distance from the crib. The 2014 study raised concern about the loudest machines played for more than 8 hours, which is why distance and volume matter.
Can I put the sound machine in the crib?
No. Keep the crib bare, and keep cords well out of reach. The CPSC warns never to place corded baby cameras within three feet of a crib; the same caution makes sense for any corded device.