At 1pm each day, my sweet little toddler snuggles in for his nap! As I’m sure you’re aware, naptime is a necessary part of the day for baby and parents!
But, a few times each week
one or all of these happen during his naptime:
1.My neighbor mows his lawn (he only mows his grass at naptime)
2.The UPS man rings the doorbell and the dogs go crazy
3.A loud plane flies over
Thankfully, we have the sound machine to block out that noise!
While many people fear that this will become a crutch for baby, I’ve found that most of the time babies are still able to fall asleep without the white noise. It just acts as a tool to help babies sleep better by not waking up after a sleep cycle because of environmental noise.
So, what do I mean by that?
The length of a sleep cycle is about 30-45 minutes. Your baby will come to a lighter stage of sleep at the end of that cycle and the hope is that they drift back into another stage of deep sleep. However, if they come to the lighter stage of sleep and there is noise, then this will most likely pique their interest and cause them to fully wake up. Sound machines can help to block out that noise so they can continue on with their nap.
Here are some tips for using a sound machine:
-Pediatricians recommend that you keep the sound machine at least 7 feet away from baby’s crib or bed. Always be sure that cords are tucked away and the child is not able to access them.
-Pediatricians also recommend that the decibels to be at 50 or lower. You can download a decibel measuring app if you’re wondering what yours is at.
-Make sure that the sound machine is continuous and won’t shut off after a certain amount of time.
-The best sounds are ones that have little change in their pattern such as white noise, ocean, or static. Lullabies may not work for all babies.
-As always, consult with your pediatrician to be sure that a sound machine is safe to use with your own baby.
