Hands up if this sounds familiar to you…
After a really tiring morning, your little one finally falls asleep for their afternoon nap and you sit down for a much-needed moment to yourself. The kettle boils, you make a cup of tea and boom. A car roars down the street, or, ‘ding dong’ the delivery guy or gardener rings the doorbell despite your multiple instructions to please not ring the bell! Just like that, Sleeping Beauty is wide awake and mad. Far from an ideal combination. A bit like that cold cup of tea and now soggy biscuit you were going to enjoy!
Environmental noises are a fact of life that you can’t do much about unfortunately! That said, there is some good news. There is something you can do about your baby’s ability to sleep through them. In my experience, white noise machines can be a lifesaver when it comes to helping babies fall asleep and stay asleep. And help you get that hot cuppa!
There are lots of for sound machines out there check out this one available on Mumzworld.com
And although it might seem unnatural to create noise when you want your baby to go to sleep. Remember: it wasn’t exactly soundproofed in the womb!
Your child is actually quite used to noise by the time they are born. That is because they’ve been listening to you talk, your stomach gurgling, and the sound of your work. They can hear your chats with friends and family, the TV and the car radio while in utero.
Believe it or not, complete quiet can actually be more confusing to a newborn than background noise.
One of the biggest benefits of the white noise machine is that it helps babies fall back to sleep if they wake up. This means their nap times will last longer and they will be less likely to fully wake in the night.
The main concern parents have about trying this is usually about their child becoming ‘addicted’ to white noise, and that’s a valid point.
My experience is that there’s absolutely no need to worry about this. A white noise machine is NOT being used as a ‘sleep prop’ – like a dummy or being rocked and sung to. It’s there to block out noises that you can’t control that might be waking your child.
When you’re ready to wean your child off the machine, simply turn the volume down a little every night until you’re not using the sound at all.
For more sleeping tips check out My Baby Is Playing In The Cot At naptime – What Should I Do?
