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Fan Sound for Baby Sleep

The steady whoosh of a quiet bedroom fan, the sound so many of us grew up sleeping to. Ours is soft airflow with a faint, low motor hum, and none of the rattles, clicks or wobble of a real fan.

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About this sound

Sound	Soft airflow (pink-ish noise) with a faint, low motor hum
Gust	Every 7.5 seconds a gentle, airy gust drifts past, like an oscillating fan
Filter	5 kHz low-pass, so it stays soft
Length	10 hours, seamless loop
Screen	Picture for a few seconds, then fades to fully black
Made by	Generated and mixed in-house by Shush Bean (not a recording)

What the research says

Fan sound as white noise

A fan is the most common white-noise machine in the house. Its steady whoosh masks sudden noises: with white noise playing, 80% of newborns fell asleep within five minutes, compared with 25% without it ^[1]. Steady broadband sound also helped healthy adults fall asleep 38% faster in a sleep lab ^[2].

Fans and SIDS: an important difference

A California study of 185 babies who died of SIDS and 312 comparison babies found that using a real fan in the room during sleep was linked to a 72% lower risk ^[3]. The study was observational and the possible benefit was about moving air, not sound. This video makes sound only; it does not move any air. The proven basics still come first: baby on their back, on a firm flat surface, in their own crib with nothing else in it ^[4].

What we still don’t know

There are no studies of fan-sound recordings in babies. Use it as a gentle, familiar background sound, not as a safety device.

Why we fade to a dark screen

Young children’s body clocks are very sensitive to light in the evening. In a small study of preschoolers (ages 3–5), one hour of bright evening light cut the sleep hormone melatonin by 88%, and it stayed low for at least 50 minutes after the light was switched off ^[5]. A phone screen is far dimmer than that study’s light, and babies were not studied, but the lesson is simple: the less light in the nursery, the better. That is why every Shush Bean video shows its picture only briefly and then fades to a fully black screen.

How loud is too loud

Researchers in Toronto measured 14 infant sleep machines at full volume. At 30 cm (about 1 foot) every one of them was louder than 50 dBA, the limit recommended for hospital nurseries, and three could exceed 85 dBA ^[6]. Their advice: keep the device well away from the crib, keep the volume low, and do not run it at full volume all night. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ safe sleep guidance still comes first: baby on their back, on a firm flat surface, in their own crib or bassinet with nothing else in it ^[4].

How to use it

Great if the rest of the family already sleeps with a fan on: baby gets the same familiar sound.
Keep the room comfortably cool and dress baby lightly; a real fan pointed away from the crib is fine if you use one.
Keep the volume low and the device across the room.

Use sound gently

Keep it low. Choose the lowest volume that still masks background noise. If you have to raise your voice to talk over it, it is too loud.
Keep it far. Put the phone or speaker across the room, not in or next to the crib. Researchers who measured infant sleep machines advised keeping them more than 2 metres (about 6.5 feet) away.
Keep sleep safe. Baby on their back, in their own crib or bassinet, with nothing else in it.

Source: Hugh et al., Pediatrics (2014), as summarized by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Questions

Is this a real fan recording?

No. We build the sound ourselves so it has no rattles, clicks or speed changes over 10 hours.

Does this lower SIDS risk like a real fan?

No. The study that linked fans to lower risk was about air circulation. A video only plays sound. Follow safe-sleep guidance from your pediatrician.

Fan sound or white noise?

Fan sound is a little warmer and softer, with a faint hum. White noise is smoother and plainer.

References

Spencer JA, Moran DJ, Lee A, Talbert D. White noise and sleep induction. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 1990;65(1):135–137. Link
Messineo L, Taranto-Montemurro L, Sands SA, Oliveira Marques MD, Azabarzin A, Wellman DA. Broadband sound administration improves sleep onset latency in healthy subjects in a model of transient insomnia. Frontiers in Neurology. 2017;8:718. Link
Coleman-Phox K, Odouli R, Li DK. Use of a fan during sleep and the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 2008;162(10):963–968. Link
Moon RY, Carlin RF, Hand I; AAP Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Sleep-related infant deaths: updated 2022 recommendations for reducing infant deaths in the sleep environment. Pediatrics. 2022;150(1):e2022057990. Link
Akacem LD, Wright KP, LeBourgeois MK. Sensitivity of the circadian system to evening bright light in preschool-age children. Physiological Reports. 2018;6(5):e13617. Link
Hugh SC, Wolter NE, Propst EJ, Gordon KA, Cushing SL, Papsin BC. Infant sleep machines and hazardous sound pressure levels. Pediatrics. 2014;133(4):677–681. Link

This page summarizes published research for general information. It is not medical advice. Research on sleep sounds for babies is still limited; talk to your pediatrician about your baby’s sleep and crying.