Is White Noise Safe for Babies? Volume, Distance and What the Research Says

Updated 2026-11-02 · Reviewed against the sources listed below

White noise is one of the most common tools tired parents reach for, and one of the most searched worries. The short answer: white noise can be used safely, as long as you keep it quiet and keep it away from the crib. Here is what the research actually says.

Does white noise help babies sleep?

The best-known study is small but striking. In 1990, researchers played white noise to newborns aged 2 to 7 days. With the sound on, 16 of 20 babies (80%) fell asleep within five minutes, compared with 5 of 20 (25%) without it ^[1]. Adults show a similar effect: in a sleep-lab study, steady background sound at a gentle 46 dB helped people fall asleep 38% faster ^[2]. The likely reason is simple. A steady sound masks sudden noises, such as a door, a dog or a sibling, that would otherwise startle a light sleeper.

The real risk is volume

In 2014, researchers in Toronto tested 14 infant sleep machines at full volume. At 30 cm (about 1 foot) from the speaker, every single one was louder than 50 dBA, the limit recommended for hospital nurseries, and three could go above 85 dBA ^[3]. That is the level at which adults need hearing protection at work. The problem is not white noise itself, but white noise that is too loud and too close for too long.

A simple safety checklist

• Keep it low. Aim for about the volume of a soft shower in the next room. If you would have to raise your voice to talk over it, turn it down.
• Keep it far. Put the phone or speaker at least 2 meters (about 7 feet) from the crib, never inside it or on the rail.
• Keep it soft. Sounds with fewer sharp, high frequencies (like brown noise or our filtered shusher) feel gentler at the same volume.
• Keep sleep safe. Baby on their back, on a firm, flat surface, in their own crib or bassinet with nothing else in it ^[4].

Hear what “soft” sounds like

Our Soft White Noise plays for 10 hours as one smooth, seamless sound, and the picture fades to a fully black screen after the first minute.

Is all-night white noise okay?

There are no long-term studies of nightly white noise in healthy babies, so nobody can promise it is risk-free. What researchers do agree on is that volume and distance are what matter for hearing. Many families play a low, distant sound all night so it does not suddenly stop and wake the baby. If you prefer, you can also use it just to help your baby fall asleep, or turn it down once they are deeply asleep.

Questions

References

1. Spencer JA, Moran DJ, Lee A, Talbert D. White noise and sleep induction. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 1990;65(1):135–137. Link
2. 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
3. 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
4. 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

This article summarizes published research for general information. It is not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about your baby’s sleep, feeding and crying.