⚠️ There are some claims that white noise can be damaging to your baby’s hearing and auditory development 👂🏻. What is often not mentioned, is that this risk only arises when the volume is played far louder than 65 decibels (Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) can occur in levels over* 85 decibels), or if the machine itself is too close to your baby’s head while sleeping 🙅🏻♀️
As long as your white noise machine is positioned at least* 2 meters away from your baby’s head and the volume does not* exceed 65 decibels, there is no specific time or age by which you need to wean your baby or toddler from white noise 🙌🏻
As your baby gets older, white noise serves more as a noise cancelling device and positive sleep association, helping to reduce or eliminate any external disruptions that could otherwise wake them from their sleep, such as loud garbage trucks 🚛, a partner getting up early for work ⏰, siblings sharing a room 👦🏻👦🏻, or the arrival or a new baby 🥰
With that being said, there is no need to ever wean your baby off white noise. Many adults even use white noise to help them sleep! 😴 However, if you would still prefer to wean your baby off white noise, you can do so by gradually reducing the volume over a period of a few weeks until it is completely eliminated 🔇. If needed, it can be reintroduced at any time, such as during holidays, travel, or illness, by following the reverse process ⏪️
If your baby continues to wake frequently despite using white noise, book a consultation or download our sleep essentials guide via our website so we can restore sleep for you and your entire family 💫🩷🌸