White noise to help your baby sleep better
Some babies fall asleep easily and sleep well. Other babies have a little more trouble with it. You often hear that white noise can help your little one sleep well. But what exactly is white noise? How can you best use white noise? And does it really help?
Read it all in this article!
What is white noise?
Just a little physics lesson. It's actually very easy. Sound consists of a frequency and an amplitude. The frequency determines the height of the sound, the amplitude determines the strength of the sound. With white noise, the average amplitude is the same over the entire frequency range. This means that all tones are equally loud. That then forms the white noise. This is the typical sound you hear when a black and white television is set to snow image. In practice, monotonous sounds (where the strength is the same over a large part of the frequency range) are also referred to as white noise. You can think of womb sounds, the sound of the sea, rain sounds, the shower or a vacuum cleaner.
Other color noise
In addition to white noise, there is also such a thing as pink, blue, brown noise and even more colors of the rainbow. These are all subdivisions of the white noise, depending on the strengths at certain pitches.
Pink noise is similar to white noise, but the lower sounds here are slightly louder and the higher sounds are slightly softer. That is why this noise often sounds a bit nicer. It's low, monotonous and deep. Examples of this are the womb sounds or heartbeat and the waves of the sea. These sounds are the best for babies around three months. For younger babies you can also use the 'regular' white noise which contains more high tones, such as the vacuum cleaner or hair dryer.
Brown noise is even stronger in the deep range and has no high range tones like the white or the pink noise. A good example of this is a strong wind. It can help to relax and improve sleep.
Blue noise, on the other hand, has a lot of high tones. You can compare this to the sprinkling of water or the hissing you get when there is a kink in a water hose. Blue noise is hardly used for better sleep.
Purple noise can be seen as the cousin of blue noise. It has even more treble than blue noise. It is also called purple noise.
How does white noise work?
There are several explanations why white noise helps you sleep better.
One explanation is that the ears become less sensitive to ambient noise. Just think of a dripping tap: during the day you will probably not even notice it with all kinds of other sounds in the area, but at night when the area is quiet this can be quite annoying. White noise raises the threshold and makes the dripping tap or other sounds less noticeable. This sensitivity to noise is especially present during the lighter stages of sleep - at the beginning and end of a sleep cycle.
Another explanation is that the brain is always looking for (acoustic) stimuli.
This has to do with our primal instinct: the first humans always had to be alert to dangers around them. Although this is no longer necessary, our brains are still alert to this. With white noise, the brain gets these stimuli it is looking for, without being overloaded. The sound is much too monotonous for that.
Finally, white noise, such as the heartbeat or uterine sounds, can remind your baby of the sound he heard in the womb. This is familiar and gives a safe feeling. If it is therefore regularly used in, for example, the bedtime ritual, this strengthens the sense of security.
Why white noise helps is probably a combination of the above factors. It is a monotonous sound that neutralizes other sounds. As a result, you are less likely to be distracted and you are less frightened by ambient sounds. Moreover, it sounds familiar and if you also use it regularly, you get the Pavlov effect and white noise becomes a sleep association.
Is white noise safe to use?
Er is wetenschappelijk gezien nog relatief weinig bekend over het gebruik van witte ruis. Om deze reden, en ook omdat er afhankelijkheid kan ontstaat, raadt het Nederlands Centrum Jeugdgezondheid het gebruik van witte ruis af (Nederlands Centrum Jeugdgezondheid | Onderbouwing (jgzrichtlijnen.nl).
Still, white noise can help, provided you also work on a good sleep basis.
By working with white noise you can build a rhythm that suits your baby. The moment you have a nice rhythm, you can choose to gradually reduce the white noise (but of course you don't have to).
Can white noise cause hearing damage? Fortunately not if you use it right. Research has been done into possible hearing damage ( Infant sleep machines and hazardous sound pressure levels ). This shows that if the sound remains below 65dB and is at a distance of 30 cm, there is no risk of hearing damage.
later 75-90 minutes
How can I use white noise?
You can use white noise if it is difficult to fall asleep, if it is difficult to stay asleep, if you are sensitive to stimuli or if there is a lot of noise in the environment. It is important to realize that white noise is not a panacea. You will also have to work on a good sleep rhythm at the same time.
The best way to introduce white noise is as follows:
- Introduction. You can get started right away with the introduction of white noise. You really don't have to wait for 'the right moment' here. So you can start right away. With one you immediately see the effect of white noise, with the other it takes some getting used to. It is sometimes also a matter of trying out which sound (which color of noise) your child responds well to. Have you found the right 'color'? Then always use the same sound, so that this really becomes a familiar sound.
- Volume. To prevent possible hearing damage, the sound must therefore remain below 65dB (this is automatically the case with the PIKO). In addition, you should not set the volume too low, because then the effect will disappear. The volume of a running shower is generally fine.
- Provide a quiet sleeping environment. Although the white noise masks ambient sounds, this does not mean that no loud noises 'get through' at all. So keep the sleeping environment calm. Also think about the sleeping place itself: so no toys, bright colors or cuddly toys in bed.
- Use it to support rest, rhythm and regularity. White noise is not a panacea, but it can help to find a rhythm that suits your child. By always using the same sound in the same way - for example as part of the bedtime ritual - this helps to find a nice rhythm.
- Tapering down. Have you found a nice rhythm? Then don't start tapering too quickly, but first make sure that the base is really solid. You often see that your baby no longer really needs the white noise from about a year old. You can easily reduce the volume by gradually lowering the sound level. Is it not working? Then you stick to the old noise level for a while.
Conclusion
You can use white noise if it is difficult to fall asleep, if it is difficult to stay asleep, if you are sensitive to stimuli or if there is a lot of noise in the environment. However, it is not a panacea: it is important to work on the sleep base at the same time.
You do this by creating peace, rhythm and regularity for your baby. That is not always easy: your 'ordinary' life is quite busy. You work, want to visit and go on holiday or a weekend away.
We have developed the PIKO to give your baby peace, rhythm and regularity without completely putting your own life aside.
PIKO helps
The PIKO works with white noise to support the sleep rhythm. You can set the type of noise (white, pink, brown) and its duration. In addition, you can choose to play this sound when your baby is restless (crying).
The white noise is part of the PIKO that gives your baby peace, rhythm and regularity.
The PIKO is a sleeping cocoon for your baby that ensures that your baby gets a nice rhythm. You can use it anywhere (in bed, in the crib, in the playpen, with grandpa/grandma, on vacation) so your baby has one dependable sleeping place. As such, PIKO provides your baby with the reassurance of a single, familiar sleeping space, making sleeping easier.
It dampens the light by 95% and provides a low-stimulus and dependable sleeping environment so your baby can sleep better. It also provides a familiar sound wherever your baby is, so your baby feels safe and can sleep well. This sound even turns on when your baby cries, making him sleep longer.
And you will also receive tailored advice from a certified sleep coach so that you no longer have to doubt whether you are doing it right. Instead, you find a rhythm that suits you and your baby.
The PIKO helps your baby to sleep better so you can enjoy this lovely period again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below we answer a number of frequently asked questions about the PIKO. If you have a question that is not listed here, do not hesitate to contact us.
You can use the PIKO from birth. We recommend starting this as early as possible, so that your baby immediately has a low-stimulus and secure sleeping environment and gets used to his own familiar sleeping environment.
You can adjust the length of the PIKO and use it for up to 12 months. However, for safety reasons, we recommend that you stop using the PIKO when your baby can sit up independently. This is usually around 9-10 months.
When your child starts to pull up and can sit independently, it is time to phase out the use of the PIKO. This is usually around 9-10 months. Of course you can continue to use the PIKO POD. The best way to finish the PIKO is explained in the PIKO App.
We see that babies have little difficulty with the reduction, because they have established a good sleeping base with the PIKO.
When you buy the PIKO, you get a complete package that helps you find a nice rhythm for you and your baby. This package consists of:
- PIKO CAP (adjustable in two sizes)
- PIKO sheets (two sizes)
- PIKO POD
- PIKO App
- PIKO bag
- PIKO mattress (optional)
Yes, you can also rent the PIKO! This can be done via Tinylibrary or Borntorent . Especially if your child is a bit older, it will be cheaper if you rent.
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