Baby Sound Machine
Short answer
This free baby sound machine plays white, pink and brown noise, a shush, a heartbeat, a hair dryer, a vacuum, a fan and ocean waves. Use it the safe way: quiet, across the room, and on a timer. The 30-minute timer fades the sound out, and the night light keeps a soft glow on the screen.
Put the phone across the room, never in or on the cot. Start with the volume low.
Bedtime sound, the simple way
BRW plays white, pink and brown noise, fan and ocean sounds offline, with the screen off and a sleep timer.
How to Use a Baby Sound Machine Safely
In 2014, researchers tested 14 infant sleep machines at full volume. All 14 were louder than 50 decibels at 30 cm, the recommended limit for babies in hospital nurseries. Three were louder than 85 decibels [1]. The problem was not the sound. It was the volume, the distance and the time. So:
Distance: put the phone or speaker across the room, not next to the cot.
Volume: start low. Check the level where your baby’s head is, not from the door. The decibel meter can give you an estimate.
Time: use the timer. Many parents only use sound to help the baby fall asleep.
Nothing in or on the cot. No phone, speaker, cable or soft toy. This is the advice of the American Academy of Pediatrics [2]. Read more in our safety guide for babies.
Which Sound for Your Baby?
No study shows that one sound is better or safer for babies. Claims that a sound is “just like the womb” are not supported by research, so we do not make them.
Steady sounds like white, pink or brown noise, the fan, the hair dryer and the vacuum stay the same all the time. So they cover household sounds evenly: a door, a dog, a sibling on the stairs.
Changing sounds like the shush, the heartbeat and the ocean waves rise and fall. Some parents like them to help settle a baby. They cover other sounds less evenly.
Choose the sound that you find calm and easy to live with. Then keep it quiet.
The Night Light
Tap Turn on the night light and the screen shows a soft, warm glow. In most current browsers, the screen stays on while the night light is open. Keep the phone plugged in and turn the screen brightness down. A dim, warm light is easier on sleepy eyes than a bright, white screen.
To turn it off, tap the button at the bottom of the screen.
Can It Play All Night?
Not on this page. The sound on this site plays for up to 30 minutes a day, and most phones stop browser sound when the screen locks. That fits how many parents use sound anyway: to help the baby fall asleep, then off.
If you want sound for longer, keep the same rules: quiet, across the room and on a timer. The BRW app plays white, pink and brown noise, fan and ocean sounds offline, with the screen off and a sleep timer.
When to Ask a Doctor
Stop using sound and ask your baby’s doctor if your baby has fluid coming from an ear, seems to have ear pain, or reacts less to sounds or voices than before. Ask before you start if your baby was born early, is under specialist care, or has not passed a hearing screen.
A sound covers noise. It does not fix a cause. A baby who cannot be comforted, or who seems unwell, needs a doctor, not a louder sound.
References
- 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. doi:10.1542/peds.2013-3617 · PubMed 24590753
- Moon RY, Carlin RF, Hand I; Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome; Committee on Fetus and Newborn. Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment. Pediatrics. 2022;150(1):e2022057990. doi:10.1542/peds.2022-057990 · PubMed 35726558
- Riedy SM, Smith MG, Rocha S, Basner M. Noise as a sleep aid: A systematic review. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2021;55:101385. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2020.101385 · PubMed 33007706
Frequently Asked Questions
Is white noise safe for babies?
It can be, if you keep it quiet, across the room and on a timer. A 2014 study found that infant sleep machines at full volume and close to the cot were too loud. Never put the device in or on the cot.
How loud should a baby sound machine be?
Low. The research uses 50 decibels, the limit for babies in hospital nurseries, as its reference point. Check the level where your baby’s head is, and never use full volume.
Where should I put a sound machine in the nursery?
Across the room, out of reach, and never in or on the cot. Distance lowers the volume at your baby’s ears more than you might expect.
Should a baby sound machine play all night?
Many parents use it only to help the baby fall asleep, with a timer. Total exposure is volume times time, so a shorter time at a low volume is the safer choice.
Is white noise or brown noise better for babies?
No study shows that one is better or safer. Brown noise has less high, hissy sound at the same volume. Choose the sound you find calm, and keep it quiet.
Can I use my phone as a baby sound machine?
Yes. Put it across the room, out of reach, and turn off notifications so it does not make other sounds or light up.