In the last couple of years, numerous products claiming to assist with sleeping problems have hit the market. Oftentimes, these products are white noise machines or audio recordings of relaxing noises of all varieties.
Many of these products have been tested in clinical settings with excellent results and are now thought to be replacements for overly prescribed drugs. People of all ages can benefit from the use of these machines or recordings, but one of the newest fields of study in this area is children and infants.
White noise machines are very effective at distracting babies during stressful times in their early years. These times can include, teething, sickness, separation anxiety, or any other situation that can cause a baby not to sleep. Sleep is one of the most important things in a baby’s life and there is no doubt that well rested babies are happier babies.
White noise machines produce sound that is often described as fuzz, a hum, or rain. It is also interesting to note that white noise is actually the combination of all of the different frequencies of noise resulting in a very dense sound that can be almost discernible. Some experts describe white noise as being able to absorb background noise and distractions. Many of the white noise machines on the market actually listen to the background noise and make white noise in response to the pitch and frequency of the background noise. Many of the products that sell relaxing nature sounds are actually in the market of pink noise, which is closely related and serves a similar purpose but works quite differently.
It may seem that white noise could be a distraction in itself but the truth is that while you may notice the sound when you first turn on the sleep machine your brain will quickly adjust and tune the sound out along with any sound that it has absorbed. Once an environment is created in which one can relax you can simply enjoy the silence or add in other gentle sounds such as pink noise. This is an effective method to use with small children and allows parents to better control their focus and level of calm.
Different frequencies of white noise work better for different situations. If you are trying to create a calm environment for sleeping you may simply want an even keel background white noise. If you are trying to distract a child away from the pain of an ear infection or colic you may need white noise combined with another calming distraction that keeps them from thinking about the pain. Whatever the case a white noise machine has been found to be effective for people of all ages and suffering from a variety of ailments.
You can buy these machines for as little as $15 or pay as much as a couple of hundred. If you’d like to give one a try, there is a huge selection of White Noise Machines on Amazon.com