I really wanted to get a sound machine for baby. I received the one I registered for which was First Years Premium Sound Machine. It has several sound options like white noise, heartbeat, classical music, and a hook up for an iPod. I thought it would be perfect but it is really loud-even on the lowest volume setting. I thought it would be good for her when she was sleeping, but no one could sleep with that volume. Does anyone have a suggestion for a good sound machine?
Post by snarkysparklefart on Feb 5, 2015 17:30:30 GMT -5
We've always just used an off rand iPod dock/ radio. The radio we keep on classical, but on Sunday morning they play a pipe organ type church service, so we use the iPod loaded with soft music- Michael Kiwanuka is our favorite.
Post by bitsybelle84 on Feb 5, 2015 17:40:34 GMT -5
This is the one we used for DS. It only has 4 sound settings, one of which is plain static like white noise. The volume control is a dial like on a radio and goes from loud to so quiet you can't hear it then if you keep turning it clicks off.
We got the cheapo graco for DS..... And just got the same one for LO. It's small, has several white noises, plus lullabies and MP3 cable. And has a battery backup.
We actually have the First Years Deluxe one and we love it. We got it when DD was a few months old and her sleep habits went from terrible to very manageable ( she is still a light sleeper). She still uses it to this day and it helps cut down on outside noise dramatically. It's never been too loud for us and we have to set almost at the max volume level.
sorry to hijack, but I have a related question for STMs --- do your now "big" kids who had sound machines as infants still require the sound machine to sleep?? My H is ADAMANT that the baby not have a sound machine. He's afraid the baby will never learn to sleep without a noise machine & be dependent on white noise. I'm ok with not using one at least to start, but if it seems like one could help, I really want to try it.
(Back story: in college dorms/apartments I slept terribly until I started turning on a huge box fan at night. Now I just have a white noise machine, which obviously my H has to hear while sleeping, too. He sleeps fine with it, but swears his ability to sleep in silence/anywhere but our bedroom with the machine is diminished. I definitely have trouble sleeping without the machine, but IDGAF.)
Post by bitsybelle84 on Feb 5, 2015 21:34:00 GMT -5
mango The one I had that I mentioned above has a sleep timer. It only runs for 23 or 45 mins then shuts off. We used it to help my DS go to sleep, but then he slept with no additional noise. After he was 1yr he received a My Pal Scout that played lullabies for 10 mins that we would turn on when he went into his crib. Now at 2.5yr when he goes to bed we read him a few stories and he goes to sleep without any additional music or sound.
ETA: Will baby be sleeping in your room at all in the beginning?
sorry to hijack, but I have a related question for STMs --- do your now "big" kids who had sound machines as infants still require the sound machine to sleep?? My H is ADAMANT that the baby not have a sound machine. He's afraid the baby will never learn to sleep without a noise machine & be dependent on white noise. I'm ok with not using one at least to start, but if it seems like one could help, I really want to try it.
(Back story: in college dorms/apartments I slept terribly until I started turning on a huge box fan at night. Now I just have a white noise machine, which obviously my H has to hear while sleeping, too. He sleeps fine with it, but swears his ability to sleep in silence/anywhere but our bedroom with the machine is diminished. I definitely have trouble sleeping without the machine, but IDGAF.)
I can't speak for kids or sound machines specifically (FTM myself), but as a person who suffers from really bouts of insomnia and uses remedies and tricks to help with it from time to time, I'm also wary of this. I think you would probably have to be careful with the dependency but it might be something they grow out of on their own (like night lights). I think it might depend on the kid.
Post by gamora24527 on Feb 5, 2015 21:59:59 GMT -5
mango DS still uses the sound machine at night but it is mostly for our benefit. He is a really light sleeper and our place is small. Sounds travel like crazy. We find the machine helps him stay asleep while we get stuff done at night and in the morning before he's up because it masks other noises. He is able to fall asleep and stay asleep without the machine, but only if it is quiet.
mango DS still uses the sound machine at night but it is mostly for our benefit. He is a really light sleeper and our place is small. Sounds travel like crazy. We find the machine helps him stay asleep while we get stuff done at night and in the morning before he's up because it masks other noises. He is able to fall asleep and stay asleep without the machine, but only if it is quiet.
That's what my H is worried about ... But sometimes it's right for the kid! I guess we'll play it by ear.
mango DS still uses the sound machine at night but it is mostly for our benefit. He is a really light sleeper and our place is small. Sounds travel like crazy. We find the machine helps him stay asleep while we get stuff done at night and in the morning before he's up because it masks other noises. He is able to fall asleep and stay asleep without the machine, but only if it is quiet.
That's what my H is worried about ... But sometimes it's right for the kid! I guess we'll play it by ear.
I think it's a legit concern. I remember reading about it in one of the baby sleep books and that you are "supposed" to ditch the sound machine around six months. I can't remember if it was in Ferber or Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child. We still use it for our sanity. I think once we move to a bigger place, we will wean him off of it.
sorry to hijack, but I have a related question for STMs --- do your now "big" kids who had sound machines as infants still require the sound machine to sleep?? My H is ADAMANT that the baby not have a sound machine. He's afraid the baby will never learn to sleep without a noise machine & be dependent on white noise. I'm ok with not using one at least to start, but if it seems like one could help, I really want to try it.
(Back story: in college dorms/apartments I slept terribly until I started turning on a huge box fan at night. Now I just have a white noise machine, which obviously my H has to hear while sleeping, too. He sleeps fine with it, but swears his ability to sleep in silence/anywhere but our bedroom with the machine is diminished. I definitely have trouble sleeping without the machine, but IDGAF.)
Our 3 yo still sleeps with white noise every night. Our house is small. And it really helps to drown out all the noise. He can totally sleep without it though. When he sleeps at my parents he never has it. And we don't travel with it. So I wouldn't say he's dependent on it. My husband still says the same thing about the white noise!
I think it's so funny how different we all are and the random crap that we find ourselves worrying about! (Absolutely no judgment - I care about my fair share of things that other people probably think are total non-issues...)
We brought DS home to a small apartment downtown honolulu, just a few blocks from the fire station. When we started using the sound machine, he went from about 4 hrs of sleep at night to 6. Worth it. Then we brought it on trips to see the grandparents, etc, so he would have at least some familiarity with his sleeping environment. Then, we moved to a early-1900s farmhouse with creaky wood floors, thin walls, and all 3 bedrooms on one floor. And now, all of a sudden, he's 2 1/2 and still using one. He'll occasionally turn on the timer before he goes to bed (damn button-pushing obsessions!) and he'll sleep just fine once it turns off. To me, though, I don't really see the harm in it. Worst case scenario, he ends up being an adult that needs white noise when he sleeps, like lots of people.
I think it just depends on how much you're willing to cater to things that your LO is used to for sleeping -- my niece has to have a cup of water and a whole elaborate routing pre-bedtime at age 10. That's more than I'm willing to do, but it doesn't bother me to click a button before walking out the door or tossing it in the suitcase when we travel.
And honestly, DH and I notice it more when he turns it off than he does, since we're now used to hearing it through the monitor...
ETA: maybe a solution could be to use it while baby is in your room (those little buggers make a surprising amount of noise!) and then wean off of it once you move him/her into their own room.
Our mamaroo has some sound options, and a friend of mine just uses an iPhone app.
We will probably opt for music over white noise, but we're planning on introducing the Suzuki method pretty early on, so musical immersion is important to us.
I have trouble sleeping in adulthood due to chronic insomnia, and I have a very elaborate bedtime ritual I have to follow. Especially since getting pregnant, because I can't take my rx sleeping pills. As a kid I slept with little to no issues until I started having sleep paralysis and night terrors. So my POV is anything that gets you through the night is ok, lol.
Our mamaroo has some sound options, and a friend of mine just uses an iPhone app.
We will probably opt for music over white noise, but we're planning on introducing the Suzuki method pretty early on, so musical immersion is important to us.
I have trouble sleeping in adulthood due to chronic insomnia, and I have a very elaborate bedtime ritual I have to follow. Especially since getting pregnant, because I can't take my rx sleeping pills. As a kid I slept with little to no issues until I started having sleep paralysis and night terrors. So my POV is anything that gets you through the night is ok, lol.
(Love tit for "anything that gets you through the night, not elaborate sleep rituals or sleep paralysis/night terrors!!)
Our mamaroo has some sound options, and a friend of mine just uses an iPhone app.
We will probably opt for music over white noise, but we're planning on introducing the Suzuki method pretty early on, so musical immersion is important to us.
I have trouble sleeping in adulthood due to chronic insomnia, and I have a very elaborate bedtime ritual I have to follow. Especially since getting pregnant, because I can't take my rx sleeping pills. As a kid I slept with little to no issues until I started having sleep paralysis and night terrors. So my POV is anything that gets you through the night is ok, lol.
(Love tit for "anything that gets you through the night, not elaborate sleep rituals or sleep paralysis/night terrors!!)
On the plus side, the night terrors and sleep paralysis led to some interesting therapeutic discoveries on my part, namely developing the knack of lucid dreaming after some training by a therapist. So that was cool.
(Love tit for "anything that gets you through the night, not elaborate sleep rituals or sleep paralysis/night terrors!!)
On the plus side, the night terrors and sleep paralysis led to some interesting therapeutic discoveries on my part, namely developing the knack of lucid dreaming after some training by a therapist. So that was cool.
The part of me that agrees just a wee bit with Freud is very intrigued by this.
sorry to hijack, but I have a related question for STMs --- do your now "big" kids who had sound machines as infants still require the sound machine to sleep?? My H is ADAMANT that the baby not have a sound machine. He's afraid the baby will never learn to sleep without a noise machine & be dependent on white noise. I'm ok with not using one at least to start, but if it seems like one could help, I really want to try it.
(Back story: in college dorms/apartments I slept terribly until I started turning on a huge box fan at night. Now I just have a white noise machine, which obviously my H has to hear while sleeping, too. He sleeps fine with it, but swears his ability to sleep in silence/anywhere but our bedroom with the machine is diminished. I definitely have trouble sleeping without the machine, but IDGAF.)
I always had a sound machine for my girls when they were babies and yes, at 12 and 10 years old, they need a sound machine to sleep, but I guess I don't find it too big of a deal. They have apps on their ipads that they can use if we go somewhere. I also have to sleep with some sort of white noise. My H hates the sound machine so we just have a fan in our room and I can deal with that.
We got the baby this sound machine, although it's not really that loud, but it's a whale and H had to have it.
Post by cwbandthenewbie on Feb 6, 2015 8:03:52 GMT -5
I just have a Homedics one from BB&B. It plugs in and does white noise and a few others. I crank it up and leave it on all night. Our house is tiny and with 2 dogs (and we have a lot of visitors), it works best for us.
mango At 3, DD still uses the sound machine but she has slept without it from time to time. We've always found ourselves in a position of having to use one (our old apartment was on a busy street and you could hear everything, especially early morning traffic & now living at my parents, who aren't quiet people).
We're hoping that once we moved into our home in a quieter area, we'll be able to wean her off the sound machine, although I imagine that'll be hard because we plan to use it with this LO as well.
jrp that's exactly our issue -- I don't really care if our baby ends up meeting white noise to sleep… But my husband is very against it. He views being able to sleep under any circumstances as an essential life skill.
I do have a lot of problems sleeping-- But it's just the way I am! I had to move out of my dorm in college, and my sleep quality was crap in apartments too. It's not like I lack a life skill because my parents did something wrong. I never tried white noise until I was about 20.
mango - maybe you and your DH can compromise and go with the sheep. It plays for a max of only 45 minutes - enough to help your baby get to sleep but not continuous so they can't sleep without it.
That's what I used with DD (and she still uses it) but it really just became part of the sleep ritual, not a true sleep aid. TBH I agree with your DH partially - I would NOT use a continuous machine for that reason, I don't want it to be a crutch they can't function without.
My DH and I fight bc he can't go to sleep without the TV on and I'm like WTF is wrong with you?? It drives me nuts I need silence and darkness to sleep. So we are like 2 of the 3 monkeys - he has to wear headphones and I have to wear a sleep mask. And then he never sleeps well either and I'm like no shit! I definitely don't want to set my kids up for a dependency like that.
I had a teddy bear that played a noise that was to mimic what momma's heartbeat sounded like to baby when they were in the womb. It worked great for my son, and I plan on using it again for this little one.
Post by NatashaBromanoff on Feb 6, 2015 12:27:54 GMT -5
rm2013 my husband used to need music too until he had no choice but to go without it for a few months when he moved states before me. It's a breakable habit for sure.
Post by mittenmomma on Feb 6, 2015 13:04:43 GMT -5
ajacot924 we actually have and use the First Years Premium Sound Machine for DSS (who is 6mo old) and I thought the exact same thing when we first got it. In fact, I didn't even try it out for the first few weeks we had it. He slept with a box fan on low for a "white noise" effect, and it seemed to be working okay. But I figured what the hell, I'll try it out before I return it. And I'm glad I did. He loves it, and getting rid of the fan in his room made me really happy - I hated that it created a draft in there, even though it was pretty slight. We actually keep it turned up to the loudest setting while he sleeps; the noise is comforting to him and helps him sleep more deeply. I couldn't speak to how well it would work for a newborn because we didn't start using it for him until just before he was 5 mo. But it's been a wonderful soothing tool for him ever since we started using it! A lot of babies like the loud white noise and sleep better with it... It's apparently pretty loud in the womb, so it's familiar and comforting to them even though it just sounds loud and annoying to us. that's been my experience anyway!
rm2013 my husband used to need music too until he had no choice but to go without it for a few months when he moved states before me. It's a breakable habit for sure.
NatashaBromanoff Glad yours came around. Mine just refuses to even try. Our tv in the bedroom broke and it was so wonderful, but as soon as it was fixed it was back to the same
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