What you don’t know about white noise that could hurt your child

[WHITE NOISE]

[KARAH RUCKER]

IT’S A FAMILIAR, SOOTHING SOUND.

[WHITE NOISE]

[KARAH RUCKER]

MORE THAN HALF OF ALL AMERICANS USE SOME SORT OF BACKGROUND NOISE TO HELP THEM FALL ASLEEP.

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FROM BOX FANS TO YOUTUBE, OR EVEN DESIGNATED WHITE NOISE MACHINES – THE POINT IS TO DROWN OUT UNWANTED INTERRUPTIONS THAT MIGHT DISTURB OUR SLEEP.

AND FOR MANY NEW PARENTS – THESE MACHINES CAN BE A LIFESAVER. 

BUT NEW RESEARCH SHOWS A HOST OF WHITE NOISE MACHINES ON THE MARKET ARE POTENTIALLY TOO LOUD FOR THE EARS OF INFANTS. 

A RECENT STUDY PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL SLEEP MEDICINE, MEASURED THE DECIBEL LEVELS OF 24 WHITE NOISE MACHINES AND APPS. 

ALL OF WHICH WERE NOT FEDERALLY REGULATED. 

THE STUDY FOUND THE DEVICES LACKED A SPECIFIC DECIBEL CUTOFF –

A NECESSITY FOR PARENTS LOOKING TO SAFEGUARD THEIR CHILDREN’S HEARING.

THE AUTHORS OF THE STUDY TELLING ABC NEWS, “Those devices exceeded what is appropriate for hearing health for any individual, just walking around and living their life.”

A SEPARATE STUDY BY BEHAVIORAL SCIENTISTS FOUND THAT WHITE NOISE COULD EVEN BE THE WRONG “COLOR” OF NOISE FOR SLEEP.

THE SPECTRUM OF COLOR NOISE CLASSIFIES EVERYDAY NOISES AND FREQUENCIES INTO COLORS.

A RUNNING FAN IS CONSIDERED WHITE NOISE, BLOWING WIND IS PINK NOISE, AND THE RUMBLE OF DISTANT THUNDER IS BROWN NOISE.

IN A RECENT STUDY, RESEARCHERS FOUND WHITE NOISE IS A HARSH FREQUENCY THAT “WAKES THE BRAIN,” ACTING AS A STIMULANT, WITH MINOR IMPROVEMENTS IN TASK PERFORMANCE.

THE RESEARCHERS SUGGEST IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE NOISE WHILE YOU SLEEP, USE PINK NOISE, AS IT MORE CLOSELY RESEMBLES THE FREQUENCIES YOUR BRAIN GIVES OFF DURING SLEEP.

HOWEVER, THERE IS EVIDENCE SHOWING THAT USING NOISE, LIKE MANY OTHER SLEEP AIDS, IS ADDICTIVE, AND CAN LEAD TO POOR SLEEP HABITS.

AND EXPERTS SAY STOPPING ANY SLEEP AID COLD TURKEY CAN HAVE NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON YOUR EVERYDAY SLEEP QUALITY.

THE RECOMMENDED METHOD TO WEEN YOURSELF OR YOUR CHILD OFF OF WHITE NOISE IS TO DECREASE THE VOLUME INCREMENTALLY UNTIL YOU NO LONGER NEED IT TO SLEEP.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

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