Truth about trendy sleep machines after claims it is bad for babies

It’s a trick many sleep-deprived parents have turned to – but after soaring it popularity the safety of its usage has been thrown into question.

To some, it’s the “trendy” way parents try and calm their babies. To others, it’s the only way to ensure everyone gets some rest.

We’re talking about playing white noise – the constant, static-like sounds spanning various frequencies the human ear can hear.

When you’re a new parent, you’re either into it or you’re not.

Now, according to a new study, parents are better off not relying on such devices because it could be causing problems in your precious baby’s development, Kidspot reports.

Hold on, hold on... we’ll get to the facts before you toss anything out!

Is white nose affecting your baby’s development?

The findings, conducted by The Sleep Doctor back in 2023, found that 37 per cent of parents relied on some kind of background noise to get their baby to fall asleep – the most popular method being the use of white noise.

But according to Dr April Benasich, a sleep expert from Rutgers University, using the sleeping aid – a mix of sound frequencies that results in a unique unassuming tone – could affect a child’s language development and disrupt them from forming the necessary skills to hit those language milestones in their younger years.

For more stories like this, go to kidspot.com.au

A sleep expert has claimed white noise machines can be harmful to babies. Picture: iStock

According to Dr Benasich, the monotonous tone heard in white nose can interfere with a child’s “acoustic mapping”, the part of the brain that helps babies understand and learn their native language.

“[The brain] isn’t sure what it’s going to be listening to, but it is listening to sounds acoustically,” she told MailOnline.

“Young infants can hear the differences between every single sound in the world… sounds that are teeny tiny changes.”

Dr Benasich claims that these acoustic sounds are just as important for a baby to hear while asleep as well as while they’re awake. Parents masking these sounds with white noise can be problematic for their growth.

“[It’s] telling the brain you don’t need to listen to this because there’s nothing going on,” she claimed.

So, should parents be worried? Is it time to throw away those fancy machines we invested in to save our precious sleep?

Aussie pediatrician insists this is ‘scaremongering’

Knowing full well that these claims will play on many parents’ minds, Kidspot reached out to Aussie pediatrician, Dr Golly, to get some clarity – with the medical professional and doting dad insisting we can all relax.

“I am completely dismayed by this. Firstly, Benaich’s study looked at a tiny window between 4-7 months. I have written at length regarding safe levels of white noise and using earmuffs for loud environments like music concerts,” Dr Golly shared.

“Benasich’s scaremongering is centred on the premise that if you expose a child to background or white noise, it will impede their language development.

“What isn’t mentioned is that white noise is only used during sleep, so for all awake and feeding times – babies are exposed to myriad noises, sounds, rhythms, volumes, etc – which take care of the language stimuli that are required.”

Aussie pediatrician, Dr Golly, has urged parents not to worry. Picture: iStock

Do whatever you need to do for a good rest

According to Dr Golly, parents should be more worried about their baby not getting enough sleep rather than the sounds they’re exposed to and not exposed to while resting.

“Poor sleep is a scientifically proven hindrance to development,” he insists.

“So if white noise is allowing your baby (and you) to sleep soundly through the night, then parents should absolutely NOT be made to worry or doubt themselves, and I certainly hope no parent would sacrifice their baby’s sleep out of fear of harming their future language development.”

This article originally appeared on Kidspot and was reproduced with permission