How Loud Should White Noise Be for a Baby?

Short answer: aim for about 50 dBA or lower, measured where your baby's head rests, and quieter is fine. Keep the machine well away from the crib, never on the rail or inside it, and use the lowest level that still works.

White noise can help some babies settle. The problem is not the sound itself. It's how loud many machines can get, and how close parents tend to put them.

What the research found

In 2014, researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto tested 14 infant sleep machines at their maximum volume, measuring at three distances: 30 cm (about 1 foot, like a crib rail), 100 cm (beside the crib) and 200 cm (across the room). [1]

• Every machine exceeded 50 dBA at 30 cm, the level the authors cited as the recommended noise limit for infants in hospital nurseries. [1]
• Three machines went above 85 dBA at 30 cm. The authors noted that playing them at that level for more than eight hours would exceed occupational noise limits for adults. [1]
• According to the American Academy of Pediatrics' news release on the study, all but one machine still exceeded 50 dBA from 200 cm away at full volume. [2]

The study measured maximum output, not how parents actually set their machines. But it shows how easy it is to go too loud, especially up close.

Where does "50 dB" come from?

There is no single official decibel limit for home sound machines. The 50 dBA figure most parents hear comes from hospital nursery guidance, which the 2014 study used as its benchmark. [1] Older AAP guidance on newborn intensive care went further, recommending that sound levels in NICUs not exceed 45 dB. [3] Some hospital websites summarize all this as "keep it below 50 dB."

In 2023, the AAP updated its policy statement on children's noise exposure and asked pediatricians to counsel families who use infant sleep machines about safe use, noting that one study raised concern about their sound levels. [4]

So treat 50 dBA as a ceiling to stay under, not a goal to reach. Many babies sleep well with much less.

Why distance matters so much

Sound gets quieter as it spreads out. In open space, the level drops about 6 dB every time you double the distance. Indoors, walls and furniture reflect sound, so the drop is usually smaller. [5]

Here's what that means in a nursery. Moving a machine from 1 foot away to about 7 feet away is nearly three doublings of distance. That can cut the level at your baby's ear by roughly 10 dB or more in a typical room, often the difference between "too loud" and "about right."

That's why the 2014 authors encouraged parents to place machines farther than 200 cm (about 6½ feet) from the infant and to lower the volume. [2]

How to set a sound machine safely

1. Place it away from the crib. Aim for 6½ to 7 feet or more, and never on the crib rail or inside the crib. Keep its cord at least 3 feet from any part of the crib. [2][6]
2. Start low. Turn the volume down, then raise it only until it covers the noises that wake your baby.
3. Measure at the mattress. Use a sound meter or a reputable app at your baby's head height. See our guide: How to Measure Nursery Noise With Your Phone.
4. Use a timer if your machine has one. The 2014 authors recommended running machines for a shorter duration rather than all night. [1]
5. Re-check when things change. A new room, a moved dresser or a different sound setting can change the level at the crib.

Signs it may be too loud

• You have to raise your voice to talk over it next to the crib.
• Your own ears feel full or ring after standing by the crib.
• Your sound meter reads above 50 dBA at the mattress.

If you have any concern about your child's hearing, talk to your pediatrician. Newborn hearing screening and follow-up checks are the right place to start.

Frequently asked questions

Is 60 dB too loud for a baby? At the crib, 60 dBA is well above the 50 dBA hospital nursery benchmark used in research. [1] Lower the volume or move the machine farther away.

Should white noise play all night? The researchers who tested infant sleep machines suggested shorter use and auto-off timers. [1] If your baby needs it longer, keep the level as low as possible.

Is it as loud as a crying baby? Some advice says to match your baby's cry. Cries can be very loud, so don't use that as a volume setting. Stay at or below 50 dBA at the crib.

How the ARC is designed to help

The Selah ARC System, currently in development, is designed around this exact problem. A sensor at the crib measures what actually reaches your baby, and the speaker sits away from the crib, adjusting to hold a 50 dBA hourly-average target, measured at the crib. Follow the build.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about your child's sleep and hearing.

Sources

1. 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
2. American Academy of Pediatrics. Infant sleep machines and hazardous sound pressure levels (news release, March 3, 2014), as republished by eNews Park Forest.
3. Puyana-Romero V, et al. Influence of the NICU on the acoustic isolation of a neonatal incubator. Frontiers in Pediatrics. 2020;8:588 (summarizing AAP, "Noise: a hazard for the fetus and newborn," Pediatrics, 1997).
4. American Academy of Pediatrics. AAP sounds the alarm on excessive noise and risks to children's hearing in updated policy statement. October 21, 2023. Policy statement: "Preventing Excessive Noise Exposure in Infants, Children, and Adolescents," Pediatrics, November 2023.
5. HyperPhysics, Georgia State University. Measured sound in a room.
6. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Baby monitor cord safety alert.