Sound Machines for Babies

In this day and age, there are about a million gadgets for babies that did not exist even five years ago. You may walk through the baby aisle at your local supermarket and gaze around wondering how any parent could justify packing a nursery with that much stuff, and you are probably right. Many of the new things for babies on the market are expensive and silly, but there are some things that, even though they are new, every nursery needs: sound machines.

These nifty little devices come in many of shapes and sizes. Some of them play music and white noise, and some of them only play soothing background noises that help drown out household noises. Some of the machines light up, and some do not. Some of them plug into the wall, and some of them use batteries. Some of them look like little new-age speakers, and some of them come as cuddly stuffed animals.

There are so many choices that you may be baffled when you get to the store's section for sound machines. Do not, however, worry about too many of these extra features, as there are only a few things that you should ask yourself before purchasing a sound machine for your baby.

First off, check to be sure that the machine is safe for your baby. If you are buying a stuffed animal, it should not have any pieces that can come off, and any machines that plug into the wall should plug in securely and not have any exposed wires. Research suggests that white noise is safe for babies.

Secondly, check that the machine you choose will fit in your nursery. If your baby will only have a small space to live in, you do not want to buy a huge machine, but if your baby's room is large, you will want to buy one that is powerful enough to fill the whole room with soothing white noises.

Thirdly, be sure that the machine is washable. Anything in your baby's room is up for a good dirtying either now or down the road, so you'll want to get machines you can wipe off easily or stuffed animals you can disassemble and toss in the washing machine.

Other than this, the sound machines that you choose for your baby are really up to your preference. As long as the machine makes soothing noises, it can be used to help your baby sleep better, and it will, in turn, help you get a better night's rest, too. Sounds like a pretty good investment, for all that it is a newfangled gadget.

Check out these great sound machines for babies and children:

• Cloud b Sleep Sheep
• Marpac Lifesounds 440
• Cloud b Dozy Dolphin

Tags: White noise machines, White noise machine, Sound machines, Sound machine for babies, Sound conditioners

Sleep Machines VS. Fans

 

If you've done the new baby thing before, you know that getting an infant to fall asleep and stay asleep is a big deal, and you may know that it's a little easier if there is some white noise in the background. White noise can mimic the sounds a baby heard in the womb, and it can drown out startling noises in and around the baby's room. Maybe you've used a box fan before to serve this purpose, but there are several reasons that an actual sleep machine might be a better choice.

First off, many sleep machines take less energy to run than box fans. Sure, having that box fan on for twelve hours a day probably isn't running your electricity bill off the charts, but who can’t afford to save a few dollars a month right now?  Many sleep machines are battery-operated, and the ones that do plug in may take a lot less energy to run than a large box fan.

Secondly, sleep machines could be safer for your baby. In general, babies are fascinated with fans, and as soon as they can crawl, they like to stick their hands through those very interesting-looking grates. The chances of your baby actually getting his hands to the fan blades are slim, but he could easily pull the fan over on himself or otherwise hurt himself with the fan.

Sleep machines, on the other hand, are pretty innocuous. Most of them look like speaker boxes, and some of them are even stuffed animals with all the electronic parts zipped up inside. Besides that, they are typically smaller than box fans, so they can be set on an out-of-the-way shelf that baby can’t get to easily.

Another good reason sleep machines are better than fans is that they are usually easier to clean. It's much easier to get all the dust off of a little plastic box than it is to pull the fan apart and clean the blades. As you know, the dust on that fan can carry dust mites and other tiny things that can make the air quality in your baby's  room lesser, so it’s easier on you and your baby to have a piece of equipment you can clean easily.  Sound machines are safe for babies.

Finally, sleep machines simply offer you more options than box fans do. Many of them come with different types of white noise sounds, and some even have hookups so that you can play songs through them, which can be fun for in-room dance parties when your baby is a toddler!

Check out these great sound machines for babies and children:

• Dozy Dolphin Sound Machine
• Lulla-Bear Infant Soothing Sound Machine
• Gund – My First Nighty Nights Musical Bear

del.icio.us Tags: Sound Machines,Sleep Machines,Sleep Machine

Do You Need a Sleep Sound Machine for Your Baby?

These days, people are probably telling you that you need all kinds of things for your baby, but if money is tight, you’re having to be pretty choosy about what baby actually need and what might just be fun to have. One thing you should consider investing in, though, is a sleep sound machine, which can help your baby sleep soundly through the night. There are several reasons you might want to get a machine like this, including some of the following.

First off, if your baby is a light sleeper, this machine could be a big help. Maybe you don’t have much trouble getting your little one to fall asleep, but he wakes up every time there is a noise nearby. This can be frustrating, especially if you have other children who, well, make a lot of noise. A sleep sound machine can fill your baby’s room with soothing white noise, which can drown out other sounds so that he no longer wakes up every time your toddler jumps on the stairs or yells your name.

Secondly, if you have trouble getting your baby to sleep, this can be a very good investment. A sleep sound machine will help mimic the watery sounds that the baby is used to hearing in the womb, which can have a soothing, calming effect on your baby. If your baby is constantly in need of rocking, walking, or back-rubbing to fall asleep, you might try to see if a sleep sound machine works instead.

This is especially important at this stage because this is when you start building your baby’s sleeping habits. Babies who fall asleep without assistance turn into toddlers who fall asleep without assistance, which makes your life a whole lot easier. Most babies need a little bit of help at the beginning, but a sleep sound machine can give them that help, and it can keep on helping as your baby grows up, ensuring that she ends up in your bed a little less often.

Finally, if you simply live in a loud home or a loud area, a machine like this can be a great idea. Even babies who sleep soundly may wake up to dogs barking or sirens blaring on the nearby highway, but, again, a sleep sound machine can help drown out and soften these noises, ensuring that your baby falls asleep and stays asleep so that you can do the same.

There are many great sound machines on the market that are perfect for babies and children such as:

• SleepMate 980a
• Cloudb Gentle Giraffe
• Sleep Sheep