Best Baby Sound Machines for Soothing Sleep

Written by Ilona Bannister

Published on November 10, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links; please see our terms of use for details.

• White noise has been proven to help newborns fall asleep faster. 
• Baby sound machines produce white noise to help block out environmental sounds that may distract or overstimulate babies and young children and disturb their sleep. 
• Many sound machines on the market offer different kinds of sound in addition to other useful features, like night lights, sleep training clocks, or Bluetooth speakers. 
• It’s important to be mindful of the volume of any noise machine to protect your baby’s hearing. 
• It is also important to help your child learn to self-soothe to fall asleep, so they do not become dependent on the sound machine in all sleep settings. 

While parents in the past may have turned on a fan or a vacuum cleaner to help soothe their crying, sleepy babies, today’s parents have a lot more choices when it comes to creating a soothing sleep environment for their little ones. 

Newborns are often comforted by white noise and heartbeat sounds which may remind them of their time in the womb and make them feel safer and less anxious. 

Scientists have also found that white noise blocks out external stimuli to make getting to sleep easier and faster without distracting or overwhelming babies with external noise from the environment. 

So if your child is struggling to get to sleep and stay asleep, a white noise machine might be able to help. There are so many options on the market, today’s babies are spoiled for choice when it comes to soothing sounds for sleep. 

Take a look at our picks for the best baby sound machines for soothing sleep. 

Hatch Rest Baby Sound Machine: Best Overall 

No products found.

The Hatch Rest Baby Sound Machine does so much more than just make white noise. If you’re looking for a multi-purpose, multi-functional sleeping device that you can use with your kids from infancy to toddlerhood, this is it. 

The Hatch Baby Rest includes many sounds including different kinds of white noise, nature sounds like ocean waves, and lullabies. You can expand the library of music and sound through an additional Hatch Sleep Membership. 

Not only is it a good sound machine with a lot of variation, but it’s also a lovely night light, with a range of color options which can also aid and promote better sleep. 

The clock includes a time-to-rise feature, which changes color to help early-rising toddlers understand when it’s time to stay in bed and when it’s time to get up. 

The Hatch Rest is also portable and rechargeable so you can take it with you on car trips and vacations or wherever you may need it.  

Although it’s expensive, when you consider how much you might end up spending on purchasing separate night lights, sleep training clocks, and sound machines, it may be worth your while to have all these functions in one device. 

Power Source: ‎Corded Electric | Special Features: Portable, Dimmable | Dimensions: 4.2 x 4.2 x 6.61 inches
View on Amazon | View on Walmart.com | View on Target.com

Dreamegg White Noise Machine: Best Portable White Noise Machine 

No products found.

The Dreamegg White Noise Machine is a low-cost, portable, baby white noise machine that you’ll want to take with you everywhere. 

The Dreamegg is small and comes with an easy-to-use lanyard, so you can attach it to your baby’s stroller or car seat. With its long lasting rechargeable battery, you don’t have to worry about it running out of steam when you’re on the go. 

Despite the price and simplicity of the Dreamegg, it’s far from basic. It has six different white noise options including fan sounds, seven baby noise options, and eight natural sounds, so you’re sure to find your baby’s favorite. 

It’s easy to throw this device in your diaper bag. Although it doesn’t offer a night light, its buttons do glow in the dark for nighttime use. As far as baby noise machines go, the Dreamegg is a great portable sound machine option. 

Power Source: Battery Powered | Special Features: Long-Lasting Battery | Dimensions: 4 x 3.7 x 1.8 inches
View on Amazon | View on Dreamegg.com | View on eBay.com

Yogasleep Duet White Sound Machine and Night Light: Best Sound Machine with Bluetooth Speaker 

No products found.

So often we buy baby gear that doesn’t really have a purpose or look that we can use beyond the baby years. However, the Yogasleep Duet White Sound Machine is a brilliant device that everyone in the family will find a use for well after it’s outgrown by your baby. 

The Yogasleep Duet includes 30 different sounds, a timer, and a soothing amber night light with adjustable brightness. 

The genius of it is that it also includes an integrated Bluetooth speaker, so it can be used by anyone in your family as a portable speaker to play your music, sounds, or podcasts. 

Once your baby has mastered getting to sleep, the modern look of this small sound machine will fit in anywhere else in your home where you may want to use it. This is one sound machine that is worth the investment because of its potential long-term use. 

Power Source: Corded Electric| Special Features: Night Light, Bluetooth-Wireless | Dimensions: 3.4 x 3.4 x 4.4 inches
View on Amazon | View on Walmart.com | View on Target.com

Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Sound Machine: Best Basic White Noise Machine  

No products found.

If you’re looking for a basic sound machine without all of the complicated bells, apps, and whistles, the Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Sound Machine is an inexpensive way to get the job done. 

The Homedics SoundSleep machine offers six basic sounds, including white noise, ocean sounds, thunder and rain. It has a timer and adjustable volume. It’s portable, lightweight, and slim. 

Although it’s not as aesthetically sleek and attractive as other machines, and some users feel that the sound quality could be improved, at this price point, it does exactly what you need the best baby sound machine to do. 

Power Source: Battery Powered | Special Features: Auto-Off Timer and Volume Controls | Dimensions: 6 x 6 x 2 inches
View on Amazon | View on Walmart.com | View on Homedics.com

SNOOZ Smart White Noise Machine: Best for Checking Nursery Volume 

No products found.

The SNOOZ Smart White Machine is different to its competitors. Rather than using recorded white noise on a loop and sending it through a speaker, the white noise of the SNOOZ is produced by a fan inside the device. 

The makers of the SNOOZ claim that their white noise is better as it comes from the actual source and users don’t have to put up with glitchy sound coming through low quality speakers. 

Also, as the noise is natural and random, your brain does not stay active trying to detect the pattern that other white noise machines produce. 

What also makes the SNOOZ stand out is the app that you can use to set its timer and night light. Importantly, it also calibrates the level of noise in your baby’s nursery, an important feature that other sound machines don’t offer. 

The SNOOZ is nice looking, portable, and easy to use. It’s one of the most expensive sound machines on this list, which is surprising given that it only offers one sound. 

However, users of this machine claim that the white noise is of higher quality than with other machines and therefore it’s worth the price. 

Power Source: Corded Electric | Special Features: Travel friendly, portable design | Dimensions: 5.65 x 5.65 x 3.15 inches
View on Amazon | View on Walmart.com | View on Getsnooz.com

Echo Dot 5th Gen: Best for Versatility 

No products found.

If you already have an Echo Dot for your Alexa, you might be thrilled to learn that you can download free white noise sounds to use for your baby at bedtime so that you can use it as a sound machine.  

It has great quality sound, and as your child gets older, you can stream unlimited lullabies and stories.

The voice-activated Echo is easy to use and offers lots of sound options. However, it’s not specifically designed for nursery use, so you may want to keep it out of reach of your toddlers. 

The Echo has a modern design, but if you’re looking for something that suits your nursery decor, check out the Echo Dot Kids.

No products found.

While it doesn’t have the baby features of other sound machines, like a night light or sleep training clock, the long-term, multi-use device can be used by multiple members of your family for years to come. 

Power Source: Corded Electric | Special Features: Alexa Built-in, Handsfree, Voice Control | Dimensions: 3.53 x 3.94 x 3.94 inches
View on Amazon | View on Walmart.com | View on Target.com

Momcozy Baby Sound Machine:  Best Budget Multipurpose Machine  

No products found.

The Momcozy Baby Sound Machine provides many of the features of more expensive competitors but at a more reasonable price. 

The Momcozy provides 34 sounds with a range of white noise, nature sounds, and lullabies to choose from. It also has an LED night light with seven relaxing and soothing color options. In addition, it has an auto shut-off timer and alarm clock. 

Like its more expensive counterparts, the Momcozy can be controlled via an app on your smartphone. It also has a clever sleep routine feature which allows you to customize sound, color, volume and brightness to an automatic sleep schedule based on your and your baby’s preferences. 

Parents have found that the charging cord can be temperamental and that charging of the device can be inconsistent. However, with so many other great features, the Momcozy is definitely worth a try.  

Power Source: Battery Powered | Special Features: Wi-Fi Compatible, Sleep-Wake Routine | Dimensions: 4.70 x 4.48 x 4.48 Inches
View on Amazon | View on Walmart.com | View on Momcozy.com

What Are Baby Sound Machines?

Baby sound machines range from simple white noise machines to advanced nighttime devices with multiple features including different sound options, heartbeat sounds, music, night lights, and sleep training clocks. 

However, the basic premise is the same. A baby sound machine produces soothing, quiet, calming sounds which block out other environmental noises and comforts your baby to help them fall asleep and stay asleep.   

Baby sound machines may offer three kinds of ambient sounds that lull babies to sleep:

• White noise: like static from a television or radio which mimics the sound of the womb
• Brown noise: which has a lower frequency than white noise, like rainfall or thunder
• Pink noise: like white noise but more consistent with lower frequency, like a waterfall

These types of noise are especially effective for infant sleep. A baby sound machine may also offer a number of sounds which appeal to children as they get older like nature sounds or soft music.  

Do Sound Machines Help Babies Sleep?

In 1990, a study in the Archives of Disease in Childhood¹1. Spencer, J. A., Moran, D. J., Lee, A., & Talbert, D.. White noise and sleep induction. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 1990;65(1), 135–137. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.65.1.135 found that among very young newborns, 80% fell asleep within five minutes of exposure to white noise. 

Researchers concluded that because the white noise masked other noise in the environment, it removed extra stimuli and calmed the babies, allowing them to fall asleep faster. 

It is also widely theorized that white noise mimics the environmental noise of the womb which young infants find comforting. Young babies may feel safe and less anxious when they hear heartbeat sounds which remind them of the womb environment that they left behind. 

Practically, white noise machines can mask street noise, loud older siblings, or other household noises during naptime and bedtime, removing distractions and making it easier for your baby to fall asleep. 

They can be helpful in sleep training and create a soothing sleep environment as part of the bedtime routine, signaling to your child that it is time for sleep. 

Are there negative effects of using baby sound machines? 

While baby sound machines can be very helpful when your baby has difficulty with sleep, there are factors you should also be aware of when using them. 

Volume and Hearing Development

The American Academy of Pediatrics²2. American Academy of Pediatrics Sounds the Alarm on Excessive Noise and Risks to Children’s Hearing in Updated Policy Statement. American Academy of Pediatrics. 2023. https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/conference-news-releases/american-academy-of-pediatrics-sounds-the-alarm-on-excessive-noise-and-risks-to-childrens-hearing-in-updated-policy-statement cautions parents to be mindful of the volume of baby sound machines to ensure that frequent exposure to the noise will not damage their child’s hearing in the long term. 

An AAP study in 2014³3. Hugh, S. C., Wolter, N. E., Propst, E. J., Gordon, K. A., Cushing, S. L., & Papsin, B. C.. Infant Sleep Machines and Hazardous Sound Pressure Levels. Pediatrics. 2014;133(4), 677–681. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2013-3617 found that many baby sound machines are capable of producing sound above 50 decibels, which is the upper noise limit for babies in hospital nurseries. 

Pediatricians recommend that if you use a baby sound machine, you should keep it at least seven feet away from where your baby is sleeping and keep the volume below the maximum setting. 

Dependence on Sound Machines for Sleep 

Another potential disadvantage of sound machines is that your baby could become reliant on white noise or other ambient noise in order to fall asleep. 

Your child could develop a sleep association which means that when they are without the sound machine, for example, in a daycare setting at naptime, they may struggle to fall asleep or not sleep at all, creating another host of problems. 

If you use the white noise machine at all nap times and bedtimes, your child may become overtired and fight sleep when you’re on vacation, visiting relatives, or in any other setting where they don’t have the machine. 

Like rocking or holding your baby until they fall asleep, if you use the baby sound machine consistently, your baby may become dependent on it for sleep. Trying to sleep train your baby or teach them to self-soothe and learn to sleep on their own may become very difficult. 

How to Choose the Best Baby Sound Machine

There are so many baby sound machines on the market, ranging from basic white noise machines to advanced devices with other features, like night lights or clocks. 

Consider the following when shopping for a baby sound machine: 

References

1. Spencer, J. A., Moran, D. J., Lee, A., & Talbert, D. (1990). White noise and sleep induction. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 65(1), 135–137. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.65.1.135
2. American Academy of Pediatrics Sounds the Alarm on Excessive Noise and Risks to Children’s Hearing in Updated Policy Statement. American Academy of Pediatrics. (2023, October 21). https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/conference-news-releases/american-academy-of-pediatrics-sounds-the-alarm-on-excessive-noise-and-risks-to-childrens-hearing-in-updated-policy-statement
3. Hugh, S. C., Wolter, N. E., Propst, E. J., Gordon, K. A., Cushing, S. L., & Papsin, B. C. (2014). Infant Sleep Machines and Hazardous Sound Pressure Levels. Pediatrics, 133(4), 677–681. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2013-3617