Play white noise or shushing sounds

Turn on a white noise machine, a fan, or a phone app that plays steady ambient sound near (but not directly beside) your baby. You can also shush loudly and rhythmically close to your baby's ear. The sound should be about as loud as a running shower to be effective.

Why It Works

The womb is surprisingly loud -- roughly 80-90 decibels of constant blood flow and digestive sounds. White noise replicates this familiar acoustic environment and masks sudden noises that trigger the startle reflex. Continuous sound helps babies transition from active crying to calm wakefulness or sleep.

Tips

• Keep white noise machines at least 7 feet from the baby's head and below 50 decibels for extended use, per AAP-referenced guidelines, to protect hearing
• Steady, low-pitched sounds (fan, shushing, rainfall) work better than high-pitched or musical options for most newborns
• Turn off white noise once the baby is in deep sleep, or use a machine with an auto-shutoff timer
• Your own loud "shhhh" close to the baby's ear can be immediately effective -- match or slightly exceed the volume of the crying
• Avoid using earbuds or headphones on infants