White noise is great for sleep, as it covers up unwanted sounds like traffic and noisy neighbours, letting you doze off more peacefully. It also gives your mind something to focus on whilst you're trying to power down for the evening. For babies, it can be used as a regular white noise machine while for adults it can help to calm anxiety.

Thanks to an accessible clipper, you can just attach it to the pram and go - but it also has a flat bottom for bedside use. If you live with a partner whose snoring impacts your sleep, then a white noise machine might help in making that less disruptive. It’s also worth considering for babies sleeping next to parents or siblings that have later bedtimes. Who might benefit from using white noise machines? Relaxing Sounds- The LUMI App offers a selection of 34 calming sounds, including classic white noise, gentle pink noise, and deep brown noise. Immerse yourself in the tranquil sounds of light rain and distant thunderstorms, or comfort your baby with shushing sounds and the familiar tones of a womb heartbeat. While your baby is still young, it attaches to the side of a cot and gently coaxes your baby to sleep. The exterior is made from a soft, huggable fabric that won’t irritate your baby’s delicate skin, and can be used with newborns.

There are a number of benefits to using a white noise machine. For example, it acts as a cue to tell your child it’s time for sleep. As part of a napping or bedtime routine, your child will soon learn that once the machine is turned on, it’s time to go to bed.

The machine also features a nightlight and has sensors that automatically switches the machine on, which means less work for you. More than 20 sounds, including thunderstorm sounds, ocean sounds, wind chimes, brown noise and jungle night Personalising your routine is straightforward. I love snuggling down to blue-hued rainfall, it takes my mind off the tinnitus ringing in my ears. There are three fan noises: floor, wall and regular. They’re not notably different from each other, but I appreciate the versatility. It has three light intensities depending on how your baby responds to the lights, and automatically turns off after 25 minutes (15 minutes if sound is on).It offers 11 different soothing sounds in total: six of which are for babies and include lullabies, and five that adults can enjoy too (if you enjoy being lulled off to sleep with white noise). There’s a wide range of volume levels (32 in total) and it’s surprisingly clear and powerful for its size. Don’t forget, however, that white noise machines shouldn’t be left on too loud or close to baby’s ears. Once fully charged, it lasts for 5-8 hours, depending on whether you are using the accompanying night light with it. sounds including 10 different types of fan, including industrial and box fan, as well as calm ocean and surf You can, of course, find free white noise videos on YouTube and noise-generating mobile apps. These are handy if you’re away from home, or if the batteries in your white noise machine run out – but you’ll have to leave your phone or tablet in your baby’s room overnight, so a dedicated machine is more convenient. Here’s our guide to the best white noise machines for babies.

The best baby white noise machines don't have to cost a fortune - and often come with extra features such as nightlights or light projectors too. The machine is suitable from birth and has a timer button that you simply press to switch it on for 20 minutes. For babies, white noise is like a cozy reminder of the womb, helping them sleep more soundly and most importantly- stay asleep for longer!Pink noise is white noise with the higher frequency sounds turned down. It’s thought to be less harsh, more natural: similar to steady rain or wind rustling through trees. Sounds that otherwise keep you awake, like neighbours talking, car doors slamming or partners snoring, may sound softer and less disturbing through pink noise. What is brown noise? One BabyCentre parent said:"I’ve bought the snuzcloud because it looks nicer and the nightlight looks a lot better as well. Snuzcloud glows calming pink or soft white." Specs One of the Alexa’s hidden talents is its ability to play ten hours of undisturbed white noise in one go without you having to sign up to anything. You can ask it to set a timer to turn off too. In the skill store, you’ll find a raft of other options from Sleep Sounds, including forest birds, wind chimes, city rain and underwater sounds. Plus, with many white noise machines, you can adjust the volume and control how long the sounds play to suit your baby. Minute Timer- The noise machine can be played continuously all night, or you can set up a 30, 60 or 90 minute timer to switch off the sounds and lights after the preferred time.

There are nine colours of noise available on Headspace and I’m still not sure which of them is best for me. My tired brain can’t fathom the maundering explanations, with red described as being ‘rich, like a good meal’ and blue being ‘refreshing, like a glass of sparkling water’. Each is digitally created and designed to mimic a natural environment, so the sounds aren’t too harsh, even if you turn the volume right up. My baby responded best to the straight white noise, but we preferred to hear the summer night sounds playing into our room via the monitor. Like others in this list, it’s portable, but it will fit a little more snugly – and more discreetly – than the plush versions. It has 24 different sounds, seven colour options and five levels of brightness depending on what you need it for. This compact sleep aid is also rechargeable - with up to 10 hours of use each time - so you don’t need to keep swapping out batteries. White noise machines emit soothing sounds designed to mimic the noises your little one heard in the womb, from a heartbeat to a droning whoosh. Placed in or near your baby’s crib, these machines aim to make your child feel comfortable and safe. They can also be called pink noise machines or advertised as both white and pink noise machines.READ NEXT: The best baby toys to buy What other considerations are there when choosing a white noise machine? The Dreamegg D11 white noise machine is one to seriously consider – especially if you travel a lot and are looking for a compact option. The contemporary design is a nice alternative to the more cutesy versions available, and the rechargeable battery can be topped up with a standard USB cable. Parents in our BabyCentre community recommended this Glow Dreaming unit to other parents looking for advice on sleep aid machines that had worked for them. Tommee Tippee’s Ollie the Owl is one of the most popular sleep aids around and this is a miniature version of that. A small, compact design, it emits white and pink noise, and gentle nature sounds - all at the touch of a button.