How loud should white noise be for a baby?

Softer and farther than most parents expect. Aim for about 50 decibels where your baby sleeps, with the sound source at least 2 metres (about 7 feet) from the crib.

By the Shushy team · Updated 3 October 2026

The short answer

Children's hospitals advise keeping a baby's sleep sound at or below about 50 dB, roughly the level of a soft conversation or a gentle shower heard from the next room. Put the speaker at least 2 m (7 ft) from the crib, never inside it or on the rail, and use a timer rather than running it at full volume all night.

Where the 50 dB number comes from

In 2014, researchers in Toronto measured 14 infant sleep machines playing all 65 of their sounds at maximum volume. Every machine went over 50 dB, the recommended noise limit for hospital nurseries, and some went past 85 dB, which is the workplace limit for adults over an 8-hour shift. Even 2 metres away, all but one machine stayed above 50 dB at full volume.

The study didn't show that babies were harmed. It showed that these machines can get loud enough to be a risk if they sit close to the crib, play at full volume and run for hours. That's why the advice since then is simple: lower volume, more distance, less time.

How to check the volume at home

Install a free sound-meter app on a second phone.
Start the sound at the volume you normally use.
Hold the meter phone where your baby's head rests and read the level.
If it reads above 50 dB, turn the volume down or move the speaker farther away until it doesn't.

Phone meters aren't lab equipment, but they're good enough to tell 50 dB from 70 dB. If you have to raise your voice to talk over the sound next to the crib, it's too loud.

What about drowning out a cry?

A crying baby is loud, and some parents turn the sound up to match. A brief rise can help get a baby's attention, which is how shushing works, but it shouldn't stay there. Bring the volume back down as soon as your baby starts to settle.

Shushy is built around that pattern. When it hears a cry it rises gradually over about 15 seconds, holds briefly, then eases back to a low base level and eventually fades out. You set the volume ceiling, and the phone stays across the room.

A quick checklist

About 50 dB at the baby's head, no louder than a soft conversation.
Speaker or phone at least 2 m (7 ft) from the crib, out of reach, never in the bed.
Don't leave a charging phone in or next to the crib.
Use a timer or a sound that fades out once your baby is asleep.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. If you're worried about your baby's sleep, hearing or health, talk to your pediatrician.