Sarah shares her favorite Sleep Baby App via Android that’s both effective and practical to soothing babies during a posed newborn session plus utilizing at home for your Little One’s needs!

Howdy, gang! Good morning! I hope you’re having a fantastic day! As always, thank you for stopping by the blog to see this week’s topic. Today’s post is geared at both photographers, potential clients, and parents of newborn babies because I’m sharing an overview of white noise, soothing techniques, and implementing these at home to mimic a studio environment of peace, serenity, and a calm atmosphere.

What is white noise?

White noise is the ultimate soother when it comes to putting a baby to sleep. This is because this noise is gentle and very consistent; as parents, we often hold our latest addition to our chest, softly bounce them, and whisper, “shh,” over and over. This repetitive sound is calming to your precious baby. White noise mimics this sense of peace because life outside the womb can be a little overwhelming for a baby. Imagine spending nine months in a perfect world; it’s dark, cozy, and everything you need is instantly provided. The womb is all your baby knows. Once they leave this cozy place, the sounds of the world can cause stress or overstimulation for them. White noise is familiar sounds that keep your baby calm and help them drift off to sleep.

In his Huffington Post article, he states that “babies are used to the loud whoosh of blood rushing through the placenta - and it’s even noisier than a vacuum cleaner!” Sounds such as a vacuum cleaner, hairdryer, or car ride are soothing. The result is less stress, more sleeping, less crying, and more sleep for Mom and Dad, too!

Keeping Baby Asleep During a Newborn Session

During the newborn session, I use a white noise app to emulate the environment of the womb. I have tested several options. Please note I am an android user, though I have researched an iPhone option for you, too, since I know Apple products are top-rated as well.

Once you arrive for your appointment, the room is 77 degrees, and white noise runs for the entire duration. This is how your little one sleeps through all of the posing, wrapping, positions, floor props, and parent, sibling, and family posing during our time together. Parents often marvel at how I can seamlessly move through several scenes just by using white noise. I am formally trained in the custom art of infant photography, and part of workshops and mentoring is learning how to handle and soothe babies. I also have four young children myself and use white noise with them during bedtime routines. With four children, my sleep is very precious. I also work full time so keeping the kiddos well rested, as well as myself, makes for a better day for the entire family.

Sarah’s Favorite White Noise App

For the last three years, this has been my go-to choice for white noise during my posed newborn sessions. I also admit, however, I used this when my third baby, Amelia, had a severe case of colic. I remember rocking her for hours on end, rubbing her back, trying to settle her, and then finally realizing I had a fantastic app available to me. The classic, monotonous sounds are compelling in gently lulling babies to sleep. At this point in your child’s life, white noise will be more successful than a typical lullaby for the reasons listed above earlier in this blog post.

My favorite part of this white noise app, via Android, is several options, as each baby is their individual. The app is called White Noise Baby Sleep Sounds and has over 27,000 5 star reviews from parents just like you!

How to implement white noise at home

Once you leave my studio, you’ll probably be interested in white noise if you’re not already using it. Many parents e-mail me post-session and ask what application I had on hand. White noise can use this app at home with these features:

20 white noise sounds + 4 baby lullabies, which is helpful
Infinite Playback or set the timer yourself (very helpful in the studio, too!)
Timer slowly fades out so as not to startle the baby. I love this in-studio because not only does this help me stay on task, but it tells me where I should be in the studio and gently fades so as not to change the noise dynamic too much.
Mixes multiple sounds. Sometimes babies like both the hairdryer and the cat purring, ha! You can mix multiple sounds at once. If you ever had aspirations of being a DJ, let your mommy and daddy vibe carry you away, ha! In all seriousness, this is awesome in the studio because if the client owns pets, I can add that noise into our studio experience and add things like the washer sound, car ride, or classic white noise of the television.
Lightweight, easy to use, and always on hand. Let’s face it: as modern parents, you probably already have your phone near you as you may be logging your baby’s feeds, diaper changes, etc. There are many excellent apps for these options, too, but that’s another blog post!
Works offline, too, so even if you’re in the car or perhaps are in a place without mobile data, ran out of data, or do not have any cell phone service, you’ll still have all these great sounds no matter where your adventure takes you with little one. As a mom to four, I can attest that I have found myself in all sorts of locations with my kiddos, and sometimes they need a nap. It’s great to be able to have the noise even if we’re at a play-date, grabbing lunch, shopping in HEB, or sitting in traffic. Whew! Traffic in Houston is pretty tough, and babies sometimes become stressed when they’re not in motion. This app is a lifesaver!
It also can be used with a Bluetooth speaker. I’ve started doing this in-studio, so if I do not have access to my phone or maybe would like to put it down, this is a good option, too!
Price is free. No ads either!
Babies do not become dependent on white noise, either, so this is great!

You can implement this white noise app at home during your routines. When changing diapers, rocking baby, pumping, nursing, or mixing formula, this will remind your baby of those soothing womb-like noises. You will also be able to reduce stress in babies simply by blocking out the stimulation of the outside world.

Reputable studies, moreover, also show that babies who are exposed to white noise sleep longer than “sleep arousal,” typically every 20 - 45 minutes, wake the baby up, and they may not be able to go back to sleep. The white noise will help navigate this wakeful arousal, so your baby has more restful naps. In-studio and at home, this is excellent news for everyone! Ultimately, the health and safety of the Baby are always the top priority.

Here’s what parents are saying about soothing noises:

“I don’t ever leave reviews but I had to for this app, I have 3 month old twins and a decente sleep too function normally was a thing of the far far past. Well, not anymore, the twins love the different sounds and have been sleeping for much longer now!! As for me, this app is so easy to use and I love that it has a continuous play option!! A sanity saver for sure!!”

“We’ve been using this app in our house at night for almost a year now. I run it on my phone (connected to Bluetooth of course) through the speaker in my son’s room. I turn it on every night about 20 minutes before bed and he begins to wind down right away. He sleeps a million times better! When it shuts off in the morning, he begins to stir on his own within just a few minutes. This has sincerely been fantastic for helping my family stay on a set schedule! The only “ads” are in the tiny area strip across the bottom of the screen and not very distracting at all. They do not interfere with use. I love the versatile updates they’ve added to the app as well. You can customize the UI colors, set timers, have it fade out, mix sounds, and it runs even when you’re offline, so it won’t hog your data!! All in all, this has become an app I can’t live without & I very highly recommend it!!”

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— Hope K.

iPhone Users: Try this one!

Not to be forgotten, I researched a great option for our Apple friends! White Noise Baby works on both the iPhone and iPad, so you have all your bases covered! This application has some elegant features, too. Like the Android white noise, you’ll find a plethora of great features such as the following:

Sounds and music help your baby sleep like a car ride, air conditioner, train ride, conch shells, Doppler ultrasound, hairdryer, fan, vacuum cleaner, blue noise, pink noise, and more! I am ultimately very impressed with this selection, too!
Play sounded when crying detected. The monitor detects crying and will play for 5 minutes, but maybe adjusted to your liking.
High contrast rattle option quiets fussy baby.
Includes important sleeping and safety tips for new infants
Price is .99 cents - total steal!
Has family sharing capabilities, so up to six family members can use this app. This is great for nannies, babysitting, grandparents, or other loved ones who may spend time with your bundle of joy.

As always, friends, thank you for visiting to read more about ways I soothe Baby in the studio and how you can implement this at home. I hope white noise gives you a more restful night, calm baby, and longer naps, too!