Glossary
White noise
Steady background sound that helps mask household and street noise, useful in shared or thin-walled apartments.
White noise is a steady, consistent background sound, sometimes an actual white noise frequency and sometimes a fan, static or nature sound, played at a constant low volume to help mask sudden or variable noise in a room. In babyproofing and sleep setups, it is used to smooth over sounds like traffic, neighbors, plumbing or a sibling moving around the apartment.
Small apartments and shared bedrooms tend to carry more unpredictable noise than a standalone nursery in a larger home, which is why a dedicated white noise or sound machine is common gear on a small-space nursery list even though it is optional rather than essential. A steady sound can also help mask the normal noise of parents moving around the same room as a sleeping baby.
When choosing a machine, check the volume range and look for one that caps out at a reasonable level rather than only offering very loud settings, since guidance from hearing health groups generally suggests keeping the volume moderate and the machine placed away from the crib rather than directly inside it. A common mistake is running a sound machine at a high volume all night close to the sleep space, when placing it further away at a lower, steady volume serves the same purpose.