# White noise for babies: what the AAP says about volume and distance

https://hushmachine.com/blog/baby/white-noise-for-babies-aap-volume-distance · Baby; published 2026-10-31, updated 2026-10-31 · Kallos Labs

> The AAP says to put a sleep machine as far from the baby as possible, set the volume as low as possible and limit how long it runs. It gives no decibel limit and no distance in feet.

If you are looking for white noise for babies and a number to set it to, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not give one. Its advice on the [AAP noise page](https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/environmental-health/promoting-healthy-environments-for-children/noise/) is in three parts: put the machine as far from the baby as possible, set the volume as low as possible and limit how long it runs. This guide walks through what each part means in a nursery and where the numbers you see online come from.

## What is the short answer?

Far away, quiet, and not for long. That is the AAP's advice in full. It comes with no decibel figure, no distance in feet and no number of hours.

The AAP also says that several studies show potential benefits of infant sleep machines, and that one study raised concern about their sound levels. Both statements sit side by side on its page. The advice is a request for care, not a ban. If you are unsure about a particular device, the AAP says pediatricians can [counsel parents who use sleep machines](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/news/Pages/sounds-the-alarm-on-excessive-noise-and-risks-to-children.aspx) about how to use them.

## Step by step: how do you set up a sound machine in a nursery?

Take distance first, then volume, then duration. Each step follows a line from the AAP.

### Distance

HealthyChildren.org, the AAP's parent site, says to [place the machine as far away from the baby's head as possible](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/all-around/Pages/how-noise-affects-your-child.aspx). In a small room that usually means across the room, on a shelf or dresser, with the speaker pointing at the wall or the door. A machine on the crib rail or inside the crib is the opposite of that advice.

### Volume

Start at the lowest setting and raise it only until it covers the sound you want to cover, such as a hallway or a street. The AAP's wording is "as low as possible", which means the setting you find at the quiet end, not the middle of the dial.

A sound-level meter app on a phone can show you the level in your room. Take it as a reading of your room on that day. It is not a safe number from us, and the AAP does not give one either.

### Duration

HealthyChildren.org says to use a sleep machine for a short time only. A timer with a fade-out does this without anyone walking in to switch it off. You can find more in our [baby sound guides](https://hushmachine.com/blog/baby).

## What does the published advice say, and where do the numbers come from?

The AAP's parent pages contain no decibel limit, so figures like 50 or 85 come from somewhere else. Here are the two you will meet most often.

| Figure | Where it comes from | What it is not |
|---|---|---|
| 50 dBA | The limit used for hospital nurseries, cited in a 2014 study of infant sleep machines | An AAP setting for a home nursery |
| 85 dB averaged over 8 hours | An adult workplace standard | A level the AAP considers safe for children |

The 50 dBA figure comes from a 2014 paper in Pediatrics, [Infant Sleep Machines and Hazardous Sound Pressure Levels](https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/133/4/677/32749/Infant-Sleep-Machines-and-Hazardous-Sound-Pressure). The authors tested 14 machines at their maximum volume. That is a worst case, and most people do not run a machine at its maximum. The paper is the study the AAP's noise page refers to when it says one study raised concern about sound levels.

The 85 dB figure is a workplace rule for adults, averaged over 8 hours. The AAP says it is [intended for adults and should not be assumed safe for children or teens](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/news/Pages/sounds-the-alarm-on-excessive-noise-and-risks-to-children.aspx). So a machine that stays under 85 dB has not been shown to be fine for a baby by that fact alone.

For the adult side of the same question, see [how loud is too loud for listening all night](https://hushmachine.com/blog/sound-science/how-loud-is-too-loud-for-listening-all-night).

## What are the common mistakes?

Most of these come from a number that has lost its source.

- Running the machine at maximum. The 2014 study measured machines at maximum, which is the setting the AAP's "as low as possible" points away from.
- Putting it on or next to the crib. The advice is about distance from the baby's head.
- Quoting a blog's number as the AAP's. Some sites state a distance or a decibel limit and attribute it to the AAP. The AAP pages above do not contain one, so check the link before you trust the figure.
- Letting it run all night by default. The AAP says to limit duration. For the adult side of that habit, see [what studies say about white noise all night](https://hushmachine.com/blog/sleep/sleeping-with-white-noise-all-night).
- Counting a sound machine as part of the sleep setup. The AAP's 2022 [safe sleep advice](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/news/Pages/safe-sleep-back-is-best-avoid-soft-bedding-inclined-surfaces-and-bedsharing.aspx) is about the baby sleeping alone, on their back, on a firm, flat surface with no soft items, in the parents' room. A sound machine does not change any of that.

## How can you try it with Hush Machine?

Hush Machine, coming to iPhone, makes [white noise](https://hushmachine.com/sounds/white-noise) live on the phone, so nothing loops or repeats, and one dial moves from white to deep brown. It has a timer and a fade, which suits the AAP's "limit duration" advice, and nothing leaves the phone. Set the phone across the room, start at the quietest setting and set the timer before you leave.

## Bottom line

The AAP's advice is far, low and short, and it gives no numbers. If a page gives you a number and says it is the AAP's, open the link and read the AAP's own words. For questions about your own device, ask your pediatrician.

## Questions

### Does the AAP give a decibel limit for baby sound machines?

Not on its parent pages. The AAP says to set the volume as low as possible, place the machine as far from the baby as possible and limit how long it runs. It gives no number for any of the three.

### How far from the crib should a sound machine be?

The AAP gives no distance, only as far away as possible and away from the baby's head. A machine across the room is farther away than one on the crib rail.

### Should white noise run all night for a baby?

The AAP's advice is to limit how long a sleep machine runs, and HealthyChildren.org says to use one for a short time only. A timer with a fade-out does that without getting up.

### Where does the 50 dBA figure come from?

A 2014 study in Pediatrics measured 14 machines at maximum volume and compared them with the limit used for hospital nurseries. It is a worst-case measurement, not an AAP setting for your home.


## Sources

- [AAP: Noise Exposure](https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/environmental-health/promoting-healthy-environments-for-children/noise/)
- [HealthyChildren.org: How Noise Affects Children](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/all-around/Pages/how-noise-affects-your-child.aspx)
- [HealthyChildren.org: AAP Sounds Alarm on Excessive Noise Risks to Children](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/news/Pages/sounds-the-alarm-on-excessive-noise-and-risks-to-children.aspx)
- [Pediatrics: Infant Sleep Machines and Hazardous Sound Pressure Levels](https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/133/4/677/32749/Infant-Sleep-Machines-and-Hazardous-Sound-Pressure)
- [HealthyChildren.org: Safe Sleep, Back is Best](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/news/Pages/safe-sleep-back-is-best-avoid-soft-bedding-inclined-surfaces-and-bedsharing.aspx)