White Noise Machines & Their Advantages

Ambient sound has long been the remedy for sleepless nights. White noise is one recommended ambient noise. It is pleasing and contains no distracting words or tones. In addition to being a sleep aid, white noise machines can help people with other medical conditions. They also have uses outside of the medical realm.

Privacy

White noise machines can be used to create an audible wall of privacy in homes with close quarters. The white noise machine doesn't drown the voices from the next room. However, it does cause enough of an audible distraction that the people outside the room containing the white noise machine cannot hear what is going on. Ryan Howes, a psychologist and writer for "Psychology Today," writes about using his white noise machine to mask the counseling sessions from the people in the waiting room. In this way, the white noise is an audible cover.

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is the ringing in the ear, a symptom of several conditions including ear infections, head injuries, Meniere's disease and wax buildup. The condition can be chronic or occasional. Whenever it occurs, tinnitus does disrupt sleep patterns. The white noise machines offer a sound that masks the buzzing, whistling and ringing that is tinnitus. It may not get rid of the tinnitus sounds completely, but it can make the sufferer comfortable enough to get some sleep.

Baby Soother

It is a common mistake among new parents to make the infant's surroundings as fluffy and quiet as possible. However, the infant was created in an environment filled with noise from the mother's heart, the blood rushing through the body, digestion and also the sounds that permeated the womb from the outside. Placing the child in a quiet room is a foreign condition that most infants do not take well to. Some parents have found that the vacuum cleaner, dryer or dishwasher offers comfort for the infant. The reason is white noise. A white noise machine in the nursery is all you need to provide comfort for a newborn.

For Kids With ADHD

A Harvard University presentation on dealing with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in children provided another use for the white noise machine. It seems that the white noise provides the stimulus needed for the child with ADHD to be able to focus on the tasks at hand. The presentation described how children with ADHD are easily distracted by noise, movement and anything else that goes on around them. These distractions inhibit their ability to focus on the schoolwork that must be completed. The child's brain needs something other than the mundane task in order to stay focused. The white noise machine offers the stimulus needed to help the child focus on his work.