Nala
The baby finally falls asleep on you. You put them down, step back, and the first creak of the floor wakes them. Or you start white noise on your phone, lock it, and the sound stops with the screen. Or it plays, then cuts to silence at the end of the timer and the baby startles awake. I built Nala's sounds so none of that happens.
Before you start: keep it low and away from the crib. Read How loud should white noise be for a baby?
How to play white noise with your iPhone locked
- Start white noise. Open Nala, tap the sound button and pick White Noise. It's free.
- Lock your iPhone. Lower the volume, put the phone as far from the crib as the room allows, and press the side button. If you like, set a sleep timer first: 15, 30, 45, 60 or 120 minutes, or any length.
- It keeps playing. The screen goes dark and the sound carries on. The loops are long, so you don't hear them start over. When the timer ends, the sound fades out over one minute.
Listen to Nala's sleep sounds
Five of the 27 sounds, straight from the app. Hover over a picture to listen, or tap it on a phone.
White noise vs pink noise vs brown noise
- White noise has the same energy at every frequency. It sounds like a steady hiss, like a radio between stations.
- Pink noise has less energy in the high frequencies, so it sounds softer, closer to steady rain.
- Brown noise drops the highs even more. It's a low rumble, like a waterfall heard from a distance.
There's no good evidence that one color works better for babies than another. Pick the one that sounds least harsh in your room, at a low volume. Nala has all three: white noise is free, pink and brown come with Nala+. More in the guide White vs pink vs brown noise.
Free white noise vs Nala+ sounds
| Free | Nala+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Sounds | White noise | All 27: pink and brown noise, womb, heartbeat, fan, vacuums, hair dryer, rain, waves, fire, birds and 6 lullabies |
| Keeps playing with the phone locked | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep timer with a 1 minute fade | Yes | Yes |
| Loud volume warning | Yes | Yes |
| Ads or account | None | None |
Nala+ is a subscription with a free trial, through the App Store.
Why white noise can help
A steady sound covers the small noises of the house, a door, a car outside, a sibling, that can wake a light sleeper. In a small study of 40 newborns, 80% fell asleep within five minutes with white noise, against 25% without it (1). Australia's Raising Children Network says white noise might soothe a baby who wakes easily, as long as it stays low and away from the baby's ears (2). It doesn't work for every baby, and a baby can come to rely on the sound to fall asleep (2).
How to keep white noise low and away from the crib
Volume is the part to get right. A 2014 study measured 14 infant sleep machines at full volume: at 30 cm, all of them went over 50 dB, the level hospital nurseries aim to stay under, and three went over 85 dB (3). The authors advise putting the sound as far from the baby as possible, never on the crib rail, at a low volume (4).
- Far from the crib. As far as the room allows, ideally about 7 feet (2 meters), and never in or on the crib.
- Low volume. Aim for the level of a quiet conversation.
- Nala's warning is a reminder, not a meter. If your iPhone's volume setting is high while a sound plays, Nala offers to turn it down. It reacts to the volume setting only; it doesn't measure the decibels that reach the crib. You can switch the warning off in Settings.
- Use the timer. Many parents only need the sound to get the baby to sleep, not all night.
- Expect a habit. If relying on the sound worries you, lower it a little over a few nights.
Questions parents ask
Does the white noise keep playing when my iPhone is locked?
Yes. Nala's sounds keep playing with the phone locked, so you can lock the screen, put the phone down and leave the room. A sleep timer can fade the sound out over one minute when you want it to stop.
Which sounds does Nala have?
27 sounds: white, pink and brown noise; womb and heartbeat; fan, two vacuums, hair dryer, clothes dryer and washing machine; car ride and airplane cabin; rain on a tent, rain on the car, ocean waves, calm sea, stream, two fires and birds; and 6 lullabies. White noise is free, the others come with Nala+.
How loud should white noise be for a baby?
Low, about the level of a quiet conversation, and as far from the crib as the room allows. Hospital nurseries aim for around 45 to 50 dB, and a 2014 study found sleep machines at full volume went well past that. Nala warns you when your iPhone volume setting is high, but it does not measure the sound level at the crib.
Will the white noise stop suddenly and wake my baby?
No. When the sleep timer ends, Nala lowers the sound over a full minute before it stops, so there is no sudden silence.
Get white noise, free
Sources
- Spencer JA et al. White noise and sleep induction. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 1990.
- Raising Children Network. Light, noise and baby sleep: FAQs.
- Hugh SC et al. Infant sleep machines and hazardous sound pressure levels. Pediatrics, 2014.
- CNN Health. Sound machines for babies: Too loud? Too close? 2014.