The nightlight automatically changed color at the time I set in the schedule. “When it turned blue, my kiddos knew it was time to begin getting ready for the day, and when it turned green, it was sleepy time.” I found it easy to set a time-to-rise light using the “schedule” tab in the app. Sittercity nanny expert Jada Rashawn says it worked well with her toddler charges. It’s a light setting that lets kids know when it’s time to get up, and it means the Hatch remains useful past babyhood. However, the Hatch’s time-to-rise function is what makes it our best-in-class pick. Laura Purdy likes to use the nightlight function for night feedings, but it’s nice for older kids too: “My daughter loves being able to pick a different nightlight color every bedtime,” notes Poppylist co-founder and CTO Tamiz Ahmed. If your child is especially sensitive to the light, I appreciated that you can switch the nightlight on and off using the on-unit controls as well as in the app. At 50 percent brightness, I was able to navigate a room with the rest of the lights off - at full power, I can imagine being able to deal with a quick diaper change. It blocked out the ambient noises from outside even with the window open. When I tested the Rest overnight, I was pleased with the audio quality - there was no distortion at full volume. There are a total of 16 free sounds - including white noise, heartbeat, rain, and ocean - and it’s easy enough to find them in the “sleep sounds” tab of the app. I just downloaded the app, plugged it in, connected it to my Wi-Fi network, and it was good to go. The Hatch Rest was recommended by five of our experts, so I wanted to try it out for myself. Sounds: 15 free sounds, content library access for $49.99 yearly Extra features: Nightlight, time-to-rise function, Wi-Fi connectivity, app-controlled And if you’re looking for more baby sleep essentials, I’ve also written about the best cribs and the best baby mattresses. Whether you want a basic baby sound machine, a portable baby sound machine, or a sound machine that will grow with your baby into childhood, there’s an option to fit your needs. I spoke to 12 parents and experts, including pediatric sleep consultants and a family doctor, to get their recommendations for baby sound machine - and then I began to test them out. Or if you want a sound machine you can continue to use outside of the baby stage, you might want one that acts as a time-to-rise clock or has other downloadable content such as sleep stories for kids.Įven with those parameters, there are a lot of options with white noise machines, shushers, and machines that play heartbeat sounds or nature sounds, and it’s not always clear which one to buy. For instance, if you struggle to get your baby to nap while you’re out of the house, you’ll want a portable option. After that, the best baby sound machine is the one that suits your lifestyle. (When I tested our best overall product - the Hatch Baby Rest - it masked noise from the street even with the window open). So you want a sound machine that can comfortably mask ambient noise while positioned at least 30 centimeters away from your child. During my research I found a study stating that some baby sound machines can exceed a safe volume when used too close to a baby, which could result in hearing damage. The next thing to understand is what makes a baby sound machine great. Pink noise is akin to natural sounds like the ocean, while brown noise can be compared to “strong wind or low thunder.” “It is very high-pitched and sounds like static from an old TV,” plus it’s the “most effective at blocking out background noise.” Then, brown noise and pink noises are considered gentler and more relaxing by some. “White noise is the most well known of all the options,” says pediatric sleep consultant Eva Klein of My Sleeping Baby. Do you opt for a rocket-shaped shusher or a teddy bear with a heartbeat? Do you choose white noise, brown noise, or pink noise? Can you just use the adult white-noise machine that you already own? The first thing to understand is the differences between the noises available. And then you’ve probably despaired at the choices available to you. If you’re struggling with your baby’s sleep schedule, you’ve probably considered a baby sound machine.

Sleep machines for adults