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How to Use a Sound Machine & a Baby Monitor

September 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Do you struggle to fall asleep?  Do you have a baby?

Do you lie awake at night?

Many people have a hard time tuning out the distractions of the world as they try to fall asleep, which is why many use a sound machine.  The white noise that the sound machine emits is a low-level, soft noise that allows the brain to ignore or tune out other unnecessary noises.  A problem arises, though, when you have a baby in the house.  You can’t exactly turn on white noise in good conscience, for fear of not hearing the baby’s cries.  The result is that many new parents struggle to fall asleep even when baby is asleep because they are lying awake listening to every sound from the street, the wind, the storm, and the neighbors.

Solution: Sound Machine + Baby Monitor

I had this same concern when I brought home both of my babies.  We have a noisy home, and I was so worried about not being able to sleep, but also not wanting to ignore my baby’s needs.  I would stress about it all day, worrying that the night-time sleep I so desperately needed would evade me once again as I listened to the howling wind or the yappy dog next door.  On the other hand, I couldn’t wear ear plugs and block out my new baby’s ever-present needs.

It’s a simple solution, really, but one you may not have thought of.  I’ve found that I can use a sound machine at any volume as long as I have a monitor on the other side of the bed.  Usually, my husband can keep one machine on his side, and I can keep the other on mine.  There’s no interference, and we’re able to get a good night’s sleep, knowing that our children are not calling out for us.

All in all, I love the confidence I feel knowing that my children’s voices are the only thing I’m not blocking!  Even now, past the infancy stage, I still use a sound machine (I just got to turn the monitor off!).

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Sound Machines for College Students

September 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Part of being successful in college is tuning out unnecessary voices.

College Life

It’s nearing the end of September, and doubtless the newness of college life has worn off a bit.  You survived syllabus shock, but those assignments, quizzes, and tests that seemed so far off are now looming large.  It’s hard to motivate yourself to study, but you know you have to study to pass.  It’s not high school any more- guessing rarely turns out well and your teachers are professors who have hundreds of students, making your pleas for leniency less credible.

3 Reasons Every College Student Needs a Sound Machine

Fear not- you are not doomed to failure or stress the entire 4, 5, or 6 years of your college life.  Allow me to suggest a few reasons why every college student needs his or her own sound machine

.

  1. For sleep. Sleep is incredibly important, and sadly, there are no guarantees that you and your roomies will sleep the same schedules.  In fact, I can almost promise you that you won’t.  Instead of feeling frustrated by excessive noise, a sound machine can bring the peace you need to fall asleep.
  2. For downtime. Again, you and your roommates will need downtime at different times based on your daily routine and individual preferences.  If you find yourself wanting a few minutes of peace at the exact same time your roommate is jamming out or having a loud phone call, once again the soothing nature sounds of a sound machine will enable you to tune them out.
  3. For studying. You’ve got a test tomorrow and your roommates are throwing a party.  Yikes.  Instead of flipping out or being the roommate everyone hates because of your complaints, try turning up some noise of your own- white noise.  Proven to reduce distractions and maximize productivity, the white noise used in sound machines physically confuse your brain so that it tunes out unwanted noise.

There’s really no reason not to give white noise a shot…well, maybe you’re a poor college student…well, in that case, here’s a free online generator.  You’re welcome.

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How to Plan for Good Sleep on the Road

September 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Do you ever worry about road trips with kids?

A friend of mine recently took a long driving trip from Georgia to Indiana.  Her children are 1 and 3 and are used to their own space for nap time and bed time.  While my friends knew this trip was relatively short and worst case scenario would mean little sleep for her kids during the 10 day-trip, she also knew how important sleep is to toddlers.  Thus, she made every attempt to protect their sleep and provide as peaceful an environment as possible.

  • Planning the car trip. My friend’s family had to drive 13 hours to make it from the south up to the Midwest.  On the drive there, they decided to split to the trip into 2 days so everyone could be well-rested upon arrival.  There’s little worse than being whiny and irritable when you see family.  They knew on the way home, there much less pressure about appearances, so they could push through in one day.

    Planning ahead will make a road trip much easier for everyone.

  • Thinking through accommodations. My friend thought through where they would be staying and where everyone would need to sleep.  She contacted her family in advance to find out what the options were.  Once she knew that, she could mentally prepare herself and the rest of her immediate family for who would be where and when.  She was also able to pack portable sound machines so that the kids could sleep through unfamiliar bumps in the night.
  • Planning for a shared hotel room. Much like us, my friend’s family was not accustomed to sharing a room over night.  Since all 4 members of the family had different bed times, but would be sharing one hotel room, she had to be creative.  If her nursing son saw her in the same room, the game would be over and no one would get much sleep.  Thus, she divided up the room into 2 main areas.  She, her husband, and her older daughter would use the beds on one side,while her small son would sleep in a pack n play on the other side of the room.  She set up the pack n play away from the bathroom and made a make-shift curtain out of an extra sheet.  They hung it from the ceiling with some tape or tacks so that their son would think he was in his own room.  Genius.  Lastly, they used the portable sound machines they had packed to ensure no one would be too bothered by passer-bys in the hallway or even a stray cough or sniff from a family member.
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White Noise for Afternoons Out

September 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Out & About

We turned down too many invitations our of fear.

It took a while, but we finally got our son sleeping well through the night and during naps.  The problem was that he only slept well in his own bed.  That may not seem like much of an issue, and I’d certainly rather him sleep well in his bed since that’s where he sleeps the majority of the time.  However, we do have times we are traveling, or out, or at a friend’s house and our son still needs to take a nap or go down for the night.  Enter portable white noise.   Even though his bed and surroundings are different, he can still fall asleep peacefully with the relaxing and comforting sound of white noise.

Even though we’ve used white noise machines many times in many places, I still found myself nervous when we were invited over to a friend’s house for Sunday lunch.  There was no way around napping our son.  I knew he would sleep, but I was afraid that new people in a new place in a new bed would make him cry and, therefore, make our friends uneasy.  Fortunately, I packed the white noise machine, plugged it in, and put him down.  Our son was asleep in minutes, even though we were far from quiet!  Not only was he able to fall asleep quickly, he also slept for several hours.  I was so relieved that the afternoon went well- we have been turning down nap-time invitations for ages.  Now we can start socializing again without disrupting his daily routine.

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White Noise to Lengthen Naps

September 13, 2010 By 3 Comments

My baby wasn’t sleeping longer than 30 minutes…

What is your baby's sleep worth to you?

I recently interviewed a mom of two who was struggling to get her baby to sleep.  She had rocked her as long as she was able but found that holding a sleeping baby tended to hinder her ability to spend time with her older son (not to mention get any housework done!).  This friend knew that I was a huge fan of white noise and asked to borrow one of our white noise machines.  A few months later, I followed up with her to see how it all turned out.

Interview with a Mom

1. What was going on that made you choose white noise?

My daughter was never napping longer than 30 minutes.  Then I noticed that on days when her brother was out of the house or sleeping at the same time she’d nap much longer. I tried using white noise to see if possibly it was the disruptive noises around the house that were waking her. As soon as I started to use it, she’d nap an hour or more.

2. Were you hesitant to try a white noise generator?

No–I’d used an air purifier in my son’s room that made white noise, I just didn’t have it with me.

3. What was the result?

She napped longer without me having to do anything differently other than having it turned on.

4. Do you use it for both kids?

No, just the baby

5. What do you like about the generator you have?

I didn’t really have any criteria. It makes a good white noise; it’s nice that I can easily bring it somewhere else if i need to…she’s sleeping and that’s the main point.

In summary, my friend was able to just flip a switch and instantly lengthen her baby’s naps. I think we can all agree that baby’s sleep is worth a small investment.

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Office Noise Doesn’t Always Lead to Distraction

September 8, 2010 By 1 Comment

Office Noise Doesn’t Have to Become Distraction

You don't have to become a superhero to deal with office noise.

There are a million distractions at work, most of which can’t be avoided: you have to check your email, endless reports must be filled out, and a blue, sunny sky can’t really be blocked out just because it’s beckoning to you.  However, you do not have to be held captive to other’s people’s noise.  Their phone calls, pounding on keyboards (which is a terrible ergonomic practice anyway), exuberant sales pitches, and just general office chatter do not have to derail you day after day.  You have several options:

3 Tips for Fewer Distractions

  1. Talk to them.  It may sound hypocritical- talk to co-workers about their loud talking…but, in all seriousness, have a relaxed, non-threatening conversation about toning it down when possible.   Ask if there’s anything you can do to make their work day a little smoother.
  2. Time block.  Some people find it helpful to lay out their schedules and physically block off time for emailing, phone calls, ad computer work.  Some also find it necessary to escape their desks for various blocks of time and choose to reserve a conference room.
  3. Try a sound machine.  It may be that option #1 simply isn’t going to cut it with your co-workers and option #2 doesn’t alleviate enough noise.  Some temperaments just can’t handle such dialogue without becoming defensive or retaliatory.  If that’s your situation, a desktop sound machine is just the ticket.  It’s loud enough to cover office noise, but low enough to not be a distraction for others.  There are a variety of options, so it’s important to consider your needs before choosing one.

Office noise is inevitable, but office distraction doesn’t  have to be.  Try one or all of these simple solutions for better focus and increased productivity.

Check back next week for tips on choosing a sound machine.

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How to Deal with Room Mate Conflicts

September 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Room Mate Issues

Everybody looks forward to going to college…well, not the classes per se, but all the rest.  Even living with friends, maybe especially living with friends because it’s your first step away form home and being under your parents’ authority….The trouble is that most of us end up having room mates and still have to learn to play nicely with others.  Room mates end up being a whole lot more challenging than parents because they simply don’t love us the way a parent does.  Without unconditional love, it’s much harder to co-habitate.  Whether it’s dishes, cleaning, fridge space, entertaining guests, study hours, or general etiquette, we all have different expectations.  Most of the time a simple, non-agressive conversation will resolve much of the tension.  Here are a few pointers for making it work.

Tips for Dealing with Room Mate Issues

  • Determine your issues and make a list of what you’d like to see improved.
  • Before confronting anyone else, consider where you might be to blame or how they’ll react.
  • Make a second list of things you’d be willing to take ownership of: for example, I’ll take out the trash if you’ll vacuum.  Try to make it a fair compromise.
  • Ask your room mate(s) to sit down for a chat about it.  Make it a relaxed atmosphere and try not to sound angry.
  • Try to set some agreed upon hours for the apartment, including but not limited to: entertaining, studying, sleeping, or cleaning.  If you have boundaries here, everyone is less likely to get frustrated.
  • Try white noise.  Here is a free generator you can run while studying to block noise for when you need pace and quiet.  You might consider a sleep aid for when you need to sleep and everyone else is still up.

Most room mate issues boil down to unmet expectations.  You may feel frustrated that no one honors your time or efforts, but it’s not fair to blame them if you have;t talked about it.  Try having a friendly conversation about what each of you can do to make living together a little ore enjoyable, and be willing to be proactive.

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