The hair dryer trick
A hair dryer is one of the household sounds parents mention most when they talk about calming a baby. It is steady, it covers other sounds, and it has a soft, airy quality. But running a real hair dryer for half an hour wastes energy, heats the room and is not something you want near a crib. This sound gives you the effect with none of that.
Our hair dryer is made live by your browser: a bright rush of air centered higher than the vacuum, a softer body underneath, the hum of the small motor and its harmonic, which wavers very slightly. Compared with the vacuum, it is lighter and airier; compared with white noise, it is less sharp and has the hum of a real device.
For a baby: low, far, short
The safety advice is the same as for any sleep sound. In 2014, a study in Pediatrics tested 14 infant sleep machines at full volume: all went above 50 decibels at 30 cm from the baby, the level recommended in hospital nurseries, and three went above 85 decibels. Put the phone across the room, keep the volume low, and set a timer so the sound stops when the baby is asleep. Our white noise for babies page covers this in detail.
| Situation | Suggested setting |
|---|---|
| Calming a fussy baby | Volume 3 to 4, timer 15 to 20 min |
| Nap | Volume 2 to 3, timer 30 to 45 min |
| Bedtime | Volume 2 to 3, timer 45 min, then silence |
| Focus for adults | Headphones, low volume, 1 hour |
For adults too
Some adults like the hair dryer sound for focus or sleep: it is bright enough to blur voices, and the motor hum gives it a familiar feel. If it is too bright for you after a while, switch to the fan, which is softer, or to pink noise. The switch is smooth while it plays. And since the sound comes from your browser and not from the device itself, there is no heat, no smell and no risk of leaving a real dryer on.