A “shhh” that never gets tired
Shushing is probably the oldest baby sleep sound: parents everywhere make a long “shhh” to calm a crying baby. It works for many babies, but it is tiring to do for twenty minutes, especially at 3 a.m. This page does it for you.
The shush is made live by your browser: a soft, breathy noise centered on the higher middle frequencies, where a real “shhh” sits, that rises quickly, holds, then fades. It repeats every 1.2 seconds over a light breath that never stops completely, so there is no gap of silence between two shushes. The rhythm is steady and calm, like a parent shushing slowly.
How parents use it
Many parents combine shushing with holding, rocking or swaying. The sound can be louder at first while the baby is crying, then lowered as the baby calms down. Once the baby is calm, you can switch to a softer sound like the heartbeat or womb sounds: tap the sound name, the change is smooth.
| Step | Sound | Setting |
|---|---|---|
| Baby is crying | Shushing | Volume 4, phone not too close |
| Baby is calming | Shushing | Volume down to 2 or 3 |
| Baby is asleep | Womb sounds or fan | Volume 2, timer 15 to 30 min |
Volume and distance
When a baby is crying hard, it is tempting to turn the sound up. Be careful. A 2014 study in Pediatrics measured infant sleep machines at full volume and found all of them above 50 decibels at 30 cm from the baby, the level recommended in hospital nurseries, and three above 85 decibels. A phone near the baby’s ear can be just as loud. Keep the phone at arm’s length or across the room, never in the crib, lower the volume as soon as the baby calms, and let the timer end it. Our white noise for babies page covers all the Baby sounds and this advice in detail.
Shushing is not magic: some babies react to it right away, others prefer a deeper sound or simply being held. If the baby keeps crying for a long time or something seems wrong, talk to your pediatrician.