Are white noise machines safe?
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White noise machines generally appear safe for adults, but their use in children's environments, particularly infants, warrants caution due to potential impacts on auditory development. notes that while white noise can help with sleep for both children and parents, studies have shown it can be detrimental to the developing auditory system. It has been observed in animal models that constant exposure to white noise can disrupt the auditory cortical maps, which could potentially affect auditory processing and speech pattern development in humans 1.
Additionally, , a neurosurgeon, discusses the impact of white noise on infants, emphasizing that while it's commonly used to aid sleep, its continuous use might slow the maturation of the brain's auditory areas. This could indirectly affect speech development. He advises considering natural sounds over white noise for soothing infants 2.
For adults, the presence of background white noise, used at a low volume, is not problematic and can even support learning by inducing a heightened state of alertness 3.
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