Shush Deep Brown Noise for Fussy Babies
Brown noise is the deep, rumbly cousin of white noise: think distant waterfall or the hum inside an airplane cabin. Most of its energy sits in the low frequencies, so it sounds warm and soft rather than hissy.
Why parents like it
- Low and warm, with very little hiss.
- Masks rumbling noises like traffic or a washing machine well.
- Many parents reach for it during long, fussy evenings.
How to use it
- Pair it with holding, rocking or a walk around the room.
- Keep the volume low; deep sounds can feel quieter than they are.
- If crying lasts for hours most days, read our colic guide and talk to your pediatrician.
Every Shush Bean video shows our little bean for one minute, then gently fades to a fully black screen, so your phone or tablet gives off as little light as possible in a dark nursery.
Use sound gently
- Keep it low. Choose the lowest volume that still masks background noise. If you have to raise your voice to talk over it, it is too loud.
- Keep it far. Put the phone or speaker across the room, not in or next to the crib. Researchers who measured infant sleep machines advised keeping them more than 2 metres (about 6.5 feet) away.
- Keep sleep safe. Baby on their back, in their own crib or bassinet, with nothing else in it.
Source: Hugh et al., Pediatrics (2014), as summarized by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Questions
Will brown noise cure colic?
No sound can cure colic. Constant calming sounds are one of the comfort ideas pediatric hospitals suggest for fussy babies, alongside holding, rocking and burping. Talk to your pediatrician about long crying spells.
What is the difference between brown and white noise?
White noise has equal energy across all pitches and sounds hissy. Brown noise puts more energy in the low pitches, so it sounds deeper. See our guide to white, pink and brown noise.
Why does the screen go black?
After one minute the video fades to black so it does not light up the nursery.
