Latest news with #whiteNoise
Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Neurologist warns against popular sleep aid that could fuel your risk of dementia in later life - 'I'd never use it'
A neurologist has revealed he would never use a white noise machine to help himself sleep—because he claims it may increase your risk of dementia. In a recent video, Dr. Baibing Chen, who posts as Dr. Bing on TikTok, told his 144,500 followers that the machines have been linked to hearing loss, one of the known triggers for the devastating illness. It has become a popular trend to listen to 'white noise'—which sounds similar to a television or radio static—to aid sleep, with devotees streaming the soothing background noise from special machines or phone apps. Some sleep professionals and parenting influencers claim that the steady background noise helps the brain focus less on sudden, disruptive noises that could break concentration or wake them up. But Dr. Bing wants people to think twice before they hunker down for their next static-soundtracked good night's sleep. In a new clip, in which the Michigan-based neurologist shared three things he would never do at night, he said: 'I don't blast my white noise machine. 'Not all of you use white noise machines, but if you do, I get it. I use one. You are probably trying to block out traffic, your partner's snoring, or your dog licking his paw at 2 am in the morning. 'But if it is (set) too loud, that can actually lead to hearing damage over time. And, as I have mentioned in my previous videos, hearing loss is one of the biggest risk factors for dementia later in life.' While it's important to stress that there isn't direct evidence linking white noise machines to an increased risk of dementia later in life, there have been studies linking them to hearing loss. However, if the idea of trying to nod off without any background noise is your idea of a living nightmare, don't fret—just turn it down. Dr. Bing advised to make sure the noise is set to no louder than '50 decibels, max'. He added that if you're unable to set the volume on the device itself, you can check the volume with an Apple watch or by using a free phone app like Decibel X which 'literally takes two seconds'. According to the conclusion of a 2021 study which found that the machines are linked to hearing loss in infants, parents should ensure they are placed at least 30cm away from children, and the volume isn't set to the maximum. In 2024, researchers who reviewed 20 studies found existing data supports the need for limiting maximum volume and duration on white noise devices. And earlier this year, US scientists tracked almost 3,000 elderly adults with hearing loss and found almost a third of all dementia cases could be attributed to the issue. It is difficult to make a direct link between these studies to suggest it backs up his claim, because they looked at different age groups. However, several studies suggested a link between being exposed to noise pollution, which is unwanted or disturbing sounds, and dementia. In Dr. Bing's video, which has been watched more than 15,300 times, the second thing the he revealed he would never do is leave a night light on. He said: 'I know it feels cozy to some people and helps you get to the bathroom without stepping on a piece of Lego. 'But even a small artificial or blue light can lower melatonin, spike your blood sugar and keep your brain in a kind of awake mode all night. 'Instead try to use a motion sensing amber night light. It only turns on when you move and doesn't trick your brain into thinking its sunrise, while your just trying to use the bathroom in peace.' The final thing he said he'd never do at night is getting out of bed too quickly, which he claimed can be linked to brain bleeds. He said: 'One of the most common things I see in the hospital in the middle of the night is people coming into the ER with brain bleeds from fainting.' These patients, he explained, get them 'after getting up from bed or up from the toilet too quickly'. After posting the video, several social media users commented they simply can't go without the white noise or a nightlight.
CNET
28-05-2025
- Health
- CNET
Save Money on a White Noise Machine by Using Your iPhone Instead
Listening to natural sounds can lower stress, relieve perceived pain and foster a more positive disposition, according to research from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Other studies suggest that white noise could help parents get their babies to sleep, adults learn words, and improve learning in environments full of distractions. And if you have an iPhone, it can double as a white noise machine, saving you money on a new device. Read more: White Noise Versus Brown Noise: Which One Is Best for Sleep? When Apple released iOS 15 in 2021, the operating system brought a hidden feature to your iPhone called Background Sounds. It allows you to turn your iPhone into a white noise machine, and you can play these sounds by themselves or under any podcast, music or video streaming app. When Apple first introduced the feature, there were six ambient sounds to play on a loop: rain, stream, ocean, bright, balanced and dark noise, which are different pitches of white noise. When Apple released iOS 18 last September, it added two sounds to the feature: night and fire. So instead of buying a white noise machine, save yourself some money and just use your iPhone. Read more: Everything You Need to Know About iOS 18 Here's how to enable Background Sounds on your iPhone. How to set up Background Sounds on your iPhone 1. Tap Settings. 2. Tap Accessibility. 3. Tap Audio & Visual. 4. Tap Background Sounds. 5. Tap the toggle next to Background Sounds near the top of the menu to enable the feature. In this menu you can also tap Sound to listen to the different noise options. If you're using the feature for the first time, the sounds have to download, so it might take a second. There are also two other toggles in this menu: Use When Media Is Playing and Stop Sounds When Locked. Tapping the toggle next to Use When Media Is Playing allows Background Sounds to keep playing while you watch a video or listen to music. And tapping the toggle next to Stop Sounds When Locked ensures Background Sounds will turn off when your device locks. If you don't have this enabled, the sounds will continue to play when your device locks. How to access Background Sounds from Control Center Instead of searching through Settings each time you want to turn Background Sounds on, here's how you can set up a toggle in the Control Center to turn the feature on to use on your iPhone. I like rain but fire and night are also pleasant. Apple/CNET 1. Open Control Center. 2. Tap the plus (+) sign in the top left of your screen. 3. Tap Add a Control near the bottom of your screen. 4. Tap Hearing control (ear icon) to add to Control Center. Once the Hearing control icon is in Control Center, tap it to see three options: Speaker, Background Sounds and Live Listen. Then tap the musical notes next to Background Sounds to turn the feature on. You can also tap on the words Background Sounds to open a menu to choose a different background sound as well as adjust the volume. Use Accessibility Shortcuts for Background Sounds You can also set up an accessibility shortcut to turn Background Sounds on or off from your home screen or within an app. Here's how to set it up. 1. Tap Settings. 2. Tap Accessibility. 3. Tap Accessibility Shortcut. 4. Tap Background Sounds. Now when you press the side button on your iPhone three times, Background Sounds will turn on. You can tap the button three times again to turn it back off. For more iOS news, here's all the features included in iOS 18.5 and iOS 18.4. You can also check out our iOS 18 cheat sheet and what we hope to see in iOS 19.
CNET
19-05-2025
- General
- CNET
Here's Everything Our Wellness Editors Actually Use to Fall Asleep
Using the Manta White Noise Machine has been a game-changer for me as a light sleeper. I use it every single night. It's a small but mighty device with 15 different sleep sounds, including those popular fan and rain noises. I prefer the brown noise or an ocean sound setting, which lulls me gently to sleep and effectively masks the extraneous apartment noises that used to wake me up at night. With the speaker placed by our noisy street-facing window, I can control and adjust the sound from the bed with its simple remote. You can put it on a timer or keep it on all night until you shut it off in the morning, which is what I do. It's small and highly portable; I even bring it when traveling. — Aly Lopez Pros: Continuous noise (not looping) Small and portable Various soothing sound options No apps required Speaker plugs in, so you don't have to charge the battery Cons:
