Stream sounds for baby sleep

What this sound is

A stream sound is made by water striking stones and itself, producing an endless run of bubbles and splashes. The result is a broadband hiss whose energy sits higher than rain's, with the fine, fast, random ticks of bubbles inside it, which is why it sounds more animated than a flat noise. It is closer to white noise than rain, but with a natural texture. The stream in Agubu is, as the card says, running water: a steady flow that runs for as long as you need. As the liveliest nature sound it suits daytime naps and noisy homes; at night some babies find it too bright, and rain or pink noise fits better.

Why it may help

What the stream shares with the noise family is a continuous, broadband bed: it resembles the hum of the womb and masks sudden household sounds. Because it leans high, it covers doors, conversation and kitchen sounds well, like white noise, and covers low rumbles less well than brown noise. The lively texture of the bubbles feels less artificial to some babies than a flat noise. On the evidence, we know of no study of stream sounds in babies, and the general evidence for steady sounds is weak and mixed. We cannot say it works for every baby; try it low for a few nights and read Agubu's sleep log.

Safe use

As a high-leaning sound it can feel more intrusive at the same decibel level; level and distance follow the white noise guide.

• Keep the volume low: the level recommended for hospital nurseries is about 50 decibels. The practical test is simple: if you can talk in a normal voice in the room and still be heard easily, the level is fine; if the sound drowns you out, it is too loud.
• Do not put the phone or speaker in the cot or on its edge. Keep it at least one to two metres away, and avoid headphones, sound toys attached to the cot and any speaker close to the baby's ear.
• Use the timer. Fading the sound out 20 to 30 minutes after your baby has fallen asleep is usually enough. If you leave it on through the night, keep the level genuinely low.
• Turn it down once your baby has settled, and do not let a loud setting become the habit even briefly. Do not leave it running all day while your baby is awake, because it masks the speech they learn from.
• Play the stream a notch lower than the other sounds; a bright hiss turns tiring quickly when loud.

How to play it in Agubu

1. Open Agubu, go to the Sounds tab at the bottom and tap the Stream card under Nature. This sound is part of the Premium library, so the card shows a Premium badge until you subscribe. The eight free sounds and the timer stay open to everyone. It plays on your device offline, with nothing to download.
2. Set the volume with your own ears first: if you can speak in a normal voice in the room and still be heard, it is low enough. Place the phone one to two metres from the cot.
3. Tap Timer and pick a duration. When it runs out the sound does not stop abruptly; it fades down slowly. Twenty to thirty minutes after your baby has fallen asleep is enough on most nights.
4. If you like, layer it in the Mixer: brown noise under the stream balances the highs and fills the sound out. The Mixer is a Premium feature and blends up to four sounds at separate levels. Sounds play without ads and the app needs no internet connection.

When to use it

• At daytime naps, in the busiest hours of the house, to mask kitchen and conversation.
• In the evening fussy hour, when rain and the plain noises left your baby indifferent, as the livelier alternative.
• Out in the pram or carrier, to soften the sudden sounds of the street.