Can My Neighbor Hear My White Noise Machine | [Unwrap]

Can my neighbor hear my white noise machine?

A white noise machine is a device that produces sounds like hushing waterfall or blowing wind. Infact, these devices don't produces the actual white noise, but a pink noise or other colors of noise. The white noise machine have a variety of uses. Some common uses are as follows:

• Audio Testing
• Sound Masking
• Sleep Aid
• Power Napping

The white noise machines that are specifically made for sleep aid or power napping have the capability to produce other soothing noise such as music, rain, wind, ocean waves, highway traffic etc.

[Also Read]: Best Quiet Propane Generators for Camping

Bonus Tip: The white noise machine are also used by the people suffering from the tinnitus to mask their symptoms.

Coming back to the question, " Can my neighbor hear my white noise machine?", the usual answer is it depends. The white noise is generally run on a volume level slightly above the normal music listening level. Now, here is the catch. If your apartment has a thick wall, and the windows and doors are well covered with the soundproof blankets or curtains, then by no way your neighbor will be able to hear the sound of the white noise machine.

Even if you walls are thin and the windows and doors aren't covered with the soundproof materials their is very less probability that the white noise sound will reach their ears. In the worst case, even if they hear it, the will feel like some wind is blowing or it is raining.

By no chance, the white noise machine will offend your neighors.

If you intentionally wanna them to listen, then you can put the white noise machine at the maximum volume.

Before we explain the scenario with an example, allow me to explain the term "white noise".

White noise is a noise that is produced by combining sounds of all different frequencies together. A white noise can be obtained by summing up all the frequencies or tones that a human ear can hear.

The term "white" in the white noise is taken from the white light. Similar to the white noise, white light is the result of all the colors(frequencies) combined together. If you will pass a white light through a prism, you can see the white light getting separated into the component colors.

Now, since you are aware of the white noise concept so, lets see what will happen if the white noise is allowed to reach your neighbors? (A hypothetical question)

As we know now that the white noise is the outcome of all the frequencies that our ear can hear, so if the white noise will reach the house of your neighbors, which is next to impossible, then it will mask all the sound present in the house.

For example, sounds of televison, music system, drums, home appliances etc will be masked by the white noise, and your neighbor will only hear a sound that is similar to rainfall, blowing wind etc.

I hope that I have given the answer to your question. In case, you have any doubt, then feel free to ask me in the comment section. I will try to respond at the earliest.

Can Google home play white noise?

The answer is Yes, if you own a Google home play, then you don't have to spend extra bucks to buy a white noise machine. You can request Google home to play white noise through Google Play Music, Spotify or YouTube Music.

However, Google has a selection of ambient sounds built-in, as well.

You just need to say, "Ok, Google, Play White Noise." 

Note: If you request Google home to play any of the built-in ambient sound, then it will play for 1 hour, if you don't stop it manually.

What is the best white noise machine to buy?

There are many good white noise machine available in the market. I have written a detailed article on the best white noise machine, and the post also includes the buying guide that will help you to buy the one that caters to your needs.

If you want a device exclusive for sleeping, then I will recommend you to buy a white noise fan rather than a white noise machine.

Can white noise hurt baby hearing?

The infant ears aren't the same as the adult. The infant ear has a little straighter tube. The tube amplifies the higher frequencies. A research was conducted on 14 white noise machines to find it's effect on the infants.

According to the researchers, the parents should play the machine as quietly as possible, as far from the baby as possible, and for as short a time as possible.

There wasn't any firm evidence that the white noise hurt the baby hearing, but at the same time, excess of anything is bad.

Some researchers claim that continuous exposure to white noise can retard the growth the infant's brain. 

[Related]: Effects of white noise on brain

Wrapping UP:

Until you intentionally want, or you put the white noise machine at the highest volume, the neighbor will NOT at all hear the white noise sound.

So, you can buy a white noise machine without fearing that it will create a problem to your neighbors.