Using More Than One Sound May Help Babies Sleep Better, New Parent Trial Suggests
Shushiie allows parents to combine different sounds based on their baby’s needs.
Parents sing or shush babies to sleep, then use white noise to keep them asleep. A parent trial explores what happens when both are combined in one device.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, December 17, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Silence is rarely what helps a baby sleep. Long before sound machines existed, parents already understood this. Babies are sung to. Shushed. Rocked. The sounds of a caregiver have always helped a baby relax and fall asleep.
Decades later, research added another piece to the puzzle. Studies have shown that continuous white noise can help babies sleep by masking sudden environmental sounds, making it easier for them to remain asleep once they have drifted off.
Falling asleep and staying asleep, however, are not the same task.
Shushiie®, a baby sleep sound machine developed by The Cot and Cradle Company, was created to address this distinction by allowing parents to combine different sounds based on their baby’s needs. A recent two-week parent trial examined whether this approach could help babies settle more easily and remain asleep for longer.
Modern parents know this instinctively. Many sing or shush their baby to sleep, then rely on white noise to prevent waking when the dog barks next door, the delivery driver rings the bell, or an older sibling has a tantrum just outside the bedroom. The problem is not knowing what works. It is that most sound machines force parents to choose just one sound at a time.
To bridge that gap, families improvise. Phones are left playing sound in the baby’s room overnight, meaning parents lose access to their own device. Or multiple gadgets are switched on at once, cluttering the space and turning bedtime into something that feels more technical than calming.
The trial, conducted by The Cot and Cradle Company, involved 20 parents across 10 households. Families were provided with a Shushiie sound machine, guidance on sleep environment setup, and encouraged to use combined sound consistently during naps and bedtime. Parents were asked to adjust sound pairings on their Shushiie based on their baby’s preferences, whether that meant using rhythmic shushing or lullaby sounds to help their baby fall asleep, alongside continuous white noise to reduce disruption once asleep.
At the end of the trial, parents shared feedback on settling time, sleep duration, and overall bedtime experience.
While outcomes varied by baby, several consistent patterns emerged. Many parents reported that their babies settled faster or more smoothly when combined sounds were used as part of a predictable routine. A number of families also observed longer sleep duration, particularly overnight. Most parents chose to use more than one sound at the same time rather than relying on a single sound, and several described stronger bedtime associations, noting that babies began to recognise the sound combination as a cue that sleep was coming.
Several families opted to keep the device after the trial, citing calmer routines and a less disruptive bedtime experience.
Existing research has long shown that white noise can support sleep by masking environmental disruption. Parents, meanwhile, have always relied on their own voices to help babies relax and fall asleep. What has been largely overlooked is how these two needs intersect. Getting to sleep often requires a different cue than staying asleep. Addressing both at the same time removes the need for workarounds and reduces disruption during a baby’s most sensitive sleep phases.
“Shushiie was designed because parents already know what works for their baby, but the tools haven’t caught up,” said Meriem Menani, founder of The Cot and Cradle Company. “I found myself shushing my baby while also playing white noise to block out background sounds. It felt instinctive to combine sounds, yet no single product allowed that. Shushiie was created so parents can customise sound based on their baby’s needs, helping them fall asleep and stay asleep without interruption.”
One parent who took part in the trial shared:
“What made the biggest difference was being able to combine sounds. The shushing helped our baby fall asleep, while the white noise stopped her waking when there were noises around the house.”
Shushiie®, developed by The Cot and Cradle Company, was created to bring this parent-led approach into a single, screen-free device. By allowing parents to combine shushing, lullabies, and white noise, it aims to support babies in settling more easily and remaining asleep through lighter sleep phases.
Designed in London and Dubai, with a calm, minimalist aesthetic, Shushiie is intended to support sleep routines from the newborn stage through early childhood.
About The Cot and Cradle Company
The Cot and Cradle Company creates design-forward, evidence-informed essentials that support calmer family routines. Blending neuroscience-informed insight with thoughtful design, the brand focuses on helping parents and babies rest better through consistency and simplicity.
For more information, visit www.cotandcradle.com
Meriem Menani
The Cot and Cradle Company
+971 58 587 8676
hello@cotandcradle.com
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