Hatch Sound Machine Controversy: Religious Psychosis or Spiritual Discernment?

Hatch built its entire reputation on calm: soft lighting, gentle sounds, and bedtime routines meant to soothe families. So when the brand suddenly leaned into horror-themed marketing, many users felt blindsided.

In late 2025, controversy around the Hatch sound machine erupted because the campaign didn’t just get spooky. It pushed into territory that felt spiritually dark, off-brand, and deeply unsettling for parents who rely on Hatch devices to bring peace into their homes.

Let's take a deeper look at what's going on and why many TikTokers are posting that they are throwing out their Hatch devices.

Hatch launched a Halloween promo titled “Goodnight, Phone” with a Hollywood-style trailer starring Kiernan Shipka. Instead of cozy sleep cues, the ad delivered jump scares, a bloody phone cord pulled from her mouth, and a zombie version of herself attacking her in bed.

For a brand associated with peaceful sleep and children’s rooms, the PG-13 imagery felt jarring. But Hatch didn’t stop there.

Subscribers to Hatch+ were encouraged to explore Halloween content like the Twilight “hoa hoa hoa” vampire alarm and bedtime narrations of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."

The biggest issue came from another Hatch promo called “Fallelujah.” In it, the narrator declared:

“It’s here. The season where we dabble in the dark arts.”

That line only underlined the problem of the messaging. This promotional video is no longer on Hatch's YouTube Channel.

Christian parents argued that no sleep brand should be referencing “dark arts,” regardless of tone. These are devices people place next to their beds and in their children's rooms.

WIRED notes that by Oct. 24, the brand was trending on TikTok under “DemonTok.” Searches like “Hatch demonic ad” and “Is the Hatch alarm clock demonic?” became widely circulated.

For many Christians, spiritual imagery matters. Anything referencing witches, vampires, occult themes, or “dark arts” is not harmless, especially inside the home. When the product sits inches from where a baby sleeps, the messaging feels even more inappropriate.

This wasn’t Hatch selling a costume or a pumpkin-scented candle. It was a brand trusted for safety, serenity, and emotional calm. Turning that into a horror aesthetic created cognitive and spiritual dissonance.

Christian TikTok creator Charity (@CharityIsMe) posted herself throwing the device into the trash. Her video included screen recordings of the promo where the Twilight alarm flashes red while the narrator says the controversial line about dabbling in the dark arts.

Charity wasn't the only one throwing the Hatch away, though. This was popping up all over TikTok so much that Hatch started a "RePossession Program" that poked fun at their customers' concerns but also gave them a chance to send the device in so it wouldn't end up in a landfill.

Many found this to be a strange stance and saw it as doubling down on the demonic theme, while others praised Hatch for the "iconic clapback."

Supporters argue it’s just Halloween marketing and nothing more. But critics say discernment doesn’t require proof of supernatural influence. It’s simply about choosing what you bring into your environment.

The specific visuals: red light, horror sound cues, occult phrasing, combined with Hatch’s association with infants and families, made the campaign feel out of left field at least, and like a betrayal of trust for some.

Whether you see the backlash as spiritual discernment or overreaction, one truth stands out: Hatch misread its audience.

For many families, peace at bedtime doesn’t mix with marketing that leans into darkness, no matter how playful the brand thinks it was being.