White noise machines are electronic devices that are used to produce or play white noise or other sounds that the listener might find soothing such as the sound of rain falling, wind, ocean waves, and running water. They actually have several purposes. However, the most common purpose that people use white noise machines for is to aid in sleeping.
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What is White Noise?
White noise is the noise that is what is created by equally combining all the frequencies of sounds together at once. Because of this white noise can be used to mask other sounds.
Why Does White Noise Help People Sleep Better?
If white noise is a type of sound why doesn’t it wake people up or prevent them from falling asleep in the first place?
When there are sudden changes in the noise around us it can startle a person who is trying to sleep. White noise helps to block these changes in sound thus enabling us to have a more peaceful sleep.
The key to using white noise to help you sleep is the fact that it is constant. After a while, constant white noise that doesn’t have any sudden changes in volume becomes something that the brain can tune out or ignore. This combined with the fact that white noise when at the proper level can block out the changing sounds around us that might otherwise startle us and prevent us from sleeping.
Who Would Benefit From Sleeping With White Noise?
People who go to bed when there is still activity going on around the home will often find that it is easier to sleep with the help of white noise. Likewise, people who work odd shifts and need to sleep during the day when there is more activity and sounds around them will also often appreciate the help of white noise when trying to sleep.
The following sleep environments might benefit from using white noise:
- nurseries
- children’s rooms
- daycare centers
- college dorms/residence halls
- apartments
- homes by busy streets or highways
The following people might benefit from using white noise while sleeping:
- babies
- children who go to bed while adults or others are still awake
- people who suffer from anxiety
- insomnia sufferers
- people with tinnitus
- people who work the 3rd shift (overnights)
So What is a White Noise Machine?
A white noise machine is an electronic device that produces soothing sounds that help to mask the sounds around us thereby allowing us to get a more restful sleep.
White noise machines come in two main types:
- Mechanical – Mechanical machines that consist of a fan inside of an enclosed housing that is used to create the white noise sound. These mechanical machines may have a switch that allows you to control the speed of the fan. They also have small adjustable holes or vents in the housing that allows you to customize the volume and tone to match your sound preference.
- Digital – Digital machines will produce or playback a variety of soothing sounds. They can either digitally produce white noise or playback audio tracks of sounds such as falling rain, the ocean, flowing water, birds, lullabies. These audio tracks can be set to automatically replay once the end of the track is reached. Digital white noise machines will also have a volume control so you can adjust the sounds to your preferences and sleeping environment.
Here is an example of a highly rated mechanical white noise machine:
Yogasleep Dohm Classic (White) The Original White Noise Machine (actual fan inside)
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The Yogasleep Dohm Classic produces the soothing sound of rushing air without the unwanted breeze created by a fan. It comes with a two-speed fan and an adjustable cap that allows you to make the sound holes larger or smaller so you can customize the volume and tone of the sound.
Marpac designed the Dohm Classic with convenience and portability in mind. It has a long 6-foot power cord so you can place the unit pretty much wherever you want. The Dohm Classic is compact and stands just 3-1/4 inches high with a base diameter of 5-3/4 inches and weighs only 1 ½ pounds, which makes it easy to fit on your nightstand and bring with you when you travel.
Its’ sturdy construction durability is backed by a one-year warranty.
Here is an example of a highly rated digital white noise machine:
Adaptive Sound Technologies – Sound+Sleep – Sleep Therapy Machine
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The Adaptive Sound Technologies – Sound+Sleep – Sleep Therapy Machine is a full-featured unit that should satisfy most anyone’s needs for a sleep therapy/white noise machine. It comes with 10 different sound options for you to choose from including the traditional white noise option that you would expect.
In addition to the many different sound profiles you have to choose from, Adaptive Sound Technologies packed this unit with many other great features. These features include:
- Volume control
- Adaptive Sound technology that listens for background noise and can automatically adjust the volume to help ensure that you don’t have your sleep disrupted.
- A timer that can be set to gradually turn off the unit in 30, 60, 90, or 120 minute time increments. If you don’t want to use the timer you can always use the all-night continuous play option.
While larger than some of the travel-sized units, the Sound+Sleep sleep therapy machine is still relatively compact. Weighing in at 2 pounds the Sound+Sleep’s dimensions are 7.5 x 5.5 x 4.5 inches.
The Sound+Sleep comes with a one-year parts and labor warranty, and a 30 day return policy so you can feel safe with your purchase.
Many white noise machines don’t actually produce white noise. These machines might actually be producing pink noise instead. Pink noise is similar to white noise, but it has more emphasis on lower frequencies. Similar to white noise, pink noise can also be used to block out distracting sounds.
Why Not Use a Fan Instead?
Fans can create an approximation of white noise, which is why many people like to use them to help them sleep and don’t see any need for a white noise machine. So why shouldn’t we all just use a fan instead?
There are several reasons why people might prefer a white noise machine instead of a fan:
- Some people don’t like the feeling of air blowing on them or circulating around the room when they sleep.
- People who suffer from allergies might not do well with fans blowing around dust and allergens in the place where they sleep.
- Fans can be bulky and take up too much space – especially in smaller bedrooms.
- If you travel a lot trying to bring a bulky fan with you on every trip is inconvenient.
White Noise is Also Useful in Other Settings
Using white noise during the day might help you be more productive. The sound masking effect of white noise can be used to block distracting sounds in offices, libraries, and other public places. Sometimes white noise might even be broadcast over a PA system.
In noisy workplaces where people can’t use a white noise machine, they might opt to use noise isolating or noise cancelling headphones.
Here are some bestselling white noise machines on Amazon:
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