Sound machine, anyone?

[Lynn B]

I have been thiiiiiinking about getting a sound machine for sleeping... something with rain, ocean, etc., sounds. Nothing too predictable or rhythmic (if it had an obvious pattern that would drive me nuts!) Something small... fairly inexpensive... with adjustable volume... etc.

Anyone have one they love and recommend? Any that they DON''T?

Thanks!

Lynn

 

[LGK]

I don''t know the one we had (gosh I''m helpful today!) but I know it was the cheapest white noise machine we could get at target. It had crickets, rain, the ocean, static and something else- it was adjustable volume and really cheap. The crickets and the rain were totally unobtrusive. I could actually get my husband to keep his head out of the box fan at night for once (usually that''s what he does for white noise- cranks a box fan up on high and leans his ear against it

- I guess when he was a baby the only way he''d go to sleep was if his parents ran the vacuum next to him; they went through a LOT of vacuums!) Then I spilled a glass of water on it and it died. Ooops. I should get another one though, it was perfect.

 

[upgrade]

I have one in my son''s room. He has the little Obus Forme one- I think it was around $25? It has a bunch of different sound options.

I would suggest you avoid the Conair one... we had that first but it only operates on a timer. There''s no option for it to just stay on all night. The Obus Forme has a timer but also has the option to just leave it on.

 

[packrat]

I had one for London when she was born that had ocean, rain etc, plus it had heartbeat. It ran on batteries tho and I didn''t care for that. We just use a big fan. I''d like to find a smaller one tho, that still had the same amount of noise..our room is ridiculously tiny, so I run into it a lot.

 

[lyra]

I had the obusforme one several years ago. I found that I''d have to set it really low, or the regularity that you mentioned did bug me. Then I switched it to white noise, and that really worked well. Now we use a fan on low, because we need the circulation of air at night. One chihuahua creates an amazing amount of body heat.

 

[Ara Ann]

We''ve used one every night since our oldest son was a baby, almost 20 years now! I had to get one to keep our dogs from waking him up during naptime and we started using it at night and got hooked.


The one we have now is from Radio Shack and has about 8 sounds...we''ve had it about 8 years now! We put it in the upstairs hall so we all get the benefit from it...we can''t sleep without it!

I like the ''rain'' setting too, but if I concentrate, I can detect the ''repeat'', but only if I really listen for it...overall it''s very soothing.

Funny thing, during the summer, if we lose power during a thunderstorm, we usually only wake up if the sound machine goes OFF, otherwise we sleep through the thunder, etc.! Funny how we get conditioned to certain sounds when we sleep!

 

[miraclesrule]

I've said it before, and I will say it the rest of my life...White Noise Machine. I can't live without it. I even travel with it.

You can get them online for about $40. It's best to get the two-speed, and it adjusts from low to high within each speed. It's a life saver.

You can find it cheaper, but this is the model I have as shown on Amazon.com

Marpac dual speed White Noise Machine

 

[ckrickett]

brookstone has some great sound machines

 

[soocool]

My alarm clock has the nature sounds for the alarm. I find it so annoying that I never oversleep! Never used it to lull me to sleep though. I would be afraid of listening to a babbling brook or waterfall, because I might have to pee!

 

[Iowa Lizzy]

Date: 11/22/2009 3:08:44 PM
Author: miraclesrule
I''ve said it before, and I will say it the rest of my life...White Noise Machine. I can''t live without it. I even travel with it.


You can get them online for about $40. It''s best to get the two-speed, and it adjusts from low to high within each speed. It''s a life saver.


You can find it cheaper, but this is the model I have as shown on Amazon.com


Marpac dual speed White Noise Machine

Ditto Ditto Ditto! I have this same white noise machine. I wish they made a "travel size" one because if I''m at a hotel, I have to turn on the air conditioner at full blast to get something similar to my sound screener. It''s so wonderful to be able to "tune out" any outside noise. I can sleep through all sorts of noise if I go to bed before/stay in bed later than my fiance. I seriously recommend them to anyone and everyone!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

You can also download songs to put on your ipod or burn a CD and use a boom box. We did that when T was little. She loved the sound of the vacuum.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 11/22/2009 12:51:15 PM
Author:Lynn B
I have been thiiiiiinking about getting a sound machine for sleeping... something with rain, ocean, etc., sounds. Nothing too predictable or rhythmic (if it had an obvious pattern that would drive me nuts!) Something small... fairly inexpensive... with adjustable volume... etc.

Anyone have one they love and recommend? Any that they DON''T?

Thanks!

Lynn

I use sounds for meditation and had read along the way, while researching, that it''s best NOT to use rain/moving water sounds as it''ll make you want to go potty! lol (cannot believe I posted that!

)

 

[Haven]

DH uses cds instead of a sound machine. They lull me to sleep very well.

 

[tonyc2387]

if you just so happen to have an iphone or ipod touch, the AmbiScience apps generally get fantastic reviews, and they''re all of $1. they make a bunch for different purposes, but they have a sleep-directed one. even have a version that''s free...

 

[monarch64]

I use a small fan. I can''t stand the sound machine nature sounds, they always have static or something and I don''t find any of the sounds that relaxing. I hate crickets, babbling brooks make me need to pee, the ocean waves always sound fake, etc.

 

[Celtgrrl]

Well, Aunty Lynn
as you know i have a sound machine that i've had for years. [grins] and i loves it!
it's not cheap but it's the best. (MHO) a Brookstone digital sound machine..i HAD to have the Thunderstorm one the important thing about expensive digital machines versus the cheap ones you can get at T'arget or Bed, Bath & Beyond...is that you can't hear the "loop"....where the sound replays itself...and for some reason my brain "hears" it and i bothers me...but everyone is different!

http://www.brookstone.com/tranquil-moments-sound-machines-for-sleep.html

 

[kenny]

If you are getting a sound machine to block sounds that get your attention and prevent you from sleeping maybe try earplugs.
I have slept with foam earplugs every night for the last 25 years.
I want NO sound.

For me it is like turning off the lights.
I turn off the sound.

 

[Kelli]

These white noise machines would be great for drowning out irritating noises coming from the next room right? I''ve been thinking about getting one.

 

[dianne]

Lynn,
We have the Homedics brand that has 6 sounds, plus a clock that projects the time on the ceiling. I love the clock, hate the sounds...5 of them do repeat and it drives me nuts. I can only listed to the waterfall which sounds like white noise/static....no repeat. Good luck!

 

[klewis]

Date: 12/12/2009 5:00:28 PM
Author: dianne
Lynn,

We have the Homedics brand that has 6 sounds, plus a clock that projects the time on the ceiling. I love the clock, hate the sounds...5 of them do repeat and it drives me nuts. I can only listed to the waterfall which sounds like white noise/static....no repeat. Good luck!

Don''t the water noises make you want to go to the loo?

 

[kenny]

Date: 12/12/2009 5:15:13 PM
Author: klewis

Date: 12/12/2009 5:00:28 PM
Author: dianne
Lynn,
We have the Homedics brand that has 6 sounds, plus a clock that projects the time on the ceiling. I love the clock, hate the sounds...5 of them do repeat and it drives me nuts. I can only listed to the waterfall which sounds like white noise/static....no repeat. Good luck!

Don't the water noises make you want to go to the loo?

Better that than setting it to the panting, moaning and groaning sounds.

 

[klewis]

Date: 12/12/2009 5:51:52 PM
Author: kenny

Date: 12/12/2009 5:15:13 PM

Author: klewis

Date: 12/12/2009 5:00:28 PM

Author: dianne

Lynn,

We have the Homedics brand that has 6 sounds, plus a clock that projects the time on the ceiling. I love the clock, hate the sounds...5 of them do repeat and it drives me nuts. I can only listed to the waterfall which sounds like white noise/static....no repeat. Good luck!

Don''t the water noises make you want to go to the loo?

Better that than setting it to the panting, moaning and groaning sounds.

True! Who wants to think about the gym when you''re trying to sleep.

 

[kenny]

Hahahaha.

 

[Tropicmaster]

I use a multi cd changer and simply load up 3 or 4 Chakra, Reike, and native music cd's. With those I can sleep through pretty much anything.

ETA- Believe it or not the Chakra healing cd's have led to a noticeable improvement in some of my chronic neck pains from an old car wreck.

 

[dianne]

Date: 12/12/2009 5:15:13 PM
Author: klewis

Date: 12/12/2009 5:00:28 PM
Author: dianne
Lynn,

We have the Homedics brand that has 6 sounds, plus a clock that projects the time on the ceiling. I love the clock, hate the sounds...5 of them do repeat and it drives me nuts. I can only listed to the waterfall which sounds like white noise/static....no repeat. Good luck!

Don''t the water noises make you want to go to the loo?

LOL....the waterfall doesn''t really sound like water to me...the remaining choices do and the Rain choice has a dripping sound in the background, like you would hear the water dripping off a leaf or something but with a distinct rhythm....hate it!

 

[dianne]

Date: 12/12/2009 2:28:18 PM
Author: kenny
If you are getting a sound machine to block sounds that get your attention and prevent you from sleeping maybe try earplugs.
I have slept with foam earplugs every night for the last 25 years.
I want NO sound.

For me it is like turning off the lights.
I turn off the sound.

Kenny, when i wear earplugs I can hear my heartbeat and my breathing...did it take you a while to get used to that?

 

[dianne]

Date: 12/12/2009 9:38:14 PM
Author: Tropicmaster
I use a multi cd changer and simply load up 3 or 4 Chakra, Reike, and native music cd''s. With those I can sleep through pretty much anything.

ETA- Believe it or not the Chakra healing cd''s have led to a noticeable improvement in some of my chronic neck pains from an old car wreck.

Tropicmaster,
I have not tried your suggestions but I did get a nature sounds CD which was really relaxing...as I recall it has very distant bird sounds. I was almost asleep and then there was one really loud bird sound out of nowhere that had me jumping out of bed wondering what the heck that was.

To everyone, I recommend listening to your CDs all the way through before you use them to fall asleep...LOL!

 

[kenny]

Date: 12/13/2009 9:24:44 AM
Author: dianne

Date: 12/12/2009 2:28:18 PM
Author: kenny
If you are getting a sound machine to block sounds that get your attention and prevent you from sleeping maybe try earplugs.
I have slept with foam earplugs every night for the last 25 years.
I want NO sound.
For me it is like turning off the lights.
I turn off the sound.

Kenny, when i wear earplugs I can hear my heartbeat and my breathing...did it take you a while to get used to that?

I've gotten so used to it I don't recall.

BTW, I know someone who can't wear them.
20 years ago he actually drowned in the bottom of a public swimming pool.
He died and saw the light everyone talks about.
Obviously he was revived but he says earplugs bring back the experience of being under water.
Maybe it is his heart and breathing he hears.

Anyway, earplugs are my friend.
I also wear them when I travel in planes, airports, and trains.
I keep them handy when going place where sound can be offensively loud like concerts and movies.

 

[Lynn B]

Thanks for the suggestions. Please keep''em coming! I''m still looking/researching all options.

But for you ear plug wearers, I envy you, I simply cannot WEAR the things! I have tried and just do NOT find them comfortable.

 

[Kelli]

I can''t wear earplugs either. I have to sleep on my side and those things are SO uncomfortable!