Slightly OT- White Noise machines

Since this seems to be the place where sleep experts live...

I have a horrible sleep cycle. I go to school during the day, and work nights. So a few days a week I sleep at night, and a few I sleep during the day. I have my window blacked out, so I cant tell if its day or night in my room, which helps. I have been having trouble staying asleep though. Typically I can sleep for 3-4 hours, then I wake up for 3-4, then sometimes I can go back to sleep for a few more. Its very irritating. A friend suggested a white noise machine, but honestly shes one of those all natural, herbal, eastern medicine kind of people, so I never know if what she is telling me is hogwash or actual advice. Supposedly its supposed to trigger your brain that its time to sleep or something like that.

Anyone use some sort of white noise, or even know what Im talking about? I just want more consistent sleep, despite my varying schedule.

lol, that's not "froo froo" advice, that's actually good advice. I have a white noise machine (also called "Sound Screen") outside my therapy office to help buffer sounds from outside the office, and I used one in my bedroom at night to help buffer street and neighbor noises. Definitely helps. I now have an air purifier in my bedroom which sounds just like the white noise machine so I don't need the WN machine at home now.

As with any other subject......if you go up to the Search line and put in "white noise", you'll have about 79 pages of results to look through. I just checked.


Den

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I like my white noise machine and have had it about twenty years and it's still going strong. The babbling creek is nice, as is the rain storm which even comes with drips off the roof! I live on a mostly decent street but nearby are three schools, so at about 7am the honking, parking and the traffic start up... I'd go crazy if it wasn't for white noise. Also, google 'grey or gray' noise, it's a lower pitch and some people like that better and say it's more soothing. I can't say since I haven't tried it but I'm tempted.

Sir NoddinOff wrote:I like my white noise machine and have had it about twenty years and it's still going strong. The babbling creek is nice, as is the rain storm which even comes with drips off the roof! I live on a mostly decent street but nearby are three schools, so at about 7am the honking, parking and the traffic start up... I'd go crazy if it wasn't for white noise. Also, google 'grey or gray' noise, it's a lower pitch and some people like that better and say it's more soothing. I can't say since I haven't tried it but I'm tempted.

Lol, drips on the roof sounds like water torture! Would be a good sleep deterrent for me!

alpha752 wrote:Since this seems to be the place where sleep experts live...

I have a horrible sleep cycle. I go to school during the day, and work nights. So a few days a week I sleep at night, and a few I sleep during the day. I have my window blacked out, so I cant tell if its day or night in my room, which helps. I have been having trouble staying asleep though. Typically I can sleep for 3-4 hours, then I wake up for 3-4, then sometimes I can go back to sleep for a few more. Its very irritating. A friend suggested a white noise machine, but honestly shes one of those all natural, herbal, eastern medicine kind of people, so I never know if what she is telling me is hogwash or actual advice. Supposedly its supposed to trigger your brain that its time to sleep or something like that.

Anyone use some sort of white noise, or even know what Im talking about? I just want more consistent sleep, despite my varying schedule.

My brother is a muscian and the "tone changes" as he calls them experianced while he uses his BiPap drive him crazy. He has taken to using a couple of fans in the room to mask the noise. He tells me it works.

I think the white noise of perhaps better pink noise or even the water fall or ocean noise macnines to mask intermittent noise is a good idea.

In the past I have used ear buds to suppress the noise from neighbors who were loud. I use a light to wake up to (e.g. http://www.amazon.com/Philips-Hf3470-Wa ... B003XN4RIC ) so no need to "hear" the alarm.

I have found that the best way to handle this issue is to get yourself some good foam "ear-plugs" with a rating over 30. I use them daily and they work great AND you barely can hear the noise of air escaping the mask. Now then, I have a special way of getting those plugs in my ears too. I take a round tooth-pick and insert them to almost 3/16ths inch before the tip. Then do the twisting bit and while holding it in that state, slide them in your ear twisting it the direction of twist and they will go in great! Then just hold the plug in place while you extract the pick. I swear, you'll never go to bed without them after that.

I use a white noise machine also. It doesn't lull me to sleep but it does help with noise from outside. I've been using it for several years and I don't think I could sleep without it. I bought mine on Amazon.

We sleep with a fan turned to the wall for our 'white noise' and have done so for 30 years.