![]() Three out of the five evaluators, including myself, came out of this evaluation sleep-deprived, and, to be honest, pretty grumpy, because the white noise machines did not work to mask disruptive noises for us. I wear Happy Ears earplugs and an eye mask to sleep. To top it off, I sleep beside a man with undiagnosed sleep apnea and a dog that has early morning asthmatic fits. Perry Santanachote (that’s me!) lives in a New York City neighborhood that presents a new noisy adventure every night, from blaring bachata music and broken mufflers to illegal fireworks and drunken bar fights. He wears commercial-grade earplugs to sleep, even though they can be uncomfortable at times. Mike Visconti, deputy director of lab operations, lives a few blocks from a railway with commercial trains running throughout the night, blowing loud horns as they cross intersections. She normally wears a weighted eye mask to sleep. when her dog wakes up in the middle of the night to lick himself. The noise comes from inside the house . . . Tanya Christian, home and appliance writer and reporter, lives in a very peaceful environment with relatively no noise coming from the outside. He normally wears Mack’s silicone earplugs to sleep. garbage trucks, and a lakeside country home, frequented by tap-dancing squirrels on the roof. Kevin Doyle, enterprise editor, splits his time between a New York City apartment frequented by 4 a.m. She normally wears Bose Sleepbuds and an eye mask to sleep. ![]() Ginger Cowles, a managing editor at Consumer Reports, lives by a busy bridge that connects New Jersey and New York and deals with lots of commuter noise and car enthusiasts with “The Fast and the Furious” ambitions. ![]() Pavlovian conditioning: If a certain sound (in this case, white noise, is consistently associated with the experience of feeling relaxed and successfully falling asleep, then that sound itself can also become a cue for sleep. Wall of noise: Noise machines or other soothing sounds can provide a consistent, less intrusive background noise that can help mask more abrupt noises in the environment, making them less likely to awaken people or contribute to arousal. Hylton Molzof, PhD, a clinical assistant professor and psychologist at Stanford School of Medicine’s Sleep Medicine Center, says there are two ways white noise is hypothesized to help people sleep. Nature sounds, such as ocean waves or chirping crickets, are another category of noises that are less consistent and have more variability in decibel levels. Variations, such as pink noise and brown noise, give off different energy frequencies. It can sound like radio static, a whirring fan, wind, or heavy rain. Here, nearly a dozen sound machines worthy of your investment.White noise contains all frequencies across the spectrum of audible sound. The good news? Some of the best white noise machines have timers and other smart features that lower-or even shut off the device entirely-after a set amount of time. (If a white noise machine goes above that, avoid turning it up since it can have longterm consequences for your hearing.) The other caveat: If you're using the gadget for sleeping, just remember: "A person can become dependent on any sleep aids, including noise machines, making it more difficult to fall asleep or maintain sleep without it," he adds. In any scenario, they're generally safe to use, too-as long as the volume is kept at, or below, 50 decibels, which is about the volume of conversational speech, says Duyka. And they can even help improve persistent symptoms of certain medical conditions, like tinnitus. As a result, these devices are also popular among therapists looking to create a more soothing space and enhance office privacy. Landon Duyka, otolaryngology ENT at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital. "They produce continuous, relaxing background noises that can both drown out other environmental sounds and prevent a room from being completely silent," says Dr. Though most commonly used as a sleep aid, white noise machines can be helpful in a variety of situations that go way beyond masking a partner's snoring or the voices from the apartment next door, and helping a baby or toddler nap.
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