Summer seems to be in full swing here in the Northeast and one of the downsides of the warm weather is the folks that congregate outdoors late at night underneath your open windows. As city dwellers that have, since the heat wave arrived, not been able to sleep through the night thanks to the noise, we are quite keen on looking for tech solutions to the late night noise pollution problem.
- SimplyNoise This site offers a free white noise maker in addition to a $0.99 iPhone and Android app.
- Sound Oasis Travel Sound Therapy System Built for travel, this portable white noise machine is great for tiny nightstands in tiny urban apartments. $90
- White Noise App One of the most highly rated white noise apps in the App Store, White Noise is available for the iPhone, Mac, Android, Blackberry, and WinPhone platforms. $2 and free (lite version)
- Sound + Sleep Ecotones Duet This white noise machine has a feature called "Adaptive Sound Technology" which purportedly listens and reacts to the environment.
- Pzizz Sleep One of the white noise/ sleep apps that we turn to on a regular basis, this app creates a new unique soundtrack for you to fit the time you selected that will lull you into a deep sleep. In addition to the iPhone app, Pzizz also has a software application for Mac and PC that creates audio soundtracks. $6
- HoMedics SS-2000 This slightly alien looking white noise machine has 6 nature sounds and a 15, 30, and 60 minute auto off timer. $20
- Dreambot This free app helps you to sleep by providing a variety of relaxing soundscapes.
- Sound Oasis Deluxe Sound Therapy System With 20 main sounds and 5 mix sounds and patented "Sleep Enhancement Technology," this device is possibly the Cadillac of white noise machines. $150
- Ambiance Available for the desktop, iOS, Android, and Blackberry platforms, this app contains over 1000 sounds which you can use to create custom mixes. $3 and free (desktop)
- Sound Oasis S-550-05 With the ability to run off of either batteries or AC power, this white noise machine is easily portable. $48
What do you use to block out noise?
(Images: Flickr member Sean Dreilinger licensed for use under Creative Commons)
Find Your Style: 20 Classic to Contemporary Kitchens to Add to Your Inspiration Board
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Shaw's Original Fir...
A Real Dinner, Fast: 5 Favorite Types of Almost-No-Work Meals
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
I >>>LOVE<<< my Sound Oasis machine. I was having terrible insomnia and this baby put me right out and kept me out. I got one for my brother who works third-shift and he says, "I love that thing. That's the best sleep I've ever had."
You can get this model at Bed, Bath & Beyond & wait to use their 20% off coupon. http://www.sound-oasis.com/products/sound_therapy_systems/sound_system_s650.php
The coolest thing is the "Sleep Enhancement Technology." The sound will undetectably soften and "stretch out." Your breathing naturally follows suit and you are ZZZZZZZzzz.
We use the white noise app and a dock setup.
I have to have white noise in the background. I find the silence eerie and unsettling. Right now, I have ocean sounds.
I've been using the Sleep Sound Generator from Hammacher Schlemmer for years. As a lite sleeper, this is a life saver.
Sleep Sound Generator
I just use a fan - it serves double duty producing white noise and circulating air in the bedroom to keep me cooler while I sleep without having to run the A/C as much.
Sleepy Time (Android, $1.50) deserves a shoutout here. Tons of sound options besides White Noise, and you can mix them together, too!
I use a fan, too. I bought a mini desk fan - the kind you might find when shopping for college dorm supplies - and put it on my nightstand. It cost all of $5 or $10 at Target.
I also use a fan.
For Android - WhiteNoise is a great app with a timer. I use it when I am not at home and sometimes when I am at home. :)
I LOVE my Sound Oasis machine. I've had it for almost 2 years, and let it run all night every night, and it is still going strong. I leave it on the white noise setting, because I like the consistent noise, rather than waiting for a wave to roll in! Got it off Amazon for $50. Worth every penny.
The Marpac may not be the most attractive device, but after doing a lot of research, it came out as the hands-down favorite among most users. I've been using it for a couple of years now, and have to agree with the raving reviews.
For $0.99, grab the Brown Noise Loop on iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/white-noise-loops-for-sleep/id251929527). Combined with a dock, it's perfect.
Yep, fan of the fan. I am a light sleeper and every thing wakes me up, but the fan helps big time.
I'm a huge fan of SimplyNoise. I listen online while I'm at work when I need to focus or if my brain just needs a break.
I only use their "brown noise" because a lot of the higher frequencies are cut and it sounds more comfortable over a longer perion of time.
We've been using the Hammacher Schlemmer sound machine for more than 15 years or so, starting when we lived in the city. We now live in a very quiet suburban setting, and I still cannot get to sleep without one.
We keep an extra one in our luggage for traveling. It's a must in hotel rooms.