I have used a fan for many years and sleep well I really like the air flow as well as I wake up more clear headed.

Great post. And I love the photo with the old fan.

I literally laughed out loud at your "heartbeat" option description. I might like it, I'm a total horror flick addict.

I originally used a fan for air flow in the room because I also wake more clear headed with it. Now I enjoy the noise :|

Unfortunately, I am addicted to the fan as well. The white noise machines just don't do it for me. I've used a fan to sleep since I was 5 yrs. old, and although silly, it's such a sentimental thing to me. I found a gorgeous all-metal, somewhat vintage-looking fan for $25 at Wal-Mart...I hate to admit. But it has the most soothing sound that comforts me while falling asleep, or just relaxing in my apt.

A fan made your energy bill skyrocket? Did you two move in together when you got married, cuz moving two people into one space might account for the electricity. So are all these machines battery operated?

My one-year-old loves white noise, which we've used since he was a newborn. When he slept in our room we used a DVD recording of static, and it played continuously all night long. Now, he listens to a dead radio station all night long.

I have a marpac sound machine (like the one above) and I love it!!

I use the asleep app on my iphone and I love it. I think it only costs .99. It's especially nice, because I always have it with me - including when I travel for work.

There are a variety of white noise CDs you can buy and play endlessly all night.

I occasionally work night shifts and having the fan run is essential to sleeping during the day. Now I need it everywhere, which really sucks in my grandparents unheated upstairs bedroom (I'm in Canada). But it must be done!

Believe it or not, my son's Sleep Sheep works wonders. It has 4 options and comes in 2 diffeent sizes. The only problem is that the noise runs out in 30 or 45 minutes.

I'm so glad to read this review! I have been looking for a sound machine but wasn't sure which one might be good for me.

I like fans--ceiling fans, floor fans, desk fans--for daytime noise too. Just blocks out a little bit of the street noise when I'm at home. But I agree with the other commentator who questioned why a single fan would make your electric bills 'skyrocket'. A fan shouldn't consume that much energy, certainly not more than these sound machines would, so there's something amiss there.

Oh, to add: I've also been experimenting with nature noises available on iTunes, which I could run through an iPod adaptor-equipped alarm clock.

we own 4 marpac sleep mates in our house -- they are the best!

Another (well-rested) marpac user. I just wish they made a smaller version for travel!

Marpac 980 works well for our household too.

I think the heart beat feature is meant to sooth newborn babies.

I'm a fan girl... I used to sleep with a fan during the summer when we didn't have AC and I just got addicted to the sound, plus I was a huge chicken, I would just get freaked out when I'd hear the house creek and pop. I can't stand "nature" sounds though, kinda cheesy to me. The fan is perfect for blocking out sounds.

So after stopping my giggles at your "Heart Beat" option comment on the HoMedics brand noisemaker.... i had a moment of revelation...

ITS THE NOISE!!! not the gentle air blowing over my body every night while I sleep... but as I sit here aware of the noise my fan is making as it sits on the floor next to me.. suddenly everything makes sense... It is a blistering hot day today .. and the air that is blowing on me is rather warm... but the NOISE of the fan is calming me down.. and stopping me from "overheating" in the brain...

I don't know to what extent my energy bill is affected by our constant fan-age but I think i might need to go check out a noise maker tomorrow.

If you have internet access in your room and don't mind keeping it running all night there is a great website Simplynoise.com that has a great white noise option. You can choose from several different types of noise- "white" "brown" or "red"-choose oscillating or steady, and select a volume. Best of all, its free!

Living in Belgium, I didn't even know these machines existed and thought noise could only be noisy... Interesting!

I'm another Marpac user. Couldn't live (or sleep) without it.

Ours' is a Sharper Image white noise machine. I am trained to it and as soon as I hear one, I am immediately in a more relaxed state!
Our children have their own machines in their rooms, too. My son likes his machine because it also has a loud "rain" sound option which he blasts after he tells jokes or sings so he can bow to the "applause" and say "THANK YOU! THANK YOU!"

I'm with HeyNowTex - a fan alone (save for, maybe, one of those industrial-size ones) shouldn't have caused your energy bill to "skyrocket." Did you examine any other changes that occurred around that time to see if they could've been a factor?

My air purifier doubles as my white noise machine. I have asthma, allergies, a carpeted bedroom, and pets that are allowed to sleep with me. A big no-no, but the purifier helps. (The white noise also keeps my psycho chihuahua mix from waking me, barking at every bump he hears in the night.) And I, too, wake up more clear headed due to the constant air circulation.

Lastly, a white noise machine may not be best for baby's room - recent research has shown that a fan may reduce the risk of SIDS.

I couldn't figure why I a) could never fall asleep at a new partner's home, or why I would wake suddenly and constantly, and b) why my stomach seemed to make so much noise sleeping at their place and never mine, for the longest time, and it was really starting to bother me! I had noticed that none of my past partners had oscillating fans at their places, but it still took me a while to figure out that that simple fact was it. I had originally started using an oscillating fan in my new apartment since we're right by a retention pond with a fountain (and noisy frogs!) and a busy six-lane road, and I needed a consistent layer of noise to sleep, but now I realized that I just can't sleep anywhere without that particular blanket of noise! I can't even sleep in my own lovely bedroom without that fan on, and damn if it isn't getting cold here at night ...

I'm skeptical of a white noise machine, because I'd have to hear the noises first and be able to return it if it didn't do the trick.

My white noise is the radio all news network turned down low enough that I can't quite make out what is being said. I strain to hear and somewhere in the midst of it all my brain gets too tired and I crash. It's on a sleep timer so it's not going all nite.

When my son was young I put on the classical music station on NPR and turned it very low. He would be out within minutes.

Doralora-I'm in Belgium too!

We got a great white noise machine when we had our baby, we brought it over here and the adaptor wasn't the right kind and it shorted out! I have an app on my iphone now that has many different sounds, we use heavy rain falling (alhough here in Belgium thats pretty much a constant outside anyway, lol) and it helps baby sleep.

A fan really shouldn't be doing this to your energy bill! My roommates and I would often have three fans running at a time in my apartment and the energy bill never came to more than thirty dollars a month.

Perhaps you are using an older fan? I have just never heard of this happening, I don't see why a fan would use more energy than any other electronic device you could use as an alternative.

What great timing as I'm off to find a sleep machine today. While I dont mind the outside noise (and we live downtown too) its the upstairs neighbors I need to drown out:D

I have HomeMedics. It's very soothing. I prefer the beach or the rain forest.

I am one of the few people that can not stand white noise. When I dated someone who slept with the fan at night , he would get up, turn it off and I would suddenly relax. White noise causes me a ton of stress.

I 2nd the Sleep Sheep!

I have the Homedics as well and the rain sound is essential to my sleeping these days. The Waterfall option just sounds like static for those who like that noise. Plus it's very portable for weekends away!

We use an ipod touch with the app Ambiance plugged into speakers. Roundabout, yes, but we already had all that equipment! Why buy more?! :)

a fan for white noise actually saved our lies during a house fire...the electricity cut and so the fan turned off suddenly and woke me and my husband up. for some reason, the smoke alarm did not go off. if we didn't have the fan, i shudder to think what may have happened...

I listened to several options on Amazon and iTunes and found one I liked an downloaded for 99 cents. And I just play it through my iPod and some hand me down iPod speakers.

I also use the iPod alarm which jolts me from calming white noise to some fist pumping Bad Religion to tell me it's time to get out of bed.

But living in LA, the noise is insane, so I can't sleep without it.

Thanks for the post AT.
The need for sound sleep in a busy city is a problem i never knew until i moved into a rapidly growing inner city locale.
Now it is a corner stone for keeping my sanity.

(Ah, sleep - so underrated!)

Thanks to a HomeMedics sound spa, I can't sleep without the sounds of industrious crickets wittering away to block out noises (courtesy of my insane neighbours, a fire station 2 doors away and the dinging of trams rushing past). Bless their little electronic socks.

I highly recommend some form of white noise for good sleep - i never had it before and now i'm an addict.

Loved the comment about the horror movie heartbeat.
I tried the babbling brook/waterfalls mode first and found I didn't sleep, but did have to fight the urge to pee ..... not good for blissful sleep!

Good article. You can also try the free white noise player located at http://www.whitenoiseplayer.com

I think ear plugs are cheaper, easier, and more conducive to sound sleep.

Hi All--

I suppose I should have used "surged" rather than "sky-rocketed"....I can be a bit of an exaggerator ;) BUT we did notice quite a difference, around $10 when we switched to a sound machine instead.

I had my Homedics sound machine under my bed and used it for over 10 years until it just died one day. Since I’ve downsized to a smaller space, my iPhone with free apps Sleepmaker (rain/rolling thunder 7 levels) and Naturespace (crickets/woods, streams, surf, wind) take care of my white noise needs. If all else fails, I pop a 1/4 tab of Ambien! (;-}

I've become a total addict to a white noise mp3 i ripped off a "soothing ocean waves" cd I got at the dollar store years ago. I set my mp3 player for about an hour of audio-book, and then 7 hours of white noise. It's like my own bedtime story, and really helps me sleep much better. My library (the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh) has audio books you can download. Many other libraries probably do too.

Rhapsody is terrific for this.

For sleep, I rotate between a couple of "nature sounds" albums by Green Powered (apologies in advance for the crazy names): "Healing Rhythms of the Pacific Ocean," "Healing Rain Washes Away All Weariness," and "Rushing Wind for Relaxation."

And then when you're awake you have pretty much any music you want on demand. Even pretty obscure classical or indie recordings. I absolutely LOVE my rhapsody subscription.

Paired with my Sonos system especially, it's a total dream. Best splurge EVER.

I have the Sleep Mate and it is absolutely amazing! However, traveling with it has messed it up a little bit, so i bought a Conair digital sleep machine from Walmart for around 15 bucks. I use it for travel and when the power goes out (it has battery backup! that alone is worth the fifteen bucks). it itsn't as soothing as the Sleep Mate (the white noise sounds a little harsh, and if I remember right, the other sounds were worse), but it gets the job done. I find putting it on the floor verses the nightstand helps. It doesn't sound as digital from the floor, haha.

Another great thing about the Sleep Mate is its adjustable vents. They can be rotated to sound like rushing wind, or a soothing hum (or somewhere in between). I'm totally sold on it. I use it along with my ceiling fan, so my room's never quiet at night!

I have the same need for white noise. I've found a great alternative by downloading some iPhone apps that play a variety of sounds and you set the duration. I love this feature because it doesn't require another electronic device on my bedstand!

This article reminded me that I should use my iphone to try to drown out the street noise in my place!

If you have an iphone the Ambiance app is the best! They add 10 new sounds a month so you can sleep with whatever noise you'd like - water crashing on the beach, the sound of a Ferrari, morning in Hong Kong, a campfire. Usually I fall asleep to the campfire or rain in a forest and wake up to the waves crashing on the beach. So peaceful....

Oh, this post was so wonderful; it always helps to know that one will find roommates at the mental hospital! I grew up in central FL. My father was super cheap-o and freaked out over running the AC. So, I had a childhood that conditioned me to the lovely sound of a whirring fan as I dropped off to sleep. This has presented me with many a sleepless night when traveling; every sound is amplified. Eeeek. I have a very old version of the soundmate (tucked into a suitcase somewhere...). But, its size and eerily bomb-like shape pretty much guaranteed a baggage search. The thought of random, anonymous TSA guys pawing through my undies ended the sleepmate's travels.

I once tried a Sound Spa. The heartbeat totally made me re-live a very scary version of Bill Cosby's "The Chicken Heart... bah bum, ba bum". And the waterfall and rain options had me running for the bathroom all night!

I still sleep with a running fan (lovely metal Hunter reproduction of the fans I grew up with) in warmer months... but struggle through the colder ones. Perhaps I will try some of the options available for my iPod or droid. GREAT post! Especially knowing that I'll be able to find a roomie who has to have white noise when I end up in the loony bin!

1 on the recommendation for iPhone apps. I use one called "White Noise" that is free in it's basic version and works quite well.

I once read a tip for travelers who need white noise to sleep but are in a hotel with thin walls -- turn the TV or radio to a channel that is all static before going to bed. I sleep with a fan but I really appreciate all the tips on using an Ipod or Iphone. This will come in handy the next time I travel!

You can download white noise tracks on itunes for .99, just set it to repeat and you are guaranteed a great night sleep!!!

amazing how relevant this website always is to my life - my husband and I had been sleeping with a really loud fan on for year set on the highest setting ( Holmes Blizzard) but it got so gross with dust etc and when we bought our first house in NOv. and remodeled the bedroom i couldn't aesthetically bear breaking out the dirty old fan .... so i decided to give the white noise machine that my husband bought me a few years ago (which I wrote off after one use as "not being the same" as my old fan) another chance ... ITS THE BROOKSTONE MODEL YOU LIST ON THIS POST! So funny - I have been sleeping like a very tired babay for the past few months with the Brookstone set on white noise, highest volume .... that plus 2 simply sleep tablets (generic walgreens) and earplugs really do the trick. :) I am one of those ppl who has no trouble falling asleep, but has trouble staying asleep, especially with a husband who snores. I am considering adding a very quaint old fan as a substitute though ...

For anyone interested in a good deal on a Sleep Mate and don't mind buying used/vintage, there's one on Ebay with a starting price of $11.99:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Sleep-Mate-Patented-by-Sears-Excellent-Cond_W0QQitemZ230425037616QQcmdZViewItemQQptZVintage_Electronics_R2?hash=item35a6670b30

My friend has one just like this that his mom used in college. His younger brothers use it now, and it still works great! After sleeping over at his house with it on, I had to get one myself!

If you're looking for any of the other pricier sleep machines, I'd check Ebay as well. It's always a great place to start, if you're not afraid of other peoples' stuff! =)

I own the SleepMate white noise generator. I actually find it really difficult to fall asleep while it's on. Something about the hum or pitch keeps me from falling asleep quickly or sleeping deeply. However when I had neighbors who enjoyed three am weekday parties outside my window, the white noise generator REALLY helped drown them out. I brought it with me in my move to New York thinking that street noise would be difficult to sleep through. I used it for the first few days, but now I find the sound of cars sort of soothing.

It's a useful sleep aid, but only when outside forces conspire to keep you up at night. If it's already nice and quiet, it's a distraction to sleep.

I am such a fan...uh, well fan. :) When I moved in with my now husband, then boyfriend, it took some getting used to on his part. It's part of our bedroom decor...I will have to look into one of these handy dandy machines though :)

I can't believe I just read all these posts to see if anyone mentioned the dreaded FAN DEATH..

Am I the only one who likes complete quiet for sleeping? All air con/ fans etc must be switched off too.

I listen to the static between radio stations. Radios with digital tuners seem more consistent. It helps me sleep better AND is easy on the wallet.

I've been sleeping with ear plugs since my college days years ago - works like a charm. An eye mask does wonders too.

i am with those who like the news or other "talking" at low volume--we (gasp!) have a really nice TV in our bedroom with a power saving feature that lets me turn off the video. i stick on something that won't overly influence my dreams (tried M*A*S*H for awhile but kept dreaming of bombs going off), set the sleep timer, and get lulled off to sleep. i may give some of these iphone ideas a shot, though!

I have the Marpac and it's one of the best things I've purchased since moving into my apartment last May. I've got a roommate who stays out late, and now I never hear her when she comes home. It's great!

In response to Lomer:
Some people (such as myself) cannot sleep at all if it's quiet. I have to have some sort of noise to go to sleep, and the Sleep Mate's quiet hum and soothing wind sounds calm me down and help get me to sleep. So while some people use these machines to block out noises, others use it to create calm sounds to fall asleep by.

I found this page in a search for some way to deal with my upstairs neighbors' TV noise, rather than shooting out their speakers. I've tried a fan, which helps somewhat, but I'm hoping for better. Has anyone use a sound machine for blocking TV noise and which was the best?