I’m Using This $10 Find Instead of Ear Plugs, and My Sleep Is so Much Better

I’ve tried seemingly everything to help improve my sleep: dark showering before bed, sleepy-girl mocktails, and more fancy eye masks than you can imagine. While they’ve all had an impact on my sleep quality, I’m always looking for that one missing puzzle piece to make falling asleep — and getting restful sleep through the night — actually easy. On a recent stay in a luxury hotel, I just might have found it. 

When I stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas earlier this spring, I discovered an electronic sound machine that made customizable, relaxing background noise for sleeping. I slept so well the entire trip, without my favorite ear plugs. I instantly knew I needed to get one of my own. Because I live in a tiny apartment with limited space, I set out to find a similar but smaller machine to buy and ended up getting the LEICEX Portable Sound Machine. It’s super effective and the tiny size means I can take it anywhere.

The LEICEX Portable Sound Machine is a small round electronic machine that offers 15 non-looping sounds to help you sleep, including white noise, fan sounds, campfire crackling, rain, ocean waves, and even birds chirping. At just 1.6 by 1.7 inches, it’s truly pocket-sized and perfect for travel in my carry-on. The machine recharges via USB-C and has a battery life of up to 22 hours at maximum volume (and longer when played quieter), so I can go days without charging.

What surprised me about this tiny find was just how versatile it is. It has two volume buttons, which you also hold down to cycle to the next noise, 32 volume levels, and five shutdown timers from a half-hour to three hours so if you want it to turn off once you fall asleep, it’s easy to do. The sound quality is excellent and it’s great for blocking out external noises to help make sleep more restful.

Because all of the noises are non-looping, there’s enough variety in the sounds so I’m not kept awake by it when I’m trying to fall asleep. I also appreciate that it has a memory function, so when it shuts off, the next time you turn it on, it goes back to the same setting you had it on before.

This small-but-mighty gem has been a game-changer for my sleep. Of course it reminds me of my decadent stay at the five-star hotel, but it also brings that luxury to my own bedroom. I honestly like it better than the one I used at the hotel. The LEICEX is perfect for resting and relaxing and comes with a wrist strap, so you can also attach it to a stroller to help your baby nap wherever. It comes in a handful of cute colors and you can snag a case for just a few dollars more. It’s simple, discreet, affordable, and actually makes a difference in my sleep — what more could you ask for?

Buy: LEICEX Portable Sound Machine, $9.49