Many people want to know how to sleep faster.
If you have trouble falling asleep at night, you may benefit from the help of a white noise machine.
These specialty devices block out all external noises and create quiet surroundings for you to fall asleep in.
It's the next best thing to soundproofing your room.
The machines emit a sound signal called white noise.
It is not a sound, per say, but a signal that acts as a sound barrier between your brain and your surroundings.
It's a sound that has a flat power spectral density.
What this means is that to your ears it sounds like a hissing noise.
It is often associated with radio static, a fan running, wind blowing or a waterfall.
The key to white noise is that it's a constantly changing frequency of sound.
It has a mixture of tones so nothing is specifically audible at any one moment.
The result is a tone that will mask out other noise.
The machines help you fall asleep faster because it overloads your brain's ability to detect specific noises.
If you have trouble falling asleep because of outdoor noise or a snoring spouse, a white noise machine may be just the ticket.
It reduces the interruption of noises around you so your mind can relax.
It's not that the noise itself is particularly soothing, but that the noise is blocking out the other sounds creating a sonic cocoon around you.
If you've decided to give a white noise machine a try, there are many different options to choose from.
White noise machines come in all different prices ranges.
Some have several options for sound, like ocean sounds, a stream, or a fan noise.
For best results, try some audio samples out online before you buy so you know what type of sound you'll respond to best.