White Noise
White noise is an amazing concept. It’s the idea of using lots of different sounds to cover unwanted ones. You know how when you were a kid and your family took a car trip…usually, Mom and Dad were in the front seat and you were in the back seat. As they chatted up front, you could hear them talking, but often {and annoyingly} couldn’t understand what they were saying. Thus, you tuned them out and did your own thing, most likely sleeping until you arrived wherever you were going. The same is true for white noise. It achieves what is called speech privacy, meaning speech has been rendered unintelligible and thus not that distracting. As a result, there are a variety of ways to use white noise. Many turn on a sound machine to fall asleep, while others employ white noise to be more productive.
Sleep.
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The Sonet is the best individual sound machine for desktop or home use.
Adults. Whether you need help falling asleep or staying asleep, there are several sound machines to help. The Night Wave helps you fall asleep, while almost any sound machine can help you tune out noise.
- Kids. I use sound machines for my kids for so many different reasons: sleep training, sharing a room, sleeping in a hotel or at a different place, etc. I find that they settle more quickly, don’t awaken to every sound they hear, including each other, and they appreciate the routine. For my babies, I think the sound machine signals that it’s sleep time and is such an easy portable way to keep that routine anywhere. Thus, I like portable machines for them.
Work.
Noise and conversational distraction is the enemy of productivity. Thus, it’s important to cover work noise, too.
- Sound machines like the Sonet are great for desktop applications. Instead of helping you tune out noise so you can sleep, this time the application is to tune out noise so you can focus. Workers are distracted more than 2 hours every day, so getting rid of that distraction is essential.
- Sound Masking Systems like the VoiceArrest are a great way for offices to cover noise in a broader way, ie for multiple areas instead of individuals.
