I've had trouble sleeping because of background noise for years. I finally bought this because I live in a duplex and my neighbors are loud and erratic in behavior, arguing and moving furniture around at 3:00 am. I was afraid to even try to sleep at home after several days with little sleep and my roommate made me buy this because I was ready to move out.
This product is great. It makes a very fan-like sound, but with no mechanical or cycling sounds, or rattling. This is just a constant whoosh. It has two speeds and you can change the sound of the whoosh by changing the postition of the vent holes on the device. It has a switch right on the side of it, not on the cord so it's easy to use. It's even padded on the bottom to make sure it doesn't vibrate.
I used the low setting last night and slept through the night for the first time in the month since the crazy animals downstairs moved in.
I've been relying on ceiling fans and box fans for background noise for years, this is much better. It's a fuller sound, it covers more, and it doesn't make me cold.
As many others have said in previous reviews, this is unlike those pre-recorded white noise sounds. This cannot repeat, because it's actually making the sound as you hear it.
I travel for a living and stay in a lot of hotels. I look forward to taking this thing with me and blocking out the sounds of neighbor's TV's and talking and vehicles, etc. . . It's very small and lightweight, and seems durable.
I don't know why I didn't buy this sooner. Shooting my neighbors is the only thing that would help me sleep better, but this is legal so perhaps a better choice.
I think there is a contest in my neighborhood, that I'm unaware of. I suspect it's designed to find out which homes can produce the most noise. My neighbors are definitely in on it. They're probably in the top five! I surmise that when their dog isn't barking continuously on its own, they're standing in the yard yelling 'speak' and throwing meaty tidbits her way.
In addition, one child is always toting a boom-box, blaring rap, while the other is bouncing a basketball off the side of their house, sometimes for eight hours straight, often running onto my porch to impress me with his dribbling skills. I think the neighbor behind me is in the top five, too. He's taken up drums, and on the weekend he moves his stereo, complete with auditorium sized speakers and sub-woofer, onto his patio for my enjoyment. Ah, yes---this is the good life!
Okay, okay...maybe it is just me, and this is the normal hum of 'daylight living,' from which I've become so removed. I do a lot of 12 hour night shift work, and I can't expect the world to come to a screeching halt because I'd like a little sleep. But, something had to give!
Something did! My new Marpac 980 recently arrived and I couldn't be more satisfied. It is small (and portable), but solidly built, with cushioning on the bottom to prevent vibration, or furniture scaring. The instructions are clear regarding how to adjust the volume quality, with the top rim and collar. It also has a low and high setting switch. I set mine on the highest level...remember, my neighbors are in the top five.
For such a small machine, the sound really fills the room and there aren't any quirky artifacts, or rattles. The sound is consistent and pure. I quickly adjusted to this new, distraction from the madness, and found it quite comforting.
On the very first trial, a water main had broken close to my home. There were Public Service workers with their, noisy Bobcat, digging to China for hours. I could barely hear them. Ah, the sound of success.
If your neighborhood enters the contest, you might just want to consider one of these machines, too. Sleep deprivation is bad for both mental and physical health. Just ask me :-).
Update 11/19/10: My first Marpac unit is still going strong, and I have since ordered a second one. I think I'm addicted! I don't only use them to sleep with, now. I use one anytime I feel like blocking out the outside world---like when reading, studying, or searching for a Zen moment. These units still receive my highest recommendation. I will never be without them, until they are extracted from my cold, lifeless hands.
Buy Marpac Dohm-DS Dual Speed Sound Conditioner Now
This is the second sound conditioner that I have owned. It cost more than the first one, however, it is worth every extra cent. It has a much richer and more soothing sound than sound machines that use a digital recording. I live in an apartment that is in a noisy business district with a 16 yr. old that stays up all night, yet, I sleep like a childless person who lives in the country. I love this white noise machine!
Read Best Reviews of Marpac Dohm-DS Dual Speed Sound Conditioner Here
The first thing to note is that this manufacturer sells the identical product under two names, SleepMate and SoundScreen. The only difference is the name--having "SleepMate" on the label was deemed a bit awkward for office use. They're both exactly the same otherwise.
I bought this based on wildly favorable reviews online. I found no one who rated it anything less than "incredible." I am extremely sensitive to noise. If a bit of the neighbor's stereo noise bleeds into my home, I'm completely unable to tune it out. I can't read, and sometimes can't even watch TV comfortably. Unfortunately, I live in an area of dense apartments--where the weather is such that the windows have to stay open--and my husband snores. I sleep with earplugs, but the noise can still keep me awake.
In the past I have tried other noise machines that didn't work for me--things like "rainfall" cds or electronic noise machines with similar nature sounds. The problem was that they play a loop of sound, and you can hear a pattern as the loop replays. Once there's a pattern, there's something to pay attention to, and your mind does not tune it out well. This machine generates pure "white noise," which I hoped would be more helpful.
The product is the size and shape of a fat smoke detector. Two things surprised me when I first received it. First, it was quieter than I thought it would be--even the loudest setting seems quieter than a window air conditioner. Even still, my husband complained he wouldn't be able to sleep with "all that noise." (He got used to it within a day or two). It sounds something like a fan--a rush of air. Although you can adjust the volume and tone somewhat, the highest volume is also the highest pitch. Personally I wish it had a deeper tone.
The second surprise is the instructions say to place it *away* from you, so the sound can "fill the room." The ideal positioning pictured has it on a high dresser across from the foot of the bed. Unfortunately, my only option was to place it on the bedside table. I don't know if this really affected my results.
After using it for a while, I would say that it makes it a bit easier to tune out noises, but by no means covers them up. So, once I'm asleep (I still use earplugs), I can stay asleep. If I can manage to get my attention focused on a book the neighborhood noises probably won't break my concentration. But once I hear the noise I still can't tune it out. In fact, a couple times I have actually turned off the machine so that I could identify some sound--not knowing "what is that?" was actually bugging me more than when I could hear it clearly. But like I said, I'm a freak about noise.
This would be ideal for covering traffic sounds--it's just the right sort of noise and pitch. But if your problem is a neighbor's stereo, that mind-numbing bass is not going to sound much different with this than without. It really doesn't "cover up" sounds, but if you have a reasonable ability to tune things out (unlike myself) and just need a little help, you will probably be very happy with this. And it's definitely helpful for *staying* asleep, even for me.
It doesn't solve all my problems, but based on the reasonable price I'm satisfied with the value I got for my money.
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I started using a white noise machine years ago, and had been using the same device for all that time. In the past few years, it's been breaking down, so I've been searching for a replacement with no success. Most of the products I've tried have prerecorded sounds (even for white noise!) that repeat in a obvious way -at least for someone who uses the device for the whole night. This machine actually seems to use a fan or something to generate the white noise, thus eliminating the need to reproduce the sound. It did seem to have a low whistling sound at the lower speed that was annoying (that wasn't there the first night but appeared subsequently soon thereafter). But the higher speed seems fairly good, if loud. I am definitely very satisfied, though. If you're looking for a white noise machine that will run through the night and produce good white noise to sleep by, this is the machine for you.
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Don't know how it works, but it does. I'm 52 and I work very hard quite often, and end the day very tired. When I'm really worn out I'll soak in a tub with this stuff and it is like taking a handful of aspirin, only better. It really does soak away aches and pains, way better than just a tub or hot water. I highly recommend it.
