Anyone using a sound conditioner?

[foraloysius]

Lately I slept with a dehumidifier running in my bedroom, but it broke down and because I got used to the sound I now wake up from every sound in the neighbourhood. And also often from the baby next door. Because I don't have the intention of running the dehumidifier all the time when it's repaired I am considering purchasing a Marpac sound conditioner. Is there anyone here with experience with such a thing? They don't sell them overhere so I have to buy them online, but that is not a problem.

http://www.marpac.com/sound_cond.asp

 

[maytagbear]

I just use

a smallish (8 inches in blade) fan.

I live on a major state route with road traffic all day and night, though, admittedly, a little less traffic at 3 am.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[sikiguya]

CD Player

I have a CD of a Rain Storm (no thunder, just rain) and it sounds a lot like white noise. I just put my CD player on repeat and it goes all night. I have to have something or I cannot sleep either.

Good luck on finding one quickly and I hope you don't loose too much sleep in the mean time.

 

[rickr]

I sleep all good in the hood....

I have lived in the inner city for most of my life, so I am aware of the problems with noises during the night. I use a ceramic heater (little box heater) set on the cool setting for my "white noise" I keep it on the floor beside the headboard.
In the summer, I use a window a/c and it runs all night. (do not have central air)

Both work very well to block out noises of too loud car stereos, barking dogs, car doors slamming, and even the occassional sound of gun fire.

 

[wiskybill]

I picked up a Hamilton Beach TrueAir air filter at a thrift store. It plugs right into the wall outlet and only draws about 15 watts. Don't know how well it works as a filter but the noise level is just right.

 

[spats]

I have to sleep with some sound as well. During the winter I use a small utility heater with a cool setting as well, and summer I just use my box fans.

 

[DADoES]

Ceiling fan on high (or medium, but of course high is better). For some years, used a small ceramic heater on fan mode (sometimes heat mode during a cold snap, with the central turned down), but it got shabby and was tossed.

When I sleep in the "twin room" (which is right off my living room) during the cooler seasons, I sometimes run the living room ceiling fan on high (which I can still hear it enough) to cut down on direct airflow.

At my previous house with the old A/C system I sometimes set the central blower to continuous mode. The new system there with two speed blower ran at low most of the timer and was too quiet for that purpose. I haven't done that at the new place, being as the house is much larger and I don't need air blowing in all the rooms.

 

[jasonl]

The Kenmore dishwasher, but it doesn't last all night. Sometimes the dryer if I did laundry that night.

The ceiling fan on medium and sometimes the radio on soft rock, oldies and now Christmas music. I gave up on the radio though because of the RETARDED Onstar commercials.

Helen's snoring

(ducks and runs)

 

[westytoploader]

I recently went to Radio Shack and bought one of those pillow speakers, which I keep plugged into the headphone jack on the GE 4885. I put it on AM radio before I go to bed, and the alarm will go through that speaker as well. Nice because unless I get to sleep really late, I usually hear the alarm right when it goes off, even though I may shut it off and fall asleep again after that, ha! Doesn't disrupt anyone either.

 

[foraloysius]

Thank you guys for all the wise words. Radio/music is not an option because it distracts me too much, I really need some white noise.

I found out that Amazon is selling these sound conditioners. The shipping costs appeared to be a bit of a problem. It's almost the same price as the sound conditioner itself.

So I think I'll have a look at fans. It can't be too silent, some of the noises that wake me up are really loud. And I want something that doesn't use too much energy.

Tonight I will let my portable airconditioner run on the fan mode.

Louis

 

[veg-o-matic]

I've seen a bunch of different alarm clocks that make a variety of sounds--rain, ocean, wind, etc. I used one that I got from Walgreens, but I don't think you have that chain in the Netherlands!

veg

 

[joeekaitis]

I have one from Brookfield and usually set it to Waterfall or (don't laugh) Baby Soother. The latter produces a drone reminiscent of falling asleep in the back seat of my father's Chevy Two-Ten station wagon after Kaiser Steel Night at Disneyland.

 

[petek]

I bought my SIL one of those clock radios with all the different sounds a couple of years ago. Now my sister is asking for one and I can't find one anywhere. They used to sell them everywhere.

 

[sikiguya]

eBay seller who will ship to Germany

This is a brand name one that will ship to Germany for $15.50.

I am sure there are others but this was the first one I stumbled on.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Brookstone-New-...8QQihZ016QQcategoryZ79643QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[exploder321]

I have a Holmes Air Purifier on low, a very tiny "Dorm" fridge that turns off and on and a celing fan on low in my bedroom. Plus i keep the blower on 24-7 for the Heating system to circulate air.. Also have noise cancling headphones if i need them to listen to music. Used to have the washer/dryer beside me in the old house and i used to run the dryer on air fluff nightly and that worked as well. When we built the new place, i had my room soundproofed as well.. You come in here and with just the air purifier onits dead quite. But there still nothing like a washer or dryer to knock ya off ta sleep.

 

[oxydolfan1]

I listen to George Noory. That's enough to lull the most rambunctious gonads to a quick, peaceful sleep...

 

[launderess]

My Fedders air cleaner/purifier makes enough "white noise" to drown out sounds from outside. That plus I sleep with ear plugs and night blinders, pretty much gives total sensory deprivation.

In the summer having the ac on as well adds to the white noise.

L.

 

[sudsmaster]

I have a fish pond with a waterfall just outside my bedroom windows, and during the warm months that is the sound I hear as I fall asleep. For a while the pond was under seige by raccoons, who were attacking the fish and plants, which required me to get up to chase them away, so I found myself waking up at the slightest change in sound for a long time afterwards, even after I devised raccoon control methods (mainly, electric fence wire around pond). So now the waterfall sound is soothing again.

In the winter with the windows closed I don't hear the waterfall much if at all. But it's a very quiet location, even though it's just off downtown, so I don't really need white sound.

Somewhere along the way I bought a little sound generator - waves, rainforest, etc. But once I noticed that the sounds repeated every 15 seconds or so with a slight but detectable break, it ceased to be sleep-inducing. But the ocean waves I ound the most soothing. For a while I put the sound generator in a protected location by the fish pond, so people would hear tree frogs as they walked by.

Also have a Timex CD/radio/clock with sound generator, but it just couldn't compete with the waterfall ;-).

 

[foraloysius]

Yesterday I bought a box type fan at a thrift store. It has two speeds, on the highest speed it gives the right amount of white noise to cover up the noises that kept me awake. Only 5 Euros ($6.50) and problem solved! Thank y'all for your input.